SHI — The Game of Touch

The practice

SHI stands on four supports — love, death, time, presence. In Japanese, one sound holds two meanings: four (四) and death (死). Across the book, the practice, the tactile game, and live encounters, SHI asks how we hold and how we let go.

How it is played

1. 1Two people sit facing one shared touchscreen — physically together, never over a network.
2. 2The field is 2×2. Each player places two fingers on their own two squares: four contacts in all.
3. 3Four signals sound, pulse, and may vibrate. Keep all four fingers down until the reveal.
4. 4Then each player's two squares reveal one LOVE and one DEATH, assigned independently each round.
5. 5LOVE means release; DEATH means hold. Each player releases LOVE while keeping DEATH on the glass.
6. 6A match has exactly three scored rounds. A tied round is replayed and does not count toward the three; after every scored round, the result and current match score remain visible before the next round.

SHI cannot be played alone, and it does not work with a mouse.

It needs a phone or tablet that registers at least four simultaneous touches. Sound on, if you can.

Play

The game is playable now, in the browser, on a touchscreen. Two people, one device.

The book

SHI · A Way of Seeing gives the ecosystem its written form: a book about presence, mortality, touch, and release.

Status

The current game is a playable browser prototype for a compatible touchscreen. It includes guided training, practice, and a complete three-round match. The wider SHI ecosystem, including live encounters, continues to develop.

Partners

Publishers, investors, and collaborators — write a personal letter.