Ever wanted to test your knowledge of Brighton? Love a treasure hunt? Or maybe you just want something new to do on a Saturday? Look no further, we have the answer to your problems. Tavern.city is a game that involves a treasure hunt around the city. Needing nothing but a phone signal, Tavern.city is a great game to get you involved with the history of Brighton. Bjournal spoke to the creator, Robin, to find out more.
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I’m a local Brighto
n tech entrepreneur and make technology-based games in my spare time. I’m fascinated by “augmented reality”, where computer-generated elements are layered on top of the world around us. With the help of technology, we are increasingly able to define our surroundings and experiences. Every street has a story to tell.
How did you come up with the idea for a game around Brighton?
Unfortunately, I can’t claim to have come up with the idea of a treasure hunt, or even a text messaged based treasure hunt, although I can say that I love plying these types of games. I played a similar game in London and had a fantastic time exploring the city. Afterwards, I challenged myself to code a similar game of my own for Brighton
Tell me more about what the game is and what it’s about.
Tavern.city is a treasure hunt game around central Brighton which you can play using text messages on your phone. There’s no need to download an app or worry about an internet connection; you receive a text message with a clue and then have to use your surroundings and ingenuity to solve it, texting back your answer. The game takes you and your friends on a thrilling journey and challenges you to discover Brighton’s hidden secrets.
How did you go about organising and making the game? How long did it take you to research everything?
I started work on the game back in January and it took me about six months to get the tech working properly, followed by a couple months researching, exploring an
d testing. In-between coding sessions, I wandered around the city taking pictures and notes. It was great fun and I’ve discovered lots of incredible things about the city I previously thought I knew inside out. I’m currently researching a new Halloween-themed quest, and it turns out you’d struggle to find a pub in Brighton that isn’t haunted!
Why choose Brighton?
Brighton is a fun, dynamic and exciting place. I think that there’s a perfect combination of tourists and local thrill-seekers here to make it a good place to launch this type of game, and I also live here.
And finally, what is your favourite thing about Brighton?
Its spiral staircases and doors. Have you noticed how many amazing spiral staircases and doorways there are in Brighton?
You can find out more about the treasure hunt at https://tavern.city/
