It seemed like a no-brainer to combine a mass phenomenon like Pokémon Go with the popularity of the crime theme. And indeed it sounds like Columbus's egg, but no one had ever done something as spectacular as Misadventure in Little Lon.
This augmented reality (AR) mobile game location-based game asks players to help solve a “cold case.” Misadventure in Little Lon is the story of an unsolved crime from the last century. The case will be solved (perhaps) by walking the real streets of Melbourne, Australia, and talking to virtual characters.
La AR technology is increasingly impressive at covering the real world with digital characters. Whether you catch Pokémon, launch Star Wars droids, or build block houses, sooner or later an augmented reality game will find you and grab you. In summary: the video games of the future will be real but with an 'electronic aid'. Convenient, especially when it comes to murder games, a Watson is always useful.
Little Lon: history, game, culture, technology
Misadventure in Little Lon apply this technology to a new smart setting: a historical walking tour and an interactive mystery. It starts from the beautiful Melbourne State Library: players are guided through historic buildings, crowded corners and squalid alleys, where they interview a series of shady characters and look for clues.
The game is the first in the True Crime Mysteries series by independent studio 10Tickles, directed by the team of husband and wife Andy Yong and Emma Ramsay. The pair are fascinated by the mysteries and history that connects people to places, so they set out to build an augmented reality experience that tapped into both.
A true story
Misadventure in Little Lon is based on a real-life crime that took place in the alleys around Little Lonsdale Street (hence the name), circa 1910. Ernest Gunter was hospitalized and later killed in what appeared to be a street brawl, but what happened Exactly? Was it revenge? A mafia execution? It all depends on who you question.
If you are in Melbourne, the game is best played by physically walking around the city, talking to virtual characters on real street corners near where the events took place.
It is a fantastic way to give new meaning to the characteristic places of a city. Rather than just floating the characters in front of the camera regardless of where you move (as happens in Pokémon Go) the game is smart enough to keep track of where you are in relation to them.
The characters will stay exactly where they are and your perspective will change as if they were right there.
However, interacting with the characters is much more than trying to peek into the nose or walk behind them.
There is a list of questions you can ask each character, to try and get more information from them. If the problem persists, you may need to provide them with an item from your inventory. A bit like in old interactive adventures like “Broken Sword,” so to speak. The guy on the news, for example, won't tell you anything until you throw him a penny, and offering your lighter to a man who smokes will help make him your friend.
Other times, you have to look for clues the same way. In one of the phases of the game, to identify the victim you will have to physically walk around the area with your phone pointed at the ground, looking for the lost wallet.
Attention to historical details
Not only is the story based on a true crime, but it is designed to closely match the real-world locations where each event occurred. Artist Andy Yong modeled and animated the characters based on real-life photos where possible, and the team worked closely with local historians to uncover all the behind-the-scenes stories. historical story.
“Together we did a lot of research on the locations, the background of the witnesses involved, the mortuary report and many newspaper articles of the time”Says Emma Ramsey, designer and producer of Misadventure in Little Lon.
The team even worked with the direct descendants of the people involved. Maud Gunter, for example, is the sister of the deceased. A strong and enterprising woman who becomes one of the main characters of the game. To get a more complete understanding of her, the team consulted with her granddaughters, Jenny Samms and Gail McCormack.
“Having the family's input was amazing in terms of developing the narrative to show the many faces of Maud,” she says Ramsey.
“She went on to become a powerful and influential woman in Little Lon, had strong ties to the Chinese community, organized a cartel with other brothel owners and ran 27 of them. She always carried a gun and even knew the martial arts."
Misadventure in Little Lon: the next steps
All in all, Misadventure in Little Lon is a fantastic and unique use of augmented reality, and it really shows how much the potential of this technology is extended.
As for 10Tickles, he is already planning a second story for Melbourne in 2020, based on another 1890 crime. Subsequently, the team hopes to expand to other history-rich cities such as Sydney, London and New York.
