This week was a crunch week for the entire Top T.I.E.R team as we prepared for our Fall 2026 playtest day on Saturday, October 31. From technical development and costume design to playtesting and prop planning, we worked hard to bring the experience together before the big day.

We made progress on several microcontroller features, including a working prototype for the dynamite button press and countdown sequence. We also developed expressive eye color changes and eyebrow movements for Snake Eye Saul’s face mask to help bring the character to life. In addition, we 3D-printed the dynamite prop and continued working on Saul’s costume. The shirt and coat are ready, while the pants are in progress. We also continued developing our set design and created a list of potential props for the experience.

We playtested our updated narrative with ETC first-year students, Carl Rosland, Jesse Schell, and Bernard Yee. Their feedback helped us identify areas that need further refinement as we prepare for the upcoming playtest day.

During our October 29 meeting, Bernard emphasized the importance of defining our target audience, clarifying the emotional value of the experience, and helping participants feel comfortable engaging with the robot. He also encouraged us to establish a structured user research process using surveys, demographic questions, and feedback from a diverse group of playtesters.

Jesse encouraged us to build the experience around the robot’s physicality. Instead of relying heavily on dialogue and asking participants to imagine interactions, we should give them more opportunities to engage with physical objects and demonstrate their abilities. He also highlighted the potential of Snake Eye Saul’s arrogant personality as a source of comedy, encouraging us to focus on strong comedic timing, tangible interactions, and a satisfying physical finale.

Both feedback sessions gave us plenty to think about, and we have some narrative revisions ahead as we work to make the experience more engaging, interactive, and memorable.

We also met with Simon Colker, a sound design student, to discuss ideas for sound effects and music. We explored how sound could help establish the atmosphere, support the storytelling, build tension, and enhance comedic moments throughout the experience.

Additionally, we reached out to the School of Drama for help with props and discussed the possibility of hiring actors to support the experience. These conversations helped us identify the additional resources we may need to bring our setting to life.

With Halloween approaching, the entire team spent the week bringing together our technical systems, costumes, props, and storytelling elements. Although we still have some narrative refinements to make based on the feedback from Jesse and Bernard, we made meaningful progress across several areas of production. Now, we are focused on getting everything organized and ready for our Fall 2026 playtest day on Saturday, October 31. Time to see how everything comes together!