JP@REALNICE.NET
Google I/O 2022
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Part puzzle, part music generator, the 2022 I/O save-the-date experience draws connections between rhythm and computation. Binary-based puzzles are embedded in an open-ended musical playground.
The game's underlying concept is rooted in Euclidean rhythms. Initially a solution for precisely dividing time, when Euclidean principles are applied to music, they produce familiar yet unexpected rhythms and syncopations. And because they can be represented as binary sequences, they make a great foundation for a developer puzzle.
At the core of the experience are four knotted loops with cryptic clues that players use to encode rhythms. Once solved and combined, they form the "solution," a song made up of the binary sequences.
To untangle a loop, players need to correctly decode a series of clues which produces a binary string. Though the clues are visual at first glance, the most important information is hidden in the SVG markup of the images.
The game uses the inherent accessibility and transparency of the web to offer additional layers of insight to players utilizing tools like alt text, keyboard navigation, and the console.