You Built What?!: A Submarine Simulator That Soaks Lollygagging Players

Knobs Of Salvation: Gauges, buttons, a lever, and a sonar display add to the game's realism.  Ackerman + Gruber

BUILDING A SIM SUBMARINE

Time:72 hours
Cost: $2,500

TWO MORE GAMES

Maze Race:  Courtesy Hack A Day

Hack a Day website chief Caleb Kraft and his Springfield, Missouri, team built a pair of giant teetering tabletop mazes. In the game, two players per table compete to race a steel ball through their maze first. The wooden labyrinths proved easy to build, but mild panic set in as the 72-hour mark approached. The builders worked frantically to wire buttons and magnets so that competitors could temporarily trap their opponent’s steel ball. “We finished the electronics within the last half-hour,” Kraft says.

Twiddling Thumbs:  Courtesy Pat Murry

Twin brothers Pat and Mike Murray engaged in more than a few thumb wars as kids, so building a mechanized version of the classic game seemed like a no-brainer. As part of the Maker Twins, an eight-person team based in Scottsdale, Arizona, the duo built steel-and-plywood frames, covered them in foam, and wrapped the units in duct tape. When a player yanks a joystick, their faux thumb moves in the opposite direction. The first to pin an opponent for two seconds sets off a victory buzzer.

WARNING: We review all our projects before publishing them, but ultimately safety is your responsibility. Always wear protective gear, take proper safety precautions, and follow all laws and regulations.