About the Game 

The main design intention is to connect two cities across the globe, Karlsruhe and Melbourne, in a meaningful and gameful way. Players should, first, get a more profound, even surprising connection with their local city. Secondly, the players should get a resonant connection with the other city through geographical, semantical, and historical similarities of locations used in the game.

Please note: This is a prototype and not a fully rendered finished product.

How to Play

There are two teams in the game: one in Karlsruhe and another in Melbourne. The teams have to solve puzzles as side quests. The side quests are based on information that is only available locally in Karlsruhe or Melbourne. In order to solve the side quests the players can use, for example, audio and video recordings and digital photos. Solving a side quest provides information that is required to solve the main quest. After solving a side quest the player can decide whether to reveal that information to the other players or not. Main quests unlock new levels and side quests to progress the game. 

Although the teams and the players are solving the quests together they are at the same time competing against each other for the highest score. Players earn points by solving side and main quests. The first player to solve a side quest receives a special bonus. If a player solves a main quest, the team of this player receives a point for the global ranking.

New players of KarlsBourne always start with the first main quest. Players can skip quests which have already been solved by other players, but in this case the players do not earn any points from solving the quest. In a team internal ranking players can compare their progress and achievement as well as their contribution to the progress of the whole game. In a global ranking the teams are compared. The team with the most points from solving the main quests wins.

Instructions

1. Go to web-site http://acft.ws/sfhb (Android, iPhone, tablets, desktop)

2. Press the NEW PLAYER button. Select your team, player name (login), and four-character PIN.

3. Start solving the quests! Note that in order to solve the main quest many (if not all) sidequests both from Karlsuhe and Melbourne have to be solved first.

4. You can play the when ever and where ever you like and you do not have to be logged into the game all the time.

5. The game runs until the main quests are solved...

If you have any problems with the game please do not hesitate to contact jussi.holopainen@rmit.edu.au or jens.stober@rmit.edu.au. We would also be delighted to get your feedback! Please keep in mind that this is a prototype.

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