Peer Review Abstract
Off the Menu is a big urban game for the adventurous foodie. The game invites people to explore new restaurants and food shops by completing and creating challenges that give players insider information about restaurants and shops around the city.
The game is played with an iPhone and makes use of the GPS functionality to track the players movements as they travel around the city. The game is constantly running in the background of the phone and only surfaces when the player is near one of the designated restaurants or shops, or “hot spots” as they’re referred to in the game. When near a “hot spot” the player receives a message that asks them to engage with the site through a challenge. Challenges can range from trying something on the menu to chatting with an employee to find the answer to a question. Players earn points by documenting the completion of their challenge through uploading photos, videos, or blogging on the Off the Menu web community. Players can also earn points by adding new hot spots to the game.
The primary research goal is to better understand how situated learning can be facilitated through embodied play and urban gaming. There are multiple levels of learning explored through the game: basic topic knowledge, player as designer, public/social interaction, cultural and neighborhood nuances. Off the Menu also explores new mechanics in urban gaming as well as the integration of real world and web presence.
