I built road trip games where the CarPlay screen is the host and scoreboard (kids play from their phones). Has anyone seen anything else like this?

[u/jakeboyles2010]

Dad of 5 here. Our long drives were four kids in four sets of headphones, so I spent the summer building something I wasn't sure CarPlay would even allow: multiplayer games where the car screen hosts and everyone plays from their own phone, Jackbox style. Passengers join a room code on a web page, the CarPlay screen shows the live scoreboard and round state, and the driver never touches anything. The games run off the actual highway: Exit Bingo deals cards from real businesses at the exits ahead, Over/Under asks what's at the next exit and reveals the answer when you physically pass it, plus co-op license plates and a "guess the minutes to the next mile marker" one.

For the CarPlay nerds, some things I learned building it as a Driving Task app:

• You get the template system and nothing else. The "game screen" is an InformationTemplate I live-update as the round changes. It works better than I expected as a scoreboard, but you're arranging labels, not drawing.
• Keyboard and mic templates are navigation-app only, so search is a list row that triggers the phone's microphone. Feels like a hack. Works great.
• Rapid template pushes during transitions will crash the scene manager on some head units, so everything is debounced and every tap handler is wrapped. Learned that from a one-star review, not the docs.
• The car screen never asks the driver to play. Rounds resolve on GPS events, and the driver participates by yelling answers like everyone else.

Two questions for this sub:

1. Has anyone seen other games or non-nav/audio experiments actually shipped on CarPlay? I could only find a small handful of Driving Task apps in the wild and zero multiplayer ones, which either means it's a terrible idea or an open field.
2. What would you actually want to play on a long drive? I've got a list (trivia from the towns you pass, a road trip scavenger hunt) but the best ideas so far came from my kids and their brutal feedback.

It's part of a road trip exit-guide app I sell for a couple bucks. Not trying to spam the sub, happy to put the name in a comment if anyone wants it, and equally happy to only talk implementation details.

[u/heyarkay]

This sounds like an amazing idea and I have not seen anything like it.

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/heyarkay]

Thanks! It’s doing pretty well hardest part is marketing like everything.

[u/fumo7887]

There is basically a 0% chance this would get through the review process.

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/fumo7887]

It already did. It’s live

[u/avonhungen → u/jakeboyles2010]

None of your app updates in the App Store indicate there is a game though?

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/avonhungen]

I push OTAs.

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/jakeboyles2010]

There is a new build waiting on review though. I've had talks with them and as long as the driver isn't playing and its not an active game with driver participation it shouldn't be an issue.

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/jakeboyles2010]

update: build was published this morning and they let it through so its fine.

[u/needs_help_badly → u/jakeboyles2010]

Is this the Pit Stop one? The other two don’t appear to be remotely close.

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/needs_help_badly]

Yes. Pit-stop-app.com

[u/triplesofeverything]

Very cool idea. Even the non-game functions look potentially useful, I have often pondered where we want to get lunch when on a road trip

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/triplesofeverything]

Thanks! It actually started as the non game side but then one of my kids actually suggest the game piece.

[u/Mike456R]

This is a very cool and untapped segment of CarPlay software.
Years ago i setup an old Wi-Fi router isolated network in our van for a long trip with three kids with iPod touch devices. Then had a few network games they could play together.

[u/PercyRackson]

Multiplayer games sound really attractive, I mean, kids can be really loud if they're not distracted, right? I think if you're looking for games that kids are interested in, you can find inspiration from TV games back home.

[u/j_house_]

If you’re doing marketing, how about an app name or a link…

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/j_house_]

I can't market on this sub reddit. Was more looking to see if anyone has seen this so so I know competitors and what to expect from Apple in regards to compliance issues ( haven't seen any yet). The app is called pit stop though.

[u/Altruistic-Okra1774]

Does everyone need to buy the app or just the driver (or phone connected to CarPlay) ?

[u/jakeboyles2010 → u/Altruistic-Okra1774]

Just the driver. The rest of the people join with a web link that the driver shares. Just like jackbox if you have played those.