GeoPGD: methodology for the design and development of geolocated pervasive games

Abstract

The field of design and development of games that integrate virtual aspects in a real environment has grown in recent years. An example of such games is pervasive games (PGs), which seek to enrich the game world through mixing these two realities in order to better involve the player in the story. The application of PGs has resulted in increasing player motivation and engagement. Currently, new technologies have made it possible to advance the design and development of games. PGs have not been the exception, and through the mix of elements of traditional games with real elements and scenarios it has been possible to improve motivation and user experience. However, previous studies have identified the need to have a process that guides the design and creation of PGs. Therefore, this paper presents GeoPGD, a methodology that integrates the design of geolocated narrative as the core of the game experience. This methodology guides designers and developers through the different stages of building a PG, offering tools for defining the narrative components, places and interactions between the user and the PG. In addition, a validation with experts and a PG experience is presented.