The Arduino Plug and Make Kit is all about turning creative sparks into reality in mere minutes. With its intuitive, snap-together design, even the wildest ideas become achievable – fast, fun, and frustration-free. That’s exactly what Julián Caro Linares, Arduino’s Product Experience team leader, discovered when he built his latest project for our in-house Make Tank: Button Clash, an arcade-inspired game for two players.  

Button Clash was a popular attraction among the interactive demos we had at the Arduino booth at this year’s Maker Faire Rome! By connecting it via Arduino Cloud, we were able to collect stats in real time (fun fact: the left side won 54% of the matches!). 

Meet Julián Caro Linares, Plug and Make Kit Star  

Julián brings together technical expertise and passion for robotics, making, and human-centered design to create documentation, tutorials, and more for the Arduino Pro ecosystem. “Our team gets to truly transform prototypes into products,” he says. “It’s exciting to figure out the best way to explain to users how awesome these tools are, and to help them truly learn to create what they want or need.”  

Outside of work, he loves creating projects that inspire connection and joy. From social robots that mimic emotional states to interactive gift boxes, his creations show how technology can engage people in meaningful and unexpected ways. And have you seen his recent LEGO®-Alvik mashup?

When it came to Button Clash, Julián drew inspiration from his love of physical interfaces and the pure satisfaction of smashing arcade buttons: “This game puts players into ‘inner childhood’ mode, where all you want to do is beat your opponent!”

Button Clash 

Button Clash is a two-player game that challenges you to press an arcade button faster than your opponent. The rules are few and intuitive:  

• Once both players press their buttons simultaneously, the game begins with a simple melody played by the Modulino Buzzer node.  
• Smash your button as fast as possible, to fill your side of the LED matrix on the Arduino UNO R4 provided in the Plug and Make Kit.  
• The first player to take over half the matrix wins!  

Building this game is a breeze thanks to the Modulino nodes and Qwiic cables in the kit. The arcade buttons require just a bit of soldering, but add a unique retro charm: well worth the extra step, in our opinion! The result is a highly engaging, customizable game that’s perfect for parties, family nights, or just unleashing your competitive spirit.  

Creativity made easy  

For Julián, the best part of the Plug and Make Kit is how it simplifies the process of turning out-of-the-box ideas into real projects. “Like the name says, you can just plug the different Modulino together and make your project: no matter how unconventional it is,” he says.  
Explore the full tutorial to replicate Button Clash on Arduino’s Project Hub and get inspired to create your own fun and interactive games! With the Plug and Make Kit, you can start your creative adventure today.

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