Open Access

Steffen Schaal, Joachim Schneider, Christoph Schlieder

• Gamification and game-based learning have been established as powerful tools in education. Location-based games (geogames) have been established following mainly a ‘seek-and-find’ game-mechanic, challenging mechanics like simulations are rarely used. We describe an approach for creating an educational location-based game (geogame). The central design problem consists in integrating an ecological simulation into the location-based game flow. We show how to combine these two game mechanics by simplifying complex simulations while maintaining their validity. In an empirical study we evaluate our geogame with secondary school students (N = 329). Our quasi-experimental pre-post-test design focuses on the game-related enjoyment provided by a simplified simulation task within a geogame compared to a more complex desktop simulation and to a geogame without simulation. The results show that the players of the Geogame spend much less time on interacting with the simulation than on other tasks. Nevertheless, the simulation within the geogame contributes positively to the game playing experience. Player enjoyment is even found to be slightly higher in the simulation geogame than in the indoor simulation. A critical threshold of time for using simulations within location-based game mechanics is discussed and related design-pattern for geogames are presented to support educators and game developers in the co-design of challenging location-based games. This study contributes to locate ecological simulations in areas where they actually take place. Complex topics and competencies in education become “real” for players in an outdoor experience.