INVASION / Invasion is a hybrid-reality location-based game for social change. It's designed to raise awareness of an Italian issue: the national misperception of the danger of immigration. My team and I noticed that some of the most popular stereotypes about immigrants - such as “they are invading us", “they are dangerous", “they are ill” - were also the main features of the Zombie fiction. By facing a zombie invasion (the narrative metaphor), the players experience firsthand how everyone can easily be misled by media in believing, fearing and feeling justified to fight a given enemy. 

INTRO / Through this video, the players discover their role in the game and their first task. The video also works as the rabbit hole to the game world.

THE STORYTELLING / The story is told through a fake newspaper called “B2NEWS”, readable on Aris. The specific order given to the articles creates a climax of fear and terror that brings players from a position of mere defense to get ready for a fight.

THE SETTING/ On May 2017, the game was played in B2 building of Politecnico di Milano. The digital material on Aris was integrated with physical items having an informative, interactive or purely narrative purpose. 

THE DYNAMICS/ ​​​​​​​Invasion is a team game that adds investigative and treasure-hunting dynamics to a classic zombie plot. It involves tasks such as searching hidden items, collecting hints, decoding codes with Aris, interacting with a story character (the Weapon Seller) and recruiting non-playing people to create an army. 

OUTRO / As it started, the game also ends with a video, a more informative one. At this point the metaphor is revealed and the players put the pieces together: they've been played by the newspaper (B2News) that exaggerated the issue and manipulated their emotions. They experienced firsthand misperception and its risks.

CREDITS 

TEAM / Marta Abruzzese, Alessandra Meloni, Giulia Minola, Anca Serbanescu, Martina Belotti, Federica Delprino and Sara Joulaei

PROFESSORS / Ilaria Mariani and Judith Ackermann

WORKSHOP / Designing Hybrid Reality Games as Communication Systems - Experiencing Diversities, Politecnico di Milano, May 2017

APP /​​​​​​​ Developed with ARIS