Interactive Players. LBMGs from a Design Perspective

Adopting a player-centered approach, this contribution delves into the relationship and interactions LBMGs activate among people (between players, and among players and non-players), with the device, and with the spaces wherein the play activity takes place. In consequence, it taps into three different levels of implications: social, technological and spatial. It reports on some empirical advances gathered from a three-years analysis on three BSc courses and a total amount of 44 Location Based Mobile Games deliberately designed for prompting challenging interactions between the digital world and physical elements in the real space. Taking advantage of the potentialities of being situated and technology-supported, they enhance and facilitate immersion and sense of agency within the game. What emerges is a novel interpretation of LBMGs players as “interactive agents”, engaged in meaningful interactions with other persons, with the space and with technology.