What is a Mobile Urban Adventure?
A Mobile Urban Adventure a new kind of interactive experience that combines a mysterious story with fascinating locations spread throughout a building, a neighborhood, or an entire city. Just like scenes shift from place to place in a movie, so too do the scenes in a Mobile Urban Adventure — but it’s up to you to discover the next place where the story continues. As you play, you’ll receive text messages and phone calls that will give you clues to your next destination as well as bits and pieces of the story you’re following. It’s your job to follow the clues, find your way, and piece together the story as you go.
What makes a Mobile Urban Adventure valuable?
For players:
A Mobile Urban Adventure gives visitors and locals a chance to explore a building, neighborhood, or an entire city to find the hidden gems, secret landmarks, and unique businesses that give a place its character. A mobile urban adventure provides an entertaining and challenging hybrid experience that combines aspects of a walking tour, shopping guide, street game, and mystery theater.
For businesses:
Businesses benefit from participation in a Mobile Urban Adventure by helping to provide a unique experience that deeply connects players with the physical space of the business. Higher-level participation can also feature more engaging challenges and interactions between the business and the players, encouraging players to spend time at the business and take advantage of its services. After the Mobile Urban Adventure ends, the lasting impression of the unique experience encourages players to return to the business to share their experience there with friends.
For sites, neighborhoods, and cities:
A Mobile Urban Adventure in a cultural, business, or historic district is a great way to highlight the singular features of these neighborhoods. In a historic building, stadium, cultural institution, or park, a Mobile Urban Adventure can draw attention to fascinating aspects of the site’s design and construction, while also helping to transmit elements of its history in an engaging and entertaining way. In either case, the combination of story, challenge, and space forms a strong connection between the player and the area he or she is exploring, leading to a more active interest in the region for locals and visitors alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a smart phone/Blackberry/iPhone/Android phone to play?
Nope, all you need is a cell phone that can send and receive SMS text messages and phone calls. Mobile Urban Adventures use SMS messaging to give to clues about where to go next, and calls you with audio messages that include pieces of the story, but doesn’t require GPS, a camera, a touch screen, or any other smart-phone features.
How many messages will I send? What about messaging rates?
In a typical experience, you’ll send and receive about 50 text messages, and get about 10 phones calls with audio messages. Your phone plan’s voice, messaging, and data rates apply, just as if you were sending a text message or making a phone call to one of your friends.
Are Mobile Urban Adventures appropriate for kids?
Each Mobile Urban Adventure is different, and some are more appropriate for kids than others. Some stories center on (or at least mention) murder, madness, illicit affairs, etc, but most of our stories would probably be given something between a PG and PG-13 rating, if they were rated. All the locations in a daytime track are appropriate for children, but nighttime tracks (21+) might go to places like bars.
Can I play on a team with my friends?
Absolutely. When signing up for an adventure, simply select how many people you want on your team. All players can then group their phones together, so that one player’s phone can send and receive all SMS messages, but all phones receive phone calls with audio messages. This works great when one player has an unlimited text messaging plan, but the others don’t.
How long does a Mobile Urban Adventure take to play?
A typical adventure takes one to two hours, depending on how long it takes you to solve each clue. We recommend charging your phone to full before you begin, as a dead phone half-way through can be a real headache.
How can I make my businesses a part of a Mobile Urban Adventure?
Interested in making your business a part of a Mobile Urban Adventure in your area? Take a look at our Factsheet for Businesses.