london – Terence Eden’s Blog

Review: Lander 23 by Punchdrunk ★★★⯪☆

@edent — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:34:30 +0000

Lander 23 had a few pre-launch glitches, but is now up and running in Woolwich. It is a fun enough experience, but could be a whole lot more with some tweaks. In a team of four, you are split into two groups. One group operates a baffling array of switches and has to direct the other group around a ruined city because of [under developed plot point]. Only by working together can you… well, it is unclear. Something to do with energy?

Think of it a bit like a longer game of "The Crystal Maze". Over a radio commlink, you try telling your team mates to go left down a corridor and then explain you meant the other left. The explorers have to creep around the set, avoiding baddies (and sometimes other players) while listening to your half-baked instructions.

Then you swap positions and suddenly understand some of the seemingly bizarre decisions your friends made.

It is hard to know how to categorise this. Punchdrunk are known for immersive theatre - but this is billed as a live action video game. It isn't a LARP in the traditional sense; you won't be driving the story. It also isn't an escape room although the teamwork aspect is similar. There aren't any puzzles, and the story is paper-thin. But it is rather a good laugh. Sort of like an adult Laser Quest without guns.

The pre-show is pretty good. There's a well dressed set to wander around with lots of interesting (but irrelevant) scenery and props. The instructions are reasonably clear and the "Lander" set looks a bit like the Nostromo from Alien. The interactive consoles are brilliantly designed. The various industrial knobs and buttons feel delightful to play with and react well. It is rather a shame that they're so under utilised. The driver team is given a baffling arrays of inputs to manage - but only a small subsection do anything useful.

The city set (supposedly an alien planet) is recycled from the previous "Burnt City" production. It looks lush but doesn't make any sense in context of the (slightly flimsy) story. It is exciting to wander through while being pursued by guards (what guards? Isn't this an alien planet?) but there isn't much time to admire the extensive set dressing.

While you're running around (or telling people to run around) there's some nonsense about collecting energy. Oh and you might lose a life if caught. And you have to flick the switches at the right time. Don't forget to duck behind the scenery to hide when told. There's a lot going on. It is exhilarating but you only get about 15-20 minutes of play time each.

There's a briefing about how to find cassettes and stamps. Across our two goes, we found one of them and got one stamp. What does that do? Nothing as far as I can tell. There might also be artefacts to collect, but we didn't find any, nor were we sure that they'd net us extra points.

Let's talk about the points aspect. At the end, our team, were delighted to have come second!

What did that mean? Nothing.

If you play Laser Quest, you get to see your name up on the big screen - Lander 23 just displays your team number. I sort of expected to be handed a certificate. Or money off our next trip. Or a commemorative tchotchke. Or even a video thanking us for saving the universe. We just took off our tactical vests and handed them back. Which was slightly underwhelming.

I think the leader-board is there to encourage replayability. But as your scores aren't recorded, there isn't much incentive to come back for another go. I expected a follow-up email thanking us for playing or asking for feedback but, again, nothing. After that much adrenaline, I was expecting just a little aftercare.

There's a photo-booth once you've completed the mission, but you have to ask other players to take your photo. It would have been so easy for Punchdrunk to have a staff member there to take snaps and email them. Again, that's what most escape rooms do. Instead, we headed to the bar to enjoy a few cocktails while we debriefed ourselves.

All four of us agreed at that it had been a pretty good experience. We laughed a lot describing what we'd got up to. Our hearts were racing, we were sweating from the tension, and felt like it had been a decent afternoon out.

Ultimately, Lander 23 feels like it has been designed by someone who has heard of games like Laser Quest / Escape Rooms / The Crystal Maze but, crucially, hasn't ever played them.

For all that, it is a lot of fun. Running around corridors with a friend is very Doctor Who. Flicking lots of switches and pressing buttons is an enjoyable tactile experience.

It is absolutely worth finding a cheaper mid-week slot and giving it a go. If you're willing to get into the spirit of things, and are happy to put up with some odd game-design decisions, you'll have fun.

Event Review: Doin' the Lambeth Walk (Oi!) ★★★⯪☆

@edent — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:34:19 +0000

Historical entities have been sighted in the old village of Lambeth. Are they ghosts? Visions? Or intruders through a crack in time? Join your guides and explore the backwaters and byways that slowly spread over the mysterious marshes of Lambeth.

