A location-sensitive mobile game for competing teams of players.
MuseumScrabble is currently being re-designed and implemented for Android-based devices, replacing RFID tags with QR codes. This implementation is part of a thesis project and is expected to last until the 2nd quarter of 2012.
The game has been implemented for the Museum of Solomos and Eminent Zakynthians. Visitors can ask the front-desk to receive up to 10 devices to play a session at the museum.
The game has been implemented as a real time networked multi-player application. A central game server coordinates the handheld devices. The messages are exchanged using UDP protocol.
The handhelds are pen-operated PDAs running Windows Mobile 5 with a VGA touch-screen, to which RFID readers are attached (manufactured by ProActive). For this purpose about 150 of the museum's exhibits have been labeled with RFID tags.
The game itself is not hard-wired and game scenarios (composed of topics, hints, exhibit descriptions, links scores) can be authored and played, that may target different age groups or focus on a different narrative. The head of a visiting party can choose which scenario the teams are going to play and can also author new ones in advance, using the available authoring tool.