EventBitZ

Agency field guide / Field notes

The Exhibit Designer's Guide to Adding a Custom Game

A game belongs in the activation plan from the first proposal. Its screen, controls, queue and staff handoff all affect the booth. Use this guide to define the creative idea and the production responsibilities before your team commits to a client delivery date.

Gameplay from an EventBitZ studio concept
From the studio / playable concept

Start here

Sell a specific visitor experience, then put an owner beside every handoff: client approval, game build, AV, connectivity, setup, support and follow-up.

Describe what the visitor actually does

“An interactive game” is too broad to judge in a client proposal. Try a description that connects the product to a visible action: visitors navigate a workflow, avoid bottlenecks and collect milestones. Then show the rep question that follows the round. The client can respond to the experience rather than imagining an unspecified attraction.

Process Runner and Save the Stack demonstrate two distinct ways to turn software into play. One uses lanes and momentum to express process friction. The other uses platforms, monitoring signals and uptime. Share the relevant concept as a reference and clearly label it as studio work. Your client's game should be scoped around their own message.

Explore the Process Runner example

Agree how the partnership will work

Tell EventBitZ whether your agency will lead client communication or wants us in joint reviews. Name the person who combines feedback and the people who sign off on the message and final game. A proposed working arrangement is useful; an assumed one creates missed approvals.

Before you quote the game onward, confirm the scope, your commercial arrangement, branding, licensing and reuse. White-label presentation, exclusivity, source files, resale pricing and multi-event rights should be explicit discussion points. They are not automatic inclusions. Agree what can be shown in proposals and portfolios as well.

For repeat events, specify what stays the same and what changes: dates, start screens, product messages, leaderboard resets or hosting. Small copy changes and a new gameplay mechanic are different types of work. A clear change process protects the event schedule.

Put the production handoffs in writing

Use named owners in the actual project plan. The table is a scoping aid, not a claim that any one supplier covers every service. Hardware, venue services and onsite support should appear in the relevant proposal.

Swipe to compare all columns →

WorkstreamDecide before build
Creative and approvalsWho supplies brand assets, approves the message and combines feedback?
Game deliveryWhich devices, controls, browsers and display orientation will be tested?
AV and connectivityWho supplies the computer, screen, cables, network and power?
Booth operationsWhere do players stand, who welcomes them, and where does the rep conversation go?
Data and follow-upWhat is collected, who receives it, and who owns follow-up?
Launch and supportWho installs, rehearses, resets and troubleshoots the experience?

Draw the interaction area, not just the cabinet

Show the player position, screen sightline, waiting space and route into a conversation on the booth plan. Rehearse with someone watching as well as someone playing. The screen should help a spectator understand the objective without requiring the rep to repeat the full instructions.

Confirm the organizer's current requirements for power, sound, internet, access and installation. Test the actual controller, computer and display combination. Browser delivery still needs a connectivity plan; do not assume that a game, leaderboard or submission flow will work without the services it depends on.

Include access needs in the brief. Keyboard operation is a core W3C accessibility topic; discuss suitable controls, clear instructions, readable text and alternatives for visitors who cannot use the proposed interaction. This is a design and testing requirement to scope, not a blanket accessibility certification.

Source: W3C: Understanding keyboard accessibility

Rehearse a complete visitor journey

Measure the full cycle rather than the timer alone. Explanation, play, reset and discussion all take time. Keep any capacity calculation labeled as a planning assumption, then replace it with rehearsal observations. Agree a support contact and a launch checklist before shipment or installation.

  • A first-time visitor can find the start action and understand the objective.
  • The agreed devices and controls work with the actual display setup.
  • The round ends clearly, and the next player can start without staff improvisation.
  • The rep can connect the result to a relevant product question.
  • Any agreed lead flow, consent wording and data handoff are checked end to end.
  • The team knows what to do if the network, computer or controller fails.

Build the proposal around a realistic schedule

EventBitZ's concept direction takes 2–5 business days after we have the brief. Development typically takes another 2–4 weeks after concept feedback, depending on complexity. Allow approximately two weeks for feedback and refinement; physical production, delivery and event approval dates are scoped separately.

Bring us the product story, intended audience, event date, booth plan and likely budget. We can work out a game direction and the responsibilities needed for your proposal. A useful starting point is the conversation your client wants to have after someone plays.

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