People who backpack around the world tend to get something special out of the experience. Some may find enlightenment, others may learn something about themselves, and still others come up with ideas for amazing T-shirts.
At least that’s the idea that came to Mikko Jarvenpaa who is trying to fund the creation of “the T-shirt that you can play” on Kickstarter.
Jarvenpaa’s tic-tac-toe T-shirt has a grid and velcro on its front so you can play the game right on the shirt. It comes with four X pieces and four O pieces that you can keep in an accompanying pouch or stuck right on the tee.
The idea for the shirt came out of Jarvenpaa’s experience backpacking on his own.
“It was a bit lonely at times to be honest. I was looking for ideas for fun ways to connect with people and playful conversation openers. Halfway through the trip, I got the idea of making playable T-shirts. I made the first prototype by putting a game of Tic Tac Toe on a black T-shirt. I was attracted by the simplicity, the instant recognizability and the fact that Tic Tac Toe is not a game that you have to take too seriously—but winning is still cool!”
With the help of Kickstarter, Jarvenpaa and his team hope to use high-quality materials to make the shirts so they will be comfortable and last no matter how often you play. The shirts and pieces can all be thrown into the washing machine, which is convenient, but with all the little pieces it’s hard to see people not losing one or two here and there. One of the stretch goals is a cute tote bag that also has a gameboard to play on. If this gets funded, it will be interesting to see what other playable shirts and items the group comes up with!
There are still 11 days left in the campaign, which has currently raised more than $4,000 of its $9,000 goal.
Screenshot via Tic Tac Toe Tee/Kickstarter video
