During early prototyping, the PRELOADED studio hosted family groups to test pre-production models and perfect the core game mechanic. As COVID-19 restraints kicked in, the team had to adopt a remote approach, using a novel mobile AR solution to stand in for the medieval weapons.

Onsite installation required coordination with AV specialists Sysco and setwork manufacturers Beck over a number of weeks. Each of the four arches was fitted with four OptiTrack cameras, along with projector, screen and speakers. The result is a near-invisible technical setup providing accurate, real-time tracking as players wield the weapons. A unified approach to technology across the arches simplifies the process of supporting an incredibly sophisticated level of interaction.

The four arches also have a unified look and feel, appearing as a single ‘world’ for players as they move through the different games. From a single-player Quarterstaff showdown with Little John to a multiplayer archery competition outside the castle walls, each game balances short but ‘sticky’ loops whilst remaining true to historical legend.

The variety of gameplay across four arches gives visitors more than a glimpse into medieval life. Every activity, whether range-finding in the forest with ‘clouts’ as targets or the quick-fire ‘popinjay’ game of moving targets, is drawn from historical insight. Boys as young as seven were required by law to practice archery every week! Even the Quarterstaff, weapon of the peasants, has its secrets; as useful herding geese and picking acorns as it is against a broadsword.

Realising this project required a diverse blend of skills, marrying the patterns of visitor flow with spatial constraints, the technical opportunities of real-time tracking, expert physical craftsmanship and the rewarding gameplay PRELOADED is famous for. The result is a beautiful suite of narrative-driven, skill-based games that immerse players in a vibrant medieval world.