Wherigo: Create Your Own GPS Adventure Games

Discover Wherigo: Crafting Your Own GPS Adventure Games

Were you aware of Ryan's article detailing his family's geocaching experience using an Android phone? He demonstrated how the phone’s GPS functionality pinpointed the location of a hidden cache. Subsequently, I authored an article outlining various applications for Android phones to encourage outdoor activity with children. Within that piece, I proposed leveraging the concept of geocaching to design personalized scavenger hunt games.

Since then, I’ve encountered a platform simplifying the creation of engaging outdoor GPS games. This platform, known as Wherigo, is developed by the same team behind Geocaching.com.

This article will guide you through understanding Wherigo and the process of building your own outdoor adventure game.

Understanding the Capabilities of Wherigo

Wherigo provides a suite of tools designed to facilitate the creation of GPS-enabled adventures, tours, and games that unfold in the physical world. It allows you to designate specific real-world locations and enable players to interact with virtual media and characters, effectively "reintroducing the adventure game genre" – as the developers describe it – outside of the digital realm.

The platform is currently being utilized to develop walking or driving city tours, expansive neighborhood scavenger hunts, and even immersive, interactive physical adventures.

Wherigo utilizes “cartridges” – a term borrowed from video game terminology – which are files containing all the information and media integral to an adventure. A downloadable tool called the “Wherigo Builder” empowers you to construct your own GPS adventures or games.

Creating Your Own Wherigo Adventure or Game: A Step-by-Step Guide

Wherigo.com offers a comprehensive, step-by-step tutorial detailing the creation of GPS games and adventures. Therefore, a full recounting of every detail isn’t necessary here. However, I can direct you through the initial stages, indicate where to download the Wherigo Builder, and suggest tools to streamline the game creation process.

Begin by visiting Wherigo.com and clicking the "Download Builder" link located in the sidebar.

This will lead you to a sign-in page. If you already have an account on Geocaching.com, you can use those credentials here. If not, registration is free and readily available. Upon downloading the Builder, you’ll be prompted to accept the terms of service and acknowledge that the program is currently in its Alpha development phase, potentially containing minor glitches.

Following installation, you’ll be prepared to begin learning the creation process.

Start by clicking the "Build" link at the top of the site. This page provides links to resources specifically for builders. Prioritize reviewing all content on this page, exploring the FAQ section, and accessing the Wherigo Builder Tutorial.

The tutorial is an interactive, flash-based learning module that allows you to actively participate in each step. It will demonstrate how to understand the fundamental components of a cartridge – the file players require containing all zones and media – how to establish interactions between players and objects, and how to utilize player input to enhance the experience.

The tutorial also includes a downloadable zip file containing a sample cartridge, enabling you to follow along with the lessons.

Several tools can further simplify the creation of GPS games and adventures. Google Earth is a valuable resource for identifying GPS coordinates. Alternatively, geocoder.us allows you to input an address and receive the corresponding GPS coordinates.

Once you grasp the fundamentals, creating Wherigo games and adventures becomes relatively straightforward. You can also explore and play games created by others and uploaded to the Wherigo website. With these tools at your disposal, you can contribute to the growing collection of adventures in your area.

Here’s a screenshot illustrating the beginning of a game, taken from a Wherigo promotional YouTube video:

Have you ever participated in or designed Wherigo games? What are your thoughts on this platform? Can you suggest other tools that facilitate the creation of GPS games in real-world locations?