Guardianes de Segorbe: A geo-game to promote turism in a town
Guardianes de Segorbe: A geo-game to promote turism in a town
Embedded Files
Note: The game can only be played in the town
Colaborators
Miguel Chover - Director
Carlos Marín - Supervision and design
Micaela Yanet - Supervision and design
María Villar - Programmer, UI artist
Nàdia Montaña - 3D artist, UI artist
Aurelio Trigueros - Programmer
Mireia Guimerà - Programmer
Developed in
Unreal Engine 5
Google AR Core
Platforms
Android
Why did we make this game?
Located in the province of Castellón in the Valencian Community of Spain, Segorbe is a town rich in history and culture. Its history spans Iberian, Roman, Visigoth, and Moorish influences, culminating in a distinctive blend of architectural and cultural heritage.
The town is renowned for its medieval charm, with highlights such as the 13th-century Catedral-Basílica de Segorbe, the Torre del Verdugo and the remnants of the ancient city walls reflect its defensive past. Culturally, Segorbe is best known for its annual Entrada de Toros y Caballos, a vibrant bull-running festival held every September that has been declared an event of International Tourist Interest. The town also celebrates its agricultural traditions, particularly olive oil production, which has earned it a reputation for high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
This game is part of a project with the city hall of Segorbe to promote turism in rural towns. Classical touristic guides can be helpful but sometimes a bit boring. By developing an AR game, it would me more entertaining to learn about the history of the town. Watching in the real world models of mythical characters of Segorbe telling their story to the players was very immersive.
What is it about?
"Guardianes de Segorbe" is an augmented reality (AR) mobile game. The game immerses players in the rich history and culture of Segorbe, guiding them through various emblematic locations in the town. Players embark on a journey to become the Guardian of Segorbe by collecting fragments of the city's keys, which are scattered across significant historical sites.
The player has to physically go to different locations of the town and scan an specific object. Then, in each location a known character appears and presents a unique challenge linked to a historical figure associated with Segorbe. For instance, in the Plaza del Agua Limpia, players interact with the Dukes of Segorbe to uncover historical elements. At the Botanical Garden, they face the greenhouse challenge, guided by botanist Carlos Pau and a gardener. Additionally, in the Cathedral, Bishop Fray Luis Amigó challenges players with a musical game involving bells.
The primary objective is to gather all parts of the city's keys by completing tasks related to Segorbe's history and culture. Each achievement is rewarded with a gem of the city key, bringing players closer to becoming the Guardian. The game culminates with a virtual ceremony honoring players as honorary citizens of Segorbe, celebrating their success and reinforcing the knowledge gained during the adventure.
Objectives and impact
Our objectives were to encourage people to visit Segorbe and learn about their history. On the other hand, players need to visit different parts of the map so we also promote sport and physical activity.
The game was well received by Segorbe. It has been played by people from all ages and it has been in a lot of news articles!
Research papers
Trigueros, A. J., Montaña, N., Guimerà, M., Sáez, E., Chover, M., Shiakhovchuk, E., ... & Martín, M. Y. (2022). Una experiencia de Turismo cultural en Realidad Aumentada: Guardianes de Segorbe. https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3599/paper_5.pdf
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