Mentira is a place-based augmented reality game using the Augmented Reality for Interactive Storytelling (ARIS) platform, developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for use on ipod touches and iphones. Our game consists of somewhere near 70 pages of dialogue and informative text, almost all spanish, about 150 photos or pieces of still visual art, and four short movies. It is somewhere near 20 times larger than any other game or tour developed for the ARIS platform. The game is a murder mystery, consisting of current and prohibition era fictional events, all set in the Los Griegos neighborhood in Albuquerque. The basic structure of the game is directed conversations between the player and fictional characters (Non Playing Characters or NPCs) concerning the murder and its solution. Each conversation is situated at a particular place and time in the game's narrative, somewhere between reality and fiction. The basic dialogue game mechanic of the game will feel somewhat familiar if you've ever played any of the Carmen SanDiego games, although ours does not hinge on historical trivia or logic puzzles. Visit implementations for some more information as to how we use the game in Spanish classrooms. |