Sunday, December 11, 2022

The Game

This is a game of urban exploration and communication. The rules are as simple as the technical equipment required to play it. All you need is a cellphone and two players.

One player is the Avatar, the other is the God. The Avatar essentially walks the city, describing, in real time, to the other player, the God, what she/he sees and then the God tells the Avatar what she/he should do (where to go, what to do, etc.)

Of course this might require a few rules, depending on the level of mutual trust between the players, but this is entirely up to the two players to establish and might as well be part of the game itself, as rules might only be required after certain situations emerging. After all, this game is about communication and exploration.

Technically, the game can of course be upgraded, e.g. by adding a live geo tracker (e.g. through a messaging app), photos, a video stream or even, in the future, live VR streaming. However, I personally like the low tech aspect of it as it links with past traditions of storytelling, giving the Avatar a more active role in the decision-making process.

Most importantly, however is the aspect of joint exploration. Call up your friends and let them participate in your adventures, and then let them push further...