Hive Mechanic & EBOW (Playful City Lab) 

Hive Mechanic is Playful City Lab's open-source authoring tool for neighborhood games and stories that run on everyday phones-no app required. It connects with services like SMS and voice (via providers such as Twilio and WhatsApp) so players can text, call, and explore local spaces through story, scavenger hunts, and puzzles intermixed between digital and physical spaces. The tool, and all of the materials surrounding it, are designed to be as accessible as possible so as to work towards our goal of helping to democratize game design and share local stories.

Engaging Beyond Our Walls (EBOW) 

EBOW is Playful City Lab's (PCL) national initiative (with the DC Public Library) that trained libraries and museums to design playful, low-tech experiences within their communities' physical spaces - primarily built with our tool, Hive Mechanic. This program supported 50+ towns and cities nation wide with training, templates, and community-focused design practices, backed by IMLS funding. The project culminated in the creation of our EBOW Recipe Book for interactive story game recipes 

to engage communities and strengthen local places. Our approach throughout was to use and create accessible tools and curriculum which covered both the use of our tools and how to think playfully using interactivity, connection mechanics, and game design strategies.