Most walking tours have a guide drag you around the well-known tourist hot-spots while they read out a bit from Wikipedia. Minimum Labyrinth’s tour is different. We were told to find the meeting spot by looking for a mysterious message chalked somewhere on Westminster Bridge.

As the bells from Big Ben faded - ghosts appeared!

We were whisked away onto a tour which was part history lesson, part ghost story, and part science-fiction extravaganza. As we wandered through the streets, various "baddies" appeared out of nowhere. Ghosts came to chat with us and then promptly vanished. Music played causing onlookers to pause their hurried strolling. It was somewhere between immersive theatre and immersed theatre.

The walk was well paced. The three acts each consisted of 50 minutes of strolling then 30 minutes in a pub. Perfect for a loo-break and refreshments. The cast didn't stay in character during the pub - which was a relief for them, and meant we could chat about what we thought of the event.

It took us through some parts of London I was vaguely familiar with - and some which were completely new. It is brilliant having someone explain exactly why that piece of art is where it is, or who commissioned that church, and point out that exquisite detail you might have missed.

Without wishing to spoil anyone's fun, the sci-fi element was the weakest part of the adventure. It paid "loving homage" to an abandoned and somewhat forgotten TV series. I felt that the story would have been much stronger without tying it in to a larger universe. No one under 50 recognised the characters so I think that aspect fell a little flat.

I also felt that there wasn't quite enough to do during the walk. There were some neat snippets of information but there were long stretches of walking down streets without much going on. Given the slightly spooky and sci-fi nature of the story, I would have expected the audience to have been given little tasks or asked to keep a lookout for ghosts.

That said, the tour took us round some stunning and unexpected spots. The ghostly goings-on were suitably mysterious and the cast kept us all safe and entertained. We had fun exploring little alleyways and art displays which were completely unknown to us.

The team at Minimum Labyrinth do a variety of weird tours and events. Worth checking out if you want something entertaining and unusual.

Restaurant Review: Chef's Table at The Savoy

@edent — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 11:34:47 +0000

My mate Greg, without meaning to, makes all other husbands look bad. It's not enough that he is a loving partner, devoted father, and pillar of the community. Oh no. He also has to go and make the most amazing reservations for wedding anniversaries.

My wife, Liz, and I were running slightly late for our meeting with Greg and his delightful wife Jamie. We hadn't seen them for... oooh... About a decade. Time flies when you're adulting. And we're on different sides of the Atlantic ocean. So when they announced they were visiting London, we leapt at the chance to see them again.

We bustled into the Savoy, walked up the wrong staircase, turned down the wrong corridor, and then eventually found our way to Gordon Ramsay's Savoy Grill. What a swell place for an anniversary dinner! I told you he was good at reservations.

I cast my eye around the restaurant, but couldn't see our friends. I motioned to the Maître d', "Excuse me, we're here with..."

"Of course sir, madam. Right this way!" And off he dashed through an unmarked door. We followed and found ourselves in the middle of the kitchen. For a moment I thought he'd taken us the wrong way. Or that he thought we were there to cook. For one gut-wrenching second I thought I hadn't paid a previous bill and was being sent for a bollocking from Ramsey himself. But, no.

The chefs all paused their work "Good evening sir, madam," one said. A sous (or possibly commis) hoped we had a wonderful evening. Even the plongeur looked up from the suds and smiled.

WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON?!

"This way, please."

We were ushered through the kitchen into what I can only describe as the most luxurious padded cell I've ever been committed to. Our friends nestled in a cosy booth, staring out of the window into the kitchen.

It is a view like none other. Yes, I've been to restaurants with open kitchen, or where a chef has cooked in front of you. But this was something else. A cross between an aquarium and dinner-theatre. It is mesmerising watching a whole team of professionals work in unison to create exquisite dishes. I assume the glass was somewhat soundproof - we certainly didn't hear any raised voices.

And the food? We went à la carte rather than go for the full tasting menu. There was a full and inventive vegetarian menu - no dull risotto or beanburgers here! My gazpacho had an intensity of freshness that I doubt I could ever recreate. The gnocchi was robust and startling. The sides were standard English fare - potatoes, carrots, salad - hard to go wrong. All the dishes were presented beautifully. There was no "molecular gastronomy" or "served on a bird's nest made of clay" nonsense. Hearty food, well proportioned, and washed down with a bottle of Chateau Macquin St Georges St Emilion.

