Location-Based Games and Cultural Heritage: A Review of Practices

This paper aims to study the variety of gameplay mechanics present in location-based games related to cultural heritage education, understanding the current state of art of practices in the field. First, we conduct a literature review about the characteristics of location-based games, and then we search for references of these games related to the field of cultural heritage. We analyze these systems in order to recognize which types of game mechanics are present, and how they translate into game patterns. The results point to a predominance of a scavenger hunt game pattern, using quizzes as the main mechanic. This research discusses the potential of location- based technologies to contribute to the process of cultural heritage education, in order to help building future experiences in the field.