An innovative way to gamify exploring Seoul in South Korea for 3,500 UK Scouts
Client
Date
Service
Project Overview
In the summer of 2023, the UK Scout Association took 3,500 Scouts to South Korea to attend the World Scout Jamboree (an international gathering of 30,000 Scouts from all over the world). The UK Management Team were looking for a tool that could help their young people explore Seoul. More specifically, a game that could incentivise Scouts to visit certain locations and look for significant buildings or environmental points of interest; but also notice for local social norms or customs and cultural differences, complete challenges and encourage them to approach Scouts from other countries.
The Process
The tool developed was based on a London Monopoly Run Game designed and built by Sam Hankin. This game was used as a template to create what became ‘Seoul Searching’. The game was accessible for Scouts via their phones. To earn points teams took a photo of themselves at a required location, answered a relevant question or photographed themselves completing a challenge, and uploaded it into the Seoul Searching App. The photo was marked by an admin team (a separate part of the app tool) and if ‘accepted’ the system automatically credited the team with their points. Over 300 teams joined the game while they were in Seoul and over 3,000 individual photographic submissions were made.
The Conclusion
‘Seoul Searching App was an innovative way to gamify exploring Seoul that our young people engaged with enthusiastically and motivated them to see more of Seoul. We loved the leader board and completing challenges across the city alongside our exploring, it kept the unit permanently observant and gelled the team to complete the task together.’ Unit Leader Trinovantes
‘The game designed by Sam was an essential part of our offering for units while in Seoul. It was easy for units to join the game and understand what was required of them. We had over 3,000 photos of units at various landmarks, spotting cultural things of note or completing challenges and it was very clear they were having lots of fun. I would gladly use the game again in another city. It would travel well!’ Caroline Pearce - Contingent Management Team Pre/Post Event Activities