I was too busy scoffing mine down to take any snaps, but Greg's Wellington shows off the quality.

The selection of chocolates and jellies at the end nearly finished me off.

All the dishes served were fantastic. And watching them being created was a delightful experience. The private room meant no unruly diners disrupting our reverie. And the waiters weren't hovering, trying to upsell us. Simply a perfect dining experience.

Alas, our time was limited due to our friends' theatre tickets. We exited the booth, through the kitchen, with the staff wishing us well - as we told them how marvellous their food was. Swished into the cool air of London town, still slightly staggered by the evening.

And now, of course, I have to find a way to top that for our wedding anniversary! Curse you, Greg! What am I supposed to do? Ask Paul Hollywood to come skydiving with us?!

Cost

Obviously, I insisted on paying the bill. It was Greg and Jamie's anniversary, and we hadn't seen them in donkeys' years.

Naturally, Greg insisted on paying the bill. I'd just graduated from my MSc, Liz had a new job, and they hadn't seen us in far too long.

So we compromised. I paid their share, he paid our share. Equitable!

Four adults, two courses, sweets, mineral water, and a bottle of wine, came to a bit over £100 per head.

Certainly not the most expensive meal I've eaten in London - but a fair bit pricier than a Bella Italia. I'd say a very reasonable price for such a unique venue with outstanding food.

You can make a reservation at the Chef's Table - but only if you want to really impress someone!

Theatre Review: Bleak Expectations ★★★★☆

@edent — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 11:34:20 +0000

It's always slightly weird when entertainment transfers from one medium to another. The actors on stage never look like the characters you imagined when you read the book. A prog-rock concept album loses its grandeur when transferred to 27 part Netflix series. And the subversive intent of the comic book is neutered to make a blockbuster movie.

So what happens when a hit radio show is transformed into a West End Spectacular? Magic!

Radio 4's Bleak Expectations always surpassed other radio comedies by virtue of actually being funny. It's a long-running parody of all the tropes in Dickens' novels - and Victoriana in general. And now it has a short run at the Criterion Theatre as a two act play. We get a whirlwind of characters getting married, dying, seeking their fortune, being double-crossed, and sent to boarding school. Sound effects (and swans) rain down on them as prance through the plot. Accents are picked up and discarded like yesterday's bread. It is all very silly and a total delight.

Look, it isn't the most sophisticated comedy - and it lacks the detailed technical brilliance of something like The Play That Goes Wrong - but it has a hell of a lot of heart in amongst the mayhem.

The cast are having a whale of a time - giving us a cacophony of silly voices, frenzied dancing, and outrageously bad puns. It is delightful to see actors trying as hard as possible to make each other laugh. The jokes come in thick and fast - if one doesn't land, there's always a dastardly villain's guffaw to cushion the blow.

There's a new narrator every week - we had Adjoa Andoh who obviously relished the opportunity to stick on a moustache and pantomime her way through the proceedings.

It doesn't require you to have listened to even a second of the radio show. There's no back story or deep lore to worry about. Though, devotees of the series will recognise plenty of the characters and their catchphrases.

Sadly, the theatre was half-empty when we saw it. Maybe the radio series doesn't have the broad recognition that's needed to cut through the crowded West End market? The stunt casting of celebrity narrators is a good way to draw a crowd - but perhaps not enough to build excitement.

It's a pity because it is a genuinely funny show.

But, in an age where Netflix will give you endless comedy for a tenner, perhaps it is asking a bit much to expect people to pay up to £70 a ticket? There are cheap seats for £15 which represents excellent value for a night's live entertainment.

Lore of the Wild - a musical walk through the woods

@edent — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 11:21:45 +0000

Into the woods, it's time to go, I hate to leave, I have to go. Into the woods, it's time, and so I must begin my journey.

I live near the ancient Abbey Woods. Site of the derelict Lesnes Abbey, full of flowers, trees, and eternal mysteries. A tattered parchment map fluttered into my hand promising adventure and enlightenment deep in the heart of the woods.

This is Lore of the Wild an immersive art installation as part of the Estuary 2021 festival.

And so, shortly before sunset, a dozen of us gathered at the entrance and began our traipse through the mulch to see what we would find.

It was magical. There's no other word to describe it. Each of us had headphones and listened to specially commissioned music and poetry designed to harmonise with the surroundings.

We went on an artist guided tour, but you can download the audio tracks and take a wander at your own pace.

I recommend using open-ear headphones which allow you to hear the screaming of the birds. Are all the noises you hear diegetic? Are the whispers in your ears still there when the music pauses?

Halfway through our journey, we wandered into the Old Chalk Pit, where we found Nick Hart waiting for us.

Old English folk songs sung in an old English pit, the tang of fresh smoke and the scent of wild-flowers. Accompanied by the cacophony of crows and parrots waging their regular evening warfare.

It reminded me of the London SubtleMob I attended a decade ago. A group of strangers wandering through a landscape listening to - and becoming - art.

If you can get to the woods - and CrossRail will opening soon! - I recommend bringing a pair of headphones and following the guided trail. It's a gentle walk - although not suitable for wheelchair users - and a wonderful way to experience the environment.

Advertising Screens Hacked To Mine BitCoin

@edent — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 11:21:37 +0000

Spotted in London, yesterday. A large, Microsoft Windows-powered advertising hoarding has been hijacked.

It's not uncommon to see broken-down Windows displays - I run https://windowsisbroken.tumblr.com/ - which is dedicated to pointing and laughing at such mistakes. But this is the first time I've seen a display repurposed for profit!

It appears to be running NiceHash Miner Legacy. A BitCoin mining program for older computers.

I'm sure someone cleverer than me can figure out which wallet starts with 3Jgi6 and is receiving these coins.

Although, given that the hash-rate is zero, it may not be producing anything.

There's no way to know whether this is an external hack, or if an "enterprising" employee has decided to repurpose these computers on the weekend, or if the advertising industry has decided that mining is more profitable than encouraging people to enjoy a cool refreshing glass of blue milk.

If you've enjoyed this blog post, you can pay me in BitCoin.

Walking Under The Thames

@edent — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 13:05:37 +0000

Earlier this year, I won the BlueLightCamp Hackathon. Usually prizes are a token of appreciation - vouchers, a books, maybe even a new phone if you're lucky. This, however, was a "money can't buy" prize - a trip through the Thames Barrier.

And so, during one of London's delightfully wet summer's days, I made my way to the site in Greenwich.

Here are some of the photos I took during the trip.

The first thing to note is that the site is an active industrial area - it's not a museum. There are people working every day to keep London safe.

I expected the barriers themselves to be solid lumps - ready to repel the advancing tide.

The size and scale of the machinery is immense.

Being under that much water means that there is the occasional ingress of liquid.

The whole area can get quite damp - which means that pipes often rust and need replacing.

Security on the area is very tight. It's impossible to get in without going through a number of locked gates. The last thing they want is some idiot randomly pressing buttons...

The tunnels underneath the Thames have stairwells leading onto each platform.

I had expected that the barriers would be constructed purely of man-made materials. That is not the case.

Each pier is fully equipped with a wide range of machinery.

The tunnels themselves are dark, dank, and a little creepy. They trail off into the distance in a perfectly straight line. They are silent except for the faint drip of water and the buzz of the lights.

At times, when walking through, it feels like the tunnel goes on forever.

Finally, it's worth taking a moment not only to marvel at this engineering wonder - but to remember the devastating forces of nature which lead to its creation.

Many thanks to the Environment Agency for their generous prize and for letting us experience a hidden part of London.

Goodyear Blimp Docking with The Shard (Time Lapse)

@edent — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 07:04:43 +0000

As I was wandering over Waterloo Bridge, I spotted a Blimp flying above London.

I find that Blimps have an otherworldly quality. Sleek, silent, and majestic.

I fired off a few photos as it flew overhead. It then turned and went to approach The Shard. Where, finally, it docked and her passengers alighted.

Here's the time lapse:

Of course, it was just a trick of perspective. But wouldn't it be wonderful to commute over London by airship?

Helicopters Flying Through Tower Bridge

@edent — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:45:03 +0000

A delightful evening in London spent watching a pair of helicopters fly through Tower Bridge.

It appears that it's part of the London™ 2012© Olympics® opening ceremony.

First, the practice run:

Then the three flights through the bridge

Thanks to IanVisits for alerting us to the event, and Tom Scott for organising the picnic.

TfL QR Followup - 5,000 scans per month!

@edent — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:21:07 +0000

At the start of 2012, I revealed how many scans TfL's QR campaign was getting.

A lot of comments on Twitter & Google+ dismissed these results as a success. A typical response was:

70 scans a day? In a city of millions? Rubbish!

This fails to address something that advertisers are conspicuously loathe to reveal - the true "response rate" of any advert is hard to calculate. How many phone calls, visits to a website, or SMS interactions are directly attributable to a regular poster? No one really knows - or, if they know, they're not telling.

For the first time, we're able to see how many people are reacting to an advert, scanning a code, and then visiting a site.

Currently, TfL's campaign is running at 5,000 scans per month - peaking at 259 scans on April 3rd.

Or, 16,000 in the last five months. With a rather nice growth in usage in the last few months.

Here come the nay-sayers....

But... But.... How many sites is that across? Millions of people, thousands of sites, only a few scans? Rubbish!

So, I performed a Freedom of Information request to TfL.

There were around 400 sites showing these posters in November. That may have changed by now.

Ideally, I would have liked TfL to have created a unique QR code for each poster. That way we could see Putney gets more scans than Waterloo, for example. But I appreciate the logistical difficulties of that!

Phone Use

We also get some interesting statistics about the makes of phones that Londoners use:

Platforms	Count	Percentage	Change from January
iPhone	9001	56%	+12
Android	3651	23%	-4
BlackBerry	2869	18%	-4
Windows	179	1%	-

iPhone has surged ahead - at the expense of Android and BlackBerry. Windows Phone 7 still remains a minority sport.

Haterz Gonna H8

Frankly, I don't care too much what the doom-mongers say. Having over 16,000 responses to a poster campaign sounds like a success to me. And, best of all, the data is open for anyone to investigate.

If you disagree with me - I politely ask you to show your workings :-)

More Real QR Statistics

@edent — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:17:56 +0000

Wandering through London today, I noticed that Southbank London has put QR codes on its posters. I've mentioned before the dangers of using Bit.ly as a QR code generator - as it allows us to peek at the codes' performance statistics.

Here are the codes on the posters - click for bigger.

As all the codes use Bit.ly so we can see how well they've performed - click on each one for the latest statistics.

Not the most impressive of campaigns.

Three strong points to note before pointing out how (in)effective QR marketing is:

How many clicks would a traditional URL on a poster get?
The code with the call-to-action has the strongest response. Would the others have improved with a CTA?
How many of these posters are in the wild? I only spotted one set, but I suspect there are more.

QR Codes are Scanned by Mobile Phones

Why would you point a QR code at a non-mobile site? And, just as bad, why not point directly to an app-store when you want people to download an app? Ah, it's because your advert's promise of an Android app is a lie. Very disappointing.

If you need a bespoke QR consultation, please contact Terence Eden

Real QR Statistics from TfL

@edent — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:35:19 +0000

Last year, I suggested that TfL should use QR codes to point to their excellent mobile countdown service.

Looks like someone was listening! I spotted this poster at a tube station.

Nestled in the corner is a QR code pointing at the mobile bus countdown service!

This is a close-to-perfect use of QR.

Points to a mobile site.
Easy to scan code.
Good call to action.

As I suggested in my original post, TfL could customise the code, or print a separate one for each bus stop. This is, however, an excellent start.

What's particularly useful is that TfL are using the goo.gl URL shortener - meaning we can see their statistics!

Statistics

There's a dearth of good quality QR statistics which are publicly available. What is available is often put through the lens of a marketing team. So it's particularly refreshing to get the data straight from the source.

One simply needs to append any goo.gl URL with a "+" in order to see the statistics.

Let's dive in!

Since their launch in November, the QR codes have been scanned 4,500 times. I don't know how many of these posters are up, but that seems like a pretty impressive number.

The graph from the last month shows the codes are being scanned around 70 times per day.

We can get a rough idea of what sort of phones Londoners use - or, at least, