The Brief
CBBC wanted to create something that had never been done before — a live game show where the audience at home could genuinely play along in real time, not just watch. The challenge was building a format that synchronised broadcast television with a tablet app seamlessly, so kids felt like they were truly part of the action in the studio.
My Role
As Creative Director and Producer at Cube Interactive, I led the entire digital production from concept through to delivery. This included designing the game mechanics, directing the app UX, managing the development team, and coordinating closely with the TV production team to ensure perfect synchronisation between broadcast and interactive elements.
Approach
We pioneered the use of audio watermarking technology — embedding inaudible signals in the TV broadcast that the tablet app could detect and respond to in real time. This meant no internet connection was needed for sync; the app simply listened to the TV.
The format featured multiple play-along games crafted for both the large touchscreen in the studio and devices at home. Each game had to work at broadcast pace while remaining intuitive enough for children to pick up instantly.
The villain Ludus — a theatrical super-villain who kidnapped contestants' friends and family — gave the format a strong narrative hook that drove engagement across both screens.
Outcome
Ludus won the BAFTA Games Award in 2016 and a Broadcast Digital Award, establishing it as a genuine innovation in interactive television. It proved that dual-screen formats could work at scale for younger audiences and opened the door for further interactive broadcast experiments.