Trip A Referee
Open the game- Brand
- HBO
- Year
- 2023
- Objective
- Product Launch
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Mechanic
- Arcade & Action
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- Team Epiphany
- With
- Makemepulse
Objective
HBO needed to build buzz ahead of the season two premiere of "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty," targeting basketball fans and season one viewers. The goal was to spark curiosity and drive tune-in before launch by giving fans a way to feel courtside and "call the shots" themselves.
Solution
Players load tripareferee.com and drop straight into an 8-bit arcade throwback, working through three increasingly tough levels — The Beach, The Street, The Arena — each pulling its look from the show's L.A. settings. The goal each round is simple: trip the referee. Players dodge other players, mascots, and cheerleaders along the way, since clipping them costs a penalty, while grabbing boosts adds bonus points and extra time on the court clock. A run ends when the player's score lands on the leaderboard, and top scorers can download shareable digital trophies — popcorn buckets, basketballs, cups — to post on social.
- 1
The player reaches the game outside the browser, either by scanning a QR code printed on a retro-style game cartridge sent to influencers or by tapping a link shared on the show's social channels; no download is required, and the browser opens straight onto an 8-bit arcade title screen for "HBO Original Winning Time presents Trip A Referee."
- 2
A tutorial screen sets the rules before play begins: the target is the referee only, hitting players, mascots, or cheerleaders draws a penalty, and pickable boosts on the court grant bonus points and extra time.
- 3
Each round opens with a scene intro and a ready screen introducing the venue — starting at The Beach and later The Street and The Arena — pixel-art locations drawn from the show and Los Angeles, before the round's clock starts.
- 4
During the round, the player trips the referee amid a crowd of court-side characters, tracking a score and a countdown court clock; tripping anyone other than the referee costs a penalty, while boosts collected along the way add points and time back onto the clock.
- 5
Clearing a venue advances the player to the next one, from The Beach to The Street to The Arena, each stage adding more bystanders and penalty targets at a faster pace.
- 6
When the clock runs out, the session ends on a final score screen, and that score is posted to a leaderboard showing the player's rank against everyone else, inviting another run.
- 7
Top-ranked players unlock downloadable digital prizes — popcorn, basketballs, trophies — designed for sharing on social media.
