Brokekid.net

TechCrunch recently wrote about German mobile gaming startup Zelfi and their new Google Android app JOYity. What sets this app apart from traditional mobile phone games is that “JOYity uses the GPS in the Android phone to let you play games and go on adventures based on your location in the real world.”

JOYity offers three games – YouCatch, Roads of San Francisco, City Race Munich – or you can design your own game on the platform. In the game “In Roads of San Francisco, for instance, you have to go around the city picking up clues. When you get to a destination, a text or picture message tells you where to go next. It is a Scavenger Hunt with a story line.”

The game YouCatch is a version of Manhunt. “Players in the same city sign up for a game. Everyone acts as both hunter and hunted at the same time. The game assigns you a player that you are hunting, while assigning you to someone else as a victim. Everyone’s location is periodically flashed on the map. When you get within 25 feet of your victim, you press the scrollball on the phone for the kill. But every time you press the button, your location is shown to all the other players as well. The last person standing wins.”

Below is a video of someone playing YouCatch -

Today I met with Alejandro and talked about how great it would be to have a game lie JOYity’s where the objective is to do good while still being fun and competitive. Ale mentioned that the neighborhood identity is strong in Buenos Aires and it would be interesting to challenge barrios to compete against each other while taking on a cause.

From fundraising to cleanup to guerrilla gardening, neighborhoods could challenge each other while helping the community. Where limited only by our imaginations. What sort of games can you think of? What would you create?

I think it would be worthwhile to build a game around community and philanthropy, this would allow you to address serious issues where you live while involving all ages and bringing your neighborhood closer together.