Tabletop RPGs have always been one of the best forms of entertainment and even learning. Its history is estimated to date back some 5,000 years or more, the first of which was found in an excavation in Turkey and whose remains date back to that time.
Then we saw them evolve, passing through the boards introduced by the Egyptians, Backgammon, chess, etc., and it was in 1986 when the first hidden role-playing game was recognized, called Mafia and created by Dimitry Davidoff.
Since then the evolution has been continuous, and in recent years we have seen how they have been transformed by means of technology, achieving a greater reach and adapting more and more to the digital society, even consolidating a trend of games and applications that they mix the physical and virtual worlds, an experience known as phygital.
Examples of phygital games
- Pokemon Go: the well-known augmented reality game. Basically, you have to excel as a Pokemon trainer by finding and catching them in museums, squares, and countless other real-world locations.
- Lego Fusion – Kids can make their builds out of traditional Lego pieces and play with them on their mobile devices.
- MultiBall (Interactive Squash): from the German firm FWB, is an interactive wall based on a platform that you can use in multiple sports to get physical exercise in the real world.
- Zombie Run: Basically, you activate the app, put on your headphones and start running towards one of the last available positions that humanity has in the middle of a zombie invasion. If the undead catch you, you lose. You will be able to stop at certain points to gather supplies and rescue survivors.
- Landlord – You start the game on your mobile with a generous loan of in-game currency, which you can invest to buy “real world” goods and lease them based on the number of people who check in to the location, via Facebook and Foursquare. It’s a kind of advanced, digital Monopoly.
Without a doubt, the best role-playing games of the moment respond to this trend.
Social gaming powered by a new mobile era
In this regard, we must bear in mind that gamers like social video games a lot, to the point that it is estimated that this market will reach $43.9 billion globally by 2027, also driven by the development of 5G technology and the increasing better features of smartphones.
This trend, hand in hand with the phygital experience, has led to a much more evolved, attractive and fun concept, known as “phygital social games”, developed by Muquo Games with the conviction that ” playing in a group face to face is more fun”.
What is phygital experience?
Basically, it is an experience that combines the best of the digital world with the best of the physical world, to create a unique proposition for players.
The concept arises from recognizing that interpersonal interactions continue to be highly valued by customers in the physical world. So the approach seeks to unite the best of two worlds in a single experience.
Along these lines, “phygital social games” are gaming experiences in which physical, face-to-face relationships are encouraged, but supported by technological devices such as mobile phones. In short, a complete reinvention of board games!
The first social phygital game is Andrana Project, developed by Muquo Games. It is one of the most peculiar and best hidden role-playing games of the moment.
Set in the year 2067, where the earth is an increasingly inhospitable place, each player is assigned a random and unknown character. The objective of each participant is to discover who are his enemies and who are not, in order to achieve victory for his team through different actions.
Instead of cards there are mobile screens that players must keep hidden. Personal interaction prevails, the team is just a tool to optimize the experience.
And to win they will have to test their emotional intelligence, ability to deceive, mental agility and ability to work as a team.
Experience for yourself the evolution of tabletop role-playing games with phygital social games and discover why their dynamics are so fascinating.
