Great Ways to Waste Time at Maker Faire Bay Area

If you haven’t heard, Maker Faire is coming to the Bay Area September 26th. It’s an incredible collection of exhibits you won’t find in a store. And it only happens one weekend, so if you’re looking to optimize the quality time you spend meeting amazing makers, that’s really a great idea. But there’s also tons of stuff to play instead. From team-building exercises to non-linear puzzles, from handmade alternative controllers to vintage video games, there are a plethora of unproductive ways to spend your time. It’s far more than we can reasonably list, so here’s an amuse-bouche of standout experiences.

Maker Faire Temporal Anomaly

A temporal anomaly has fractured time at Maker Faire, and we need your help to solve the mystery!

Your mission is to uncover the full story. As you explore the Faire, you will discover special Voice Over IP (VoIP) phones connected to the event’s WiFi network.

Inspired by Meow Wolf, Allen Ajello and the rest of the team at Crexendo will be running a faire-wide puzzle using VOIP phones and clues hidden around the event. I have no idea what to expect other than surprises that challenge the space-time continuum. Of course, not knowing is the point.

Badger Badger Badger

Badger Badger Badger is an alternative control game reflecting a modern-day corporate employee’s life. You play a corporate employee and your goal is to get PROMOTION without losing your SANITY. You play the game by using your corporate assigned badge to tap on different badge readers to navigate the office maze and build rapport with your coworkers. Once you’ve done enough favors for those people, you’ll be ready for promo. How to actually get promoted? Come and play to find out!

Sam Brown, Justin Chang, and Ruby Chen built this Severance-esque office simulator. It’s perfect for someone who, upon seeing all the art and robots on display, wishes they were at a desk. The rhythm game starts out simple but gets tricky fast. 

Game On

Game On offers hand-crafted cooperative challenges at our location in Berkeley. Come sample our travelling game and ask us anything about our game design and build process.

The innovative puzzle builders James Hopkin, Tim Alley, and Eric Mittler from Game On have devised a scaled-down experience just for Faire visitors. I expect a lot of the good kind of problem-solving, as well as inspiration for anyone who was itching to build their own puzzle box.

Connect 4 Musical Instrument

The Connect 4 Musical Instrument transforms a classic game of Connect 4 into a live musical performance. Two players face off in a standard game, but with each move, they collaboratively generate a unique musical composition.

Kids always seem to beat grown-ups at Connect 4, but Ben Einstein’s instrument takes things a step further. Can you defeat your opponent and compose a recognizable track at the same time?

Sashimi Slayer

Sashimi Slayer is an alternative controller rhythm game that uses a modified martial arts sword as a controller. Slice and parry away enemy fish and the kraken’s tentacle, then chop them into sushi! 

This rhythm game is naturally inspired by sword sounds in movies. I played it earlier this year and I am pleased to say that the team at Shrimp Fried Rice Games (Shenwei Zhu, Kay Krachenfels, Alex Ling, and Arthur Gan) improved an already fantastic experience with new modes and UI upgrades. Since I don’t know where to buy a sword controller, Maker Faire might be my last chance to beat my old score.