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Our team at the University of Wisconsin makes and researches what we call “local games” that are set in real-life neighborhoods and ecological habitats. These games explore the ordinary environments we live in, and the extraordinary places we visit occasionally. When deeply immersed in such games, players experience the complex dynamics of a place. Local games deepen our connections to people and places.
Our vision is rooted in community: the people we work with, the locations we document to create our games, the groups and organizations such as schools where people play and study with local games, and the sense of place that informs our theory of learning.
Many types of games can be made about local environments. At the moment we are most engaged with augmented reality (AR) games in which players use digital technologies to enhance their immediate experience of walking around in real-life locations. We are also interested in classroom simulations, board games, virtual tours, and desktop video games.
With our focus on learning, we are beginning to work with schools, after-school programs, nature centers, and community organizations. We enjoy collaborating with local organizations that can provide content expertise for creating local games and occasions where groups and individuals can play these games.
We are looking for more middle-school teachers for our current ARGH project. With our partners, we are creating AR technology and games, curricular materials, and tools for researching what students learn and how teachers teach with AR.
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Video of 3 students