Designing Mobile Augmented Reality Interfaces for Locative Games and Playful Experiences

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) has predominantly been used in locative games and playful experiences for the presentation on virtual game objects in conjunction with separate 2-D maps for navigation. This distinct switch in interaction modalities can detract from the game play experience and will arguably be less relevant for AR glasses. Therefore this research considers the application techniques from graphic design to MAR interfaces to provide an effective means of navigation through a physical game space without maps. To illustrate this approach we present a MAR application that provides a playful way for visitors to explore a small rural village in both space and time in relation to its main cultural event, the annual Scarecrow Festival. In particular we present the considerations that designers must address when creating purely augmented reality navigation interfaces through the design, implementation, and user evaluation of the application scARecrow Time Machine.