Locative Games

Dholavira

Brief

• Promote interest and awareness in Indus Valley sites through games, specifically locative games

• Build a community with local people who have worked at the site, to allow them to generate and participate in the game.

• Create games that encourage critical inquiry about the civilization

Locative Games

• What are locative games?– Locative games are played in physical spaces and take into account the player’s

physical position. Locative games are usually played on handheld or mobile devices.

• Why do we need them?– To generate interest and awareness about specific locations.– Games would be a fun way to pass on information about these sites, at the sites.

• Where is this located?– The games proposed are designed for Dholavira.– They can be replicated at other historical sites.

What’s there right now?• Limited information at the site• The information about IVC and Dholavira is

inaccessible/limited.• Only resources are a couple of tour guides.• Transportation to the site is limited.

Process

• Playing classic board games, 8 bit games.

• Using Aki Jarvinen’s PhD. thesis GameGame as a way of designing games through play.

• Working in groups to design and play locative games in Yelahanka.

Field Trip

• Collecting information– GPS co-ordinates– Photographs– Interviews– Quarries, Jetty linked to the site.– Games local people play today

• Identifying resources– Tour guides– Archaeologists– Local community.

• Generating ideas– Locative Adventure– Role Play– Board Games– Puzzles/Casual games

Ideas

• Locative adventure– Players must solve a mystery.– They are provided with clues/tasks

to get to the next stage.– During the course of the game

players learn and discover information of the site

• Board games– Developed board games through

using gamesmen and pieces and boards found at Dholavira and Lothal (museum).

• Locative MMORPG– Create a virtual experience of the

world during that period.– Players can build virtual cities at

different ancient civilization sites.– Use site specific information about

geology, plants and animals.