Design for coincidence: incorporating real world artifacts in location based games

ABSTRACT

As location based games move players out of the house and onto the streets the experience of game play radically changes. Game designers have the opportunity to incorporate artifacts, elements and events that might naturally occur in the real world into the game play so that a particular place becomes more meaningful.

This paper explores the relevance of place and the idea of "design for coincidence". Design for coincidence is illustrated through case studies and a number of example games that show how this approach has been effective in location based games.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)

General Terms:
Design

Keywords:
experience design, location based games, mediascape, mobile