Diamond Heist is a playful obstacle game, built for a physical computing class, that turns dodging a web of lasers into a race against the clock.
Three players compete at a time, each attempting to pass through a web of "laser" obstacles without triggering them. Rather than actual laser beams, we built the obstacles built from strings wired into a circuit, powered by an Arduino to track the state of the game; if a player brushes or pulls a string while moving through, the circuit breaks and they are eliminated from the heist. The system records each player's time, and whoever completes the course fastest, without breaking the circuit, wins.
We chose to use strings as the lasers after running into practical limits: proper laser beams that would not disperse were inaccessible, and building a fully dark box to contain visible lasers was not feasible within the twenty-four-hour build window. Testing different materials, strings offered a simple, low-cost way to simulate the same tension and physical challenge as a laser grid.
The project began as a playful exploration of combining electronics with a physical and computational game. Our biggest learning was in calibrating difficulty against human movement. Making the obstacle too tight meant almost no one could pass without breaking a string; too loose, and everyone succeeded with ease. Finding the right balance, one that respected how bodies actually move through space while still creating genuine difficulty, proved to be the real design challenge behind the game.
When people at the exhibition started playing our game, we saw all the hard work of the week pay off, as we were rewarded with the joy that the Diamond Heist brought to the visitors.
