Zombie Tag with the ESP8266

Consider the game of “tag” or even “manhunt.” Both are such simple games that one would have to assume they’re played worldwide, and…

Jeremy Cook
5 years agoGames

Consider the game of “tag” or even “manhunt.” Both are such simple games that one would have to assume they’re played worldwide, and re-invented with various rules, special players, etc. As fun as that can be, could it be improved with the addition of an ESP8266? As seen in the video below, it seems the answer is a resounding “yes!”

In this new Spy/Zombie Tag game, each player wears an LED-laden ESP8266 device, which displays either green to indicate zombie status, or white to show that the player is still a tasty human to be hunted down and converted. Two players are initially tagged as “zombies,” and once he or she comes in contact with a human, that player then joins the zombie ranks, represented by now-green lights on the ESP8266 module. Proximity to an opposing player is indicated by the device’s lighting system— which also counts down the game’s 15 minutes — providing another layer to the game’s strategy.

Each unit works in AP plus station mode, searching for the opposing “Human” or “Zombie” SSID. This means that no infrastructure is needed, great for play at places like MAGStock where the demo video was filmed. While still a work-in-progress, the basic code for the game can be found on GitHub.

Jeremy Cook
Engineer, maker of random contraptions, love learning about tech. Write for various publications, including Hackster!
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