The design and evaluation of a pervasive engagement in a city neighborhood

We describe how a game was designed, implemented and evaluated aiming to increase the engagement of citizens with their neighborhood. 277 players participated. Survey results show that players got to know new people as a result of playing the game and that players had the intention to keep in touch with them. The system was found to be both fun and useful. The check-in mechanic, that allowed people to check-in together, scored highest in terms of both fun and usefulness. 3 different types of game components are proposed for guiding future designs: glue, attractor and mobiliser. Action Design Research is presented as a method that can be used to design and research pervasive engagement games.

ISBN:978-1-4503-3006-0

Publication year:2014

Keywords:pervasive games, urban engagement, gamification