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I have an idea for a game or even a sort of a game engine: it would be a platform to build and play text-based adventures (possibly with added images/videos/sound, like a visual novel) that would use real-world locations found near the player (using OpenStreetMap APIs). The scenario authors would specify the kind of places that their adventure would use (e.g. library, park, cafe) and when a player would launch the scenario on their mobile device, it would find the appropriate places in their area and direct to them. The idea is that the player would have to physically move to the specific place to progress the scenario further. For example, a scenario could put the player in the role of a detective investigating a murder case. First, the player would have to go to a park (chosen by the game from the parks in the area). When they would arrive at the park, the game would inform them that they see a crime scene there. Of course, in reality there would be nothing like that and the player would have to use their imagination. Then, the game would direct the player to more places, as defined by the scenario. This could work as a fun way to explore cities, make a walk more interesing etc.. I've alreay built a simple prototype for this, so far just for fun and experience. I'm wondering if a thing like this already exists - I couldn't find anything on the web, but the idea is fairly simple and very likely someone created something like this already. Also, most importantly, I'm wondering if playing something like that would actually be fun and if someone would be possibly interested in it. What do you think?

There is this game near me that is half geocaching, half escape game. It is quite fun. It will give you hints about a place, to which you must then go and solve a riddle related to the location to proceed. It's a bit different to what you described though, since the locations are chosen by the author.

A few issues. Someone can just spoof their gps location couldn't they? What would motivate them not to? Unless you make it somewhat like an ARG or geocaching they will just spoof. Like you can have clues based on physical things in the area that probably will be there years to come such as if a water fountain has a logo on it or if in a library you have to find a specific edition of a book and turn to a certain page for the first word on the page. Alternatively it could use image recognition where you have to point the camera at say a specific statue for example for it to give you the next steps which of course people can easily cheat that too pointing at photos but for less famous spots they may not of course this should be handled locally not over a central server but it may add a lot of size to a game. Another is what stops this from sending people to dangerous high crime areas? And there is a question of if the developer winds up being held legally accountable if something happens to them in which case at least a disclaimer of using proper judgment should be included. I only have heard of an app called Randonautica that selects random locations and makes you visit them. Which funny enough lead to an urban legend of the app being cursed because a few cases of people finding dead bodies. Someone made an open source copycat called LibreRandonaut https://github.com/librerandonaut/librerandonaut https://f-droid.org/packages/com.github.librerandonaut.librerandonaut/

>>8152 >A few issues. Someone can just spoof their gps location couldn't they? What would motivate them not to? Very few people would even know they can do that, let alone how to. Why would people not give themselves a million in The Sims? I dunno. They can if they want, who cares? >Like you can have clues based on physical things in the area that probably will be there years to come such as if a water fountain has a logo on it or if in a library you have to find a specific edition of a book and turn to a certain page for the first word on the page. Alternatively it could use image recognition where you have to point the camera at say a specific statue for example for it to give you the next steps which of course people can easily cheat that too pointing at photos but for less famous spots they may not of course this should be handled locally not over a central server but it may add a lot of size to a game. This is unreasonable for a person to implement details that are so specific for an area. For this to have any audience, it will necessarily be more generic. OP could make an awesome adventure that requires seeing the statues of New York City but Shititi from Tokyo can't play it. Then you suggest image recognition features? Most companies can't do it right, how do you think OP could? >Another is what stops this from sending people to dangerous high crime areas? This is a legitimate concern. I would say people should know where they are going, but it's still a little bit your responsibility. Plus, players would be a bummed if they can't continue their story because the next clue is in Crack Central. My own take; this idea is awesome, I am surprised I can't recall anything similar to this. I think that people would eat it up. I can see where you are going with the generation idea. I would only be concerned that people may not be very interested in geo-location games or escape room/mystery type games, but that's conjectural. The idea is great, and it seems like it would be uncomplicated to implement too.

>>8150 Any ideas to make this multiplayer? Possibly group scenario based?

>>8189 Make it timed and compete for fastest time for each mission?

>>8188 yeah I like this. You say go to a park, have some algorithm that finds a nearish park on Open StreetMap or whatever and says go there, you go and then its all kinda imaginary/proceedural based on what you can see in OSM. Mostly probably stick to stuff like that that can be expected to not just disappear like parks or roads or big churches or whatever.