Beamster
Mobile Augmented Reality Laser Tag
The Idea Behind Beamster ...
Most mobile games (and even aspects of the Metaverse) are essentially “single-player” experiences in the sense that they are designed to be played "alone", without requiring the physical presence of others.
For this project we have been exploring a new game category, which we are calling “location-based multiplayer games” (perhaps there is a better name - send us your suggestion!).
These games enable real-life interactions between players, each using their own mobile device. Unlike existing games where players capture virtual creatures like in 'Pokémon GO,' our concept involves direct interaction between players in the physical world. Imagine playing a game like 'catch me if you can', where instead of tagging the person you're chasing, you try to take a picture of them with your phone.
A key feature to make such games work is AI-supported “people identification”. This goes beyond simply recognising any person; it involves identifying a specific individual within the game context, allowing players to tag that person digitally.
To enable this, we’ve developed a “scan process": The system needs to learn about the individual before recognising them in-game. In the video below, you’ll see how we first “scan” a person, enabling the system to recognise them during gameplay, such that people can tag each other digitally within the game.
We acknowledge that the scanning process can be a hurdle, and the requirement for at least two people to be physically present adds another layer of complexity. In a time when many are increasingly isolated, our hope is that this game not only offers fun and excitement but also helps create meaningful social interactions.
By encouraging physical presence and cooperation, we aim to contribute to building stronger bonds and combating isolation—showing that games can be more than just entertainment, but a tool for bringing people together in meaningful ways.
See a very basic gameplay video below - be aware it’s experimental! When we first tried it, we were truly amazed how cool it was. Stay tuned! 🚀
@beamster6 Show them who’s boss! 💥 #videogames #fyp #viraltiktok #mobilegame #friends #gaming #shoot ♬ The Spark - Kabin Crew
News
Website live!
We are thrilled to be live with our website and a call to action "Looking for Beta-Testers!".
📍 Salzburg, Austria, Sep 10, 2024: After some time of preparation, we are happy to share a teaser video of our (we believe!) ground breaking mobile game for iOS and Android. It will still take a few weeks until we can release our game for beta testing, and therefore we created a mailing list where you can sign up to become a beta tester. As soon as we are ready, we send you a link where you can download Beamster and try it out.
🔥 Beamster 1.0 (beta) is officially LIVE! 🔥
After months of intense development, we're excited to announce that Beamster is (silent) live on the Apple App Store 🚀 and Google Play! 🚀
📍 Salzburg, Austria – October 22, 2024: Ready to play? Hit the links, install the app, and let the battles begin! 💥 We can't wait to hear what you think! Whether it’s feedback, suggestions, or epic feature ideas (new game modes? 🔥), we want to hear it all! Send feedback directly from the app using the 'Send Feedback' option, or hit us up at info@beamster.com.
🔥 Beamster 1.1 (beta) is live with improved Scanning! 🔥
📍 Salzburg, Austria – Nov 21, 2024: From now on, in the game waiting room, you can simply click the “Please Scan” Button to scan any player (not only yourself). You see the name of the person you are scanning on top of the screen (as shown in the movie above). Also on Android, there is a Settings screen (top right icon on the menu screen) and you can now choose your 💥 laser color 💥.
🔥 Beamster 1.1.1 (beta) is live with Profile Pics and improved scanning! 🔥
📍 Salzburg, Austria – Dec 27, 2024: Great news! Now you can set a personalized profile pic for a unique gaming experience. Plus, we've added Chinese language texts to our app for iOS and Android. Enjoy!You can set the profile pic on the Settings screen (top right icon on the menu screen) where you can now choose your 💥 laser color 💥.
Please be aware that the game is still experimental, and we're actively working to improve the overall experience 🌍
🔥 Beamster 1.1.11 (Android) and 1.1.8 (iOS) - Halloween Update Adds Skeleton Effects, and Improved Scoring 🔥
📍 Salzburg, Austria – Oct 28, 2025: This spooky update introduces skeleton effects — players now see glowing skeletons appear when they land a hit, adding a hauntingly fun twist to every battle. Alongside the visuals, this latest version brings improved pose detection and enhanced scoring precision, making gameplay smoother, faster, and more competitive than ever.Beamster continues to blur the line between gaming and reality — now with a Halloween glow. Download the latest update on Android and iOS and join the real-world fight.
🔥 Beamster 1.1.14 (Android) and 1.1.9 (iOS) - New languages added 🔥
📍 Salzburg, Austria – Aug 6, 2026: We've added additional langages: pt, es, ja, hi, id, ar, ru, uk, pl, he, tr🔥 Feedback: Here is a collection of feedback we have received over the last few weeks and months. We want to take this opportunity to answer some of your questions and respond to your suggestions. 🔥
How am I supposed to be ready and make it a green checkmark?
A player can only join a game after being scanned. This means the system needs to know what the player looks like so that, when an opponent fires a laser at them, the app can recognize the correct person.
When you join a game, click the Scan button next to any player's name. Any player can scan another player from the game lobby screen — the same screen where the game's QR code is displayed.
How many persons can play at the same time?
We currently don't know the exact maximum number of players. However, we once played with more than 20 players at the same time during a university gaming event.
Really cool game and good idea! A few things to tweak though. Please add more game modes.
That's about it really. Other than that, it's such a good game and we're having so much fun. We'd love to see updates!
This is a really good point. Shooting someone who is not currently participating should definitely not affect another player. We'll look into fixing this — and it should not be too difficult to resolve.
It's a very good game and the person scanner is very accurate. The only bad thing is that the enemy needs to be shown almost entirely, so you can't really peek. Maybe you could also add some graphics to the menu, but overall it's very good. I love this game.
Unfortunately, the current version needs to see a relatively large part of the player's body to reliably recognize the correct person. However, this is something we may be able to improve, and we'll definitely look into it.
Hiii, I love this game! Could you please put out more updates and do more marketing so it becomes more popular?
Thank you! Feedback like this really encourages us to continue improving Beamster and adding new features.
Add another game mode.
Good point! There is actually an additional game mode you can already play using a little trick.
When choosing your player name, add a team name as well. For example:
Team A, Sam
Team A, Lucy
Team B, Frank
You can then play Beamster as a team game. You could decide that the team with the last player alive wins, or simply add together the scores of all players on each team.
The game is great, but the bullets are slow. Either make the AI better or add an AR or SMG type of weapon. Also, make the pistol appear on the camera for a better experience. The game idea is great. Please take this into consideration.
Very good points. We're thinking about adding additional weapon types, which could have different firing speeds and characteristics.
Making the laser gun visible on the camera screen is also a cool idea and could make the experience feel more immersive. We'll keep this in mind for future updates. Your ideas help us make Beamster better. You can send us feedback at any time at info@beamster.com.
Team
Philipp Breuss-Schneeweis: idea, concept, AI-, server-, Android-development
Philipp is a passionate software developer with a strong focus on mobile technology—especially Android—Augmented Reality, Computer Vision, and Artificial Intelligence.
Philipp holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and an MBA from Johannes Kepler University (JKU) in Linz, Austria. He is currently expanding his expertise by pursuing a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence at JKU (part-time).
Roman Voglhuber: iOS development
Roman has been an enthusiastic mobile app developer since getting his first smartphone, creating various app projects along the way.
He enjoys exploring the latest technologies and uses his experience to quickly build apps with solid and reliable foundations.