Sapphire: An inclusive alternative to
Capture the Flag

Traditionally, Capture the Flag is played by people who are able to freely and easily run around a shared location, and is rather exclusive of people who are unable to do so. When a person who uses a wheel chair or who has vision impairments wants to play Capture the flag, the roles that are created for them can be trivial or not as satisfying as the roles people without impairments are able to play. Sapphire was designed to be a version of Capture the flag that can be enjoyably played by people with a variety of different movement and visual abilities. 

The goal of the game is for your team to work together to capture the opposing team’s virtual sapphire and protect your own from being stolen. It is a multiplayer game that can be played either in-person or virtually. In-person players, called Mobile, and virtual players, called Stationary, can play together in the same game simultaneously, which means players do not have to run around the same location in order to play together.

Players can interact with each other physically or virtually, which means people can either roam around a space or stay put and experience the same game intensity. Whether players interact with the map using AR, or move their virtual avatar along the map, everyone with the same role has the same in-game abilities and responsibilities, creating equity among the players. In the virtual setting, there are in-game audio cues that can help direct a player towards a landmark, warn them of approaching players, and provide feedback to the success or failure of tasks. This enables people to be able to navigate the virtual map and complete tasks without the ability to see clearly. 

Lastly, the incorporation of an entirely new role, Mission Control, provides a whole new avenue for participation within the game. The Mission Control role allows players to exercise their strategizing and observations skills, while the Agent role focuses more on quick reaction times and navigation. People of varying preferences for competition and gameplay can find a role they identify with most, and have an equal part in achieving their team’s goals. 

This new version of Capture the Flag will highlight the different skills and abilities of the players in the game, rather than exposing the lack of abilities that the traditional version requires.