Ottawa man creates online game to bridge the social divide
An Ottawa man has created a game where people with differences come together to solve puzzles and answer questions.
Kyle MacDonald is the founder of Paired Game, which is a weekly mobile game meant to bridge the social divide among people in the capital, across Canada and the U.S.
The game takes place every Friday at 8 p.m. He told CTV Morning Live Thursday subscribers get a push notification to start the game, noting that they get different options every week.
"So, we've actually got our game ready to start. I understand you're a pescatarian, I'm a carnivore. So let's do our selections," he said while showing how the game works. "And now we've got three puzzles that we've got to solve."
He notes that the puzzles are based on the theme.
"So, in this case we have the pescatarian, carnivore theme," he said.
Ottawa's innovator says he came up with the idea after reading a lot of comments on social media and noticing that people with different opinions don't necessarily like each other. He wanted to bridge the gap to make people more accepting.
The game is easy to play, where people can do it while they're on the go, such as in the grocery store, or wherever they may be, he says, noting that it takes only two minutes.
Before the it starts, it asks players to choose a category that applies to most to them, such as whether they live in a rural or urban area. From there, the game automatically pairs them with a stranger who picked the opposite category. Once they are paired together, they must work cooperatively to solve three turn-based puzzles in-real time. The pair that finishes the puzzles fastest splits $100.
"Once the game is over, you get disconnected," he added.
He adds that in the future, people might be able to have a brief chat with their partner.
For more information, visit pairedgame.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6981221.1722263750!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING Sport court dismisses Canada's appeal in women's soccer case
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed Canada's appeal of a six-point penalty against its Olympic women's soccer team.
Man linked to four murders in Kirkland Lake, Ont., is dead, police say
Ontario Provincial Police say Martyn Rosko, the main suspect in four homicides in Kirkland Lake, is dead.
Want to move out of Canada? Experts explain everything you need to know
If you're planning to leave Canada, there's a laundry list of things that need to be checked off. Experts explain all the steps you need to take before making the move.
Colombian President Petro calls on Venezuela's Maduro to release detailed vote counts from election
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday called on his close ally, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, to release detailed vote counts of the weekend election in which electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner.
Starbucks sales tumble as customers reject high-priced coffee
Fewer people are going to Starbucks and buying drinks and food, as last quarter was Starbucks' second straight with a sales decline.
Vermont man evacuates neighbours during flooding, weeks after witnessing a driver get swept away
Weeks after Jason Pilbin witnessed a driver get swept away by floodwaters, his northeastern Vermont community was ravaged again by flooding from heavy rains.
Families seek answers after inmates' bodies returned without internal organs
Six families whose loved ones died in Alabama prisons have filed lawsuits against the commissioner of the state's department of corrections, saying their family members' bodies were returned to them missing internal organs after undergoing state-ordered autopsies.
Economy grew 0.2% in May, StatCan estimates 2.2% annualized growth in Q2
The Canadian economy continued to keep its head just above water in May, growing 0.2 per cent, led by expansions in manufacturing and the public sector.
'Severely hypothermic' sailor rescued after spending hours adrift off B.C. coast
A sailboat captain was found alive but suffering from a severe case of hypothermia on Monday after spending up to five hours adrift in the ocean off British Columbia, according to the coast guard.