Location Games - What are they & how do you play?

Location based games started out small in the early part of this century, but now has a growing fan base.

The Emergent Leader of Location Games

Probably the best-known location game is geocaching. These are location-based treasure hunts that allow players to download latitude and longitude coordinates in order to find treasure boxes. These caches can be hidden in plain site or placed in out of the way locations, but the primary objective for players is to locate the treasure without being spotted by anyone else. Many geocachers will often wait until dark to attempt to locate a geocache. With this type of game you will need a GPS device to find the locations. Websites have been established to locate existing geocaches in virtually any location. There are even caches that must be found in stages. For instance an initial coordinate might lead to a location where a second set of coordinates can be found. These multi-stages games make the end result even more satisfying. Some are even put together by Game & Parks departments who are finding that locations games are a form of tourism marketing.

There are other location games as well. Many of these games require the use of GPS, cell phone and or mobile Internet connectivity such as an iPhone, Blackberry or PSP. They can involve as few as one player, but can also include many players or teams. Sometimes these are role-playing games, but they can also be something as interesting as having multiple players engaged in a game of Pac-Man in a physical environment where the players assume the role of Pac-Man characters.

A Gaming Technique With Benefits

One of the benefits of location games is often the physical element of the games. These games are acted out in real life so physical exertion is often needed to locate a cache or complete the next stage of a game where location is important.

These location based games all work to infuse physical and technological elements in order for the game to prove successful.

Who plays location games?

Anyone who is very comfortable with the integration of technology and has an interest in either role playing (RP) or simply enjoys connecting with others for potential game play can enjoy location games. Interestingly there are also several games where you can play solo.

Who does not play location games?

Those who might be reading this and thinking, “Sounds like something a hoodlum would do.” These are often people who have not embraced technology in a meaningful way. They are aware of the Internet and might use it from time to time, but often have a difficult time figuring out new technology. They might even hate using a cell phone. That’s not to say these are Luddites, but they definitely would not be prime candidates for location games.

Where are most location games played?

The location most suited to this type of gaming is in urban areas where cell phone access and Internet connectivity is widely available. Geocaching would be the exception because it is based on a fixed location. In many cases the more rural the better when it comes to geocaching.

Why haven’t I heard of these games before?

Most players will remain quiet about their involvement. That’s part of the fun in playing the game. You might not really knows who the other players are except by screen name.

The good news is you’re reading about these games now. You may find the information enough to learn even more.