Together Alone

We present an online narrative using video conferencing that is designed to facilitate collaborative storytelling using physical objects. Although research into the use of video conferencing platforms for storytelling and games is limited, we suggest that there is much to learn from a design space that includes interpretations of popular game formats like escape rooms, role-playing games, and board games. Drawing on examples from online and offline contexts, we focus on the tangible and embodied characteristics of these forms of play to identify narrative design opportunities for video conferencing platforms. We contribute the documentation of our research through design process, resulting in three preliminary design recommendations to help facilitate tangible and embodied remote storytelling.