HBO releases a wellness-focused augmented reality (AR) app to promote ‘His Dark Materials’
HBO has partnered with creative studio Framestore to create a new iOS and Apple Watch app called His Dark Materials: My Daemon. The free app gives fans of the show a chance to interact with their very own “daemons”, the magical animal companions that serve as an extension of characters’ souls.
Users are assigned a daemon after taking a simple quiz consisting of questions like “day or night?” and “above or below?” They can then interact with the daemon by providing basic updates on their current state (like whether they’re feeling focused or distracted).
Based on those updates, the daemon will recommend tasks tied to physical and emotional wellness, like going for a walk or a run, or watching a movie.
As users perform more wellness tasks, their daemon becomes happier and healthier. The app also allows users to go on “journeys,” where they perform a series of (again, wellness-focused) tasks that are tied to the activities of characters on the show.
My Daemon will learn more about your activities by integrating with Apple Health and Spotify. And it incorporates augmented reality by allowing you to watch animations where you daemon interacts with the world around you. You are able to share your companion interactions on social media, as well.