What are Location Based Games?

Christian McCrea

Swinburne University,

2006

A short essay discussing location based games.

Location-Based Games (LBG) are games played in the real world using hand held devices, such as mobile phones or PDAs. Taking games into urban streets, these games use SMS and GPS technologies to enable players to engage in the cityscape in a distinct way.

Many LBG are variants on treasure hunts and usually team-based involving the solving of puzzles and the acquisition of clues via the hand held device. The critical part of the game play is the changing position of the players, which in turn changes the game. Player groups are often required to interact directly with aspects of the environment or with other players, who they will discover are fellow players only through clues in the game.

LBG allow for an interactive urban experience. Engagement with the environment enables for new readings of the city, including technological and social. These types of games have the opportunity for players get an understanding of various cultural definitions of their city. Dependant on public participation, LGB help define cities as fun, unique and accessible.

For further discussion on this position see ‘We Bleep This City’, Christian McCrea, Lecturer in Games and Interactivity, Swinburne University.