Mister X - An Innovative Location-Based Multiplayer Game

摘要

We present Mister X, an innovative hide-and-seek game on smart mobile phones weaving the virtual game mechanics into the real outdoor activity. Mister X is part of the research project Adaptive Mobile Gaming of the University of Bonn funded by and in cooperation with the Deutsche Telekom. It is designed in the spirit of the famous German board game Scotland Yard by Ravensburger.rnAll players (one Mister X and up to four detectives) share a common map. Mr. X's position is updated every some minutes, whereas the detectives are constantly shown. The goal for the detectives is to catch Mr. X within a certain time. Specific game features can be "purchased" during the game via an in-game market place, e. g. a player can make himself invisible for a short period, a screamer can be ignited that emits a sharp scream on all player's devices or Mr. X's map can be turned upside down to hamper him (c. f. [2] for more analysis about game design). The detectives can initiate a conference call within the game to support joint strategic planning and cooperation. But watch out, Mr. X might have installed a wiretap and listens!