Alexa is the game master in a new board game
London-based startup Sensible Object has launched a new board game called "When in Rome," which uses Amazon's voice-enabled digital assistant Alexa as the game master. Alexa teaches players the rules, keeps track of their progress, keeps score, and acts as an overall game master. When in Rome is the first title in the startup's upcoming line of Alexa-based board games collectively called "Voice Originals."
Alexa will walk you through the game
When in Rome is a travel trivia game that lets players travel between 20 cities in the world and answer questions about each locale to win points. Once in a city, the players interact with its locals via Alexa, who takes on the personality of a real person complete with an accent while asking questions. A maximum of eight people can play the game.
When in Rome is powered by a free Alexa skill
To provide an authentic travel experience, the game features customized character voices, stories, and sound effects for each city. Sensible Object's CEO Alex Fleetwood said, "We're working on music licensing for the game with local artists." Saying "Alexa, open When in Rome" will automatically add a new Alexa skill to your command library, after which you can prompt the assistant to start the game.
The game sells for $30 on Amazon
The game includes the game board, two player tokens, 18 friend tokens, 14 upgrade cards, and five "souvenirs." Sensible Object will also launch an adult version of the game that will include the nightlife of the featured cities. The startup is planning to make its toolkit available to third-parties so that others can create board games incorporating virtual assistants under its brand.
