14 ideas for interactive tasks for city games

When we offer a city game, our players expect some interaction with their surroundings. Sometimes, this is essential because the game is a city tour. Other times, it may not be necessary when it’s a themed escape game. However, I personally recommend including real-life interaction regardless, which is why I wrote this article. Here, I will share 14 ideas for interactive tasks for city games.

1. Quiz about a statue

In every historical city that people visit, there’s always a statue. What does it do? Where does it look? If there’s a horse, how many legs are up? Does the statue carry something?

You can ask many simple questions. It sounds simple, but players do enjoy interacting visually with a real-life point of interest and answering correctly in their quiz. You can use a multiple-choice task type for this.

2. Counting things

The players are in a famous square, and they have a certain number of things that they can count. It’s also simple, but it may involve the whole team to observe and run around the location until they find the answer. Use a number task type for this.

3. Photo of a monument

Ask your players to find a certain monument, then make a photo task. Eventually, team members can pose in front of the monument, which would be even more fun. Use the photo task type for this challenge.

4. Fun augmented photo

Using the augmented photo task, you can interact with something from the city that you’re visiting. It’s very simple: It adds any of your PNG files on top of the player’s camera. From your Loquiz task, you can add any PNG file (make sure your file has a transparent background).

5. Interact with a local business

Some city games promote local businesses in the city or town that you’re visiting. It’s a win-win situation: You bring people to their shop, and they have some more interactivity within their game. For this, I recommend that the place has some relevance to the game itself (especially if it’s a themed game). For instance, if the story is about magic, take your players to a magic-themed café.

6. QR codes

Using QR code activation, you can make any task appear in your game. You can stick QR codes in places (as long as you’re allowed to), for example, on facades of businesses to visit. Or you can use existing QR codes that are in the street. The QR can be slightly hidden, so the players will enjoy their effort. They’ll feel rewarded for finding it!

7. Hidden location

On your Loquiz game, you can set up an invisible task. Both the activation area and the pin are invisible, so the players must find the location using hints. I recommend using a list to display the clues rather than showing them only once. This way, when the player finds the location, they can reread the clues.

For instance, if the players are in Paris, tell them to reach an island. Then you can put an invisible task like this on top of the island of La Cité:

8. Street challenge

Make a task where you ask the player to fulfill a street challenge. It can be something fun, for instance: Ask someone in the street if they prefer cats or dogs. Or try to make a “six seven” in a crowded place. Choose challenges that are fun and that don’t negatively affect other passersby.

9. Video task

Similar to the previous idea, make it a video task. Ask your players to make a dance, a human pyramid, a Six Seven, etc…

With a beautiful city in the background, it will be even better for the game.

10. Hidden gem finder

If you make a city game, add some hidden games that only locals know. It can be just one or two tasks unrelated with the story, but I ensure you that players will love it. If you want to discover hidden gems of Paris, you can try our city tour game: GemParis Tour. As a native Parisian, I put a lot of hidden gems there.

11. Object finder

With our Object Finder task type, there are some items that players can find in the streets: Stop signs, benches, trees, umbrellas, etc. This nice feature adds some more interactivity between the players and real life. Here you can try an example of a game that uses this feature. Download the Loquiz app (available on iOS and Android), then scan the following QR code:

12. Text riddle involving a point of interest

Using AI (or your own poetic skills), write a riddle whose answer points to a nearby monument. For instance, here’s one. Can you figure out the answer? It’s in 5 letters.

Iron lace rising through Paris air,
I watch the river from lofty there.
Built for a fair, I still stand tall
What am I, admired by all?

13. Audio riddle

You can use the audio feature on your Loquiz tasks. Players can play an audio out loud. From there, you can add a quiz question that involves anything in their surroundings, such as “Hello hello, now as I have your attention, can you please count the number of fountains around you?” then they can add the answer in the text/number/multiple choice Loquiz task. The audio is a different way to make the puzzle immersive. And it’s easier to follow for a whole group, rather than something visual on your device screen.

14. Distance quiz

There’s one type of riddle I like: Walk through an iconic street/path. Then at the end of it, a quiz question asks the players: What distance did you make? I made this riddle in the Monaco tour. There’s the iconic tunnel: At the end of it, the players have to guess the distance.

Conclusion

When we create a successful tour template, it can be tempting to replicate it across many other cities. However, players often criticize the lack of interaction with their own city; and yet, that’s something they’re looking for.

Take a few minutes to include some of the 14 interactivity ideas mentioned earlier, and I can assure you that you will have many more satisfied players.

Besides, whatever game you provide, you need to test it as much as possible. And if you test it, ensure that all of these interactivity tasks work. Is there some roadwork? Was something destroyed? Is there a local event? Test your game, and you’ll have an answer to any of it. With Loquiz, you can test as many times as you want for free.

If you have any questions about how to implement such real-world interactivity, feel free to send me a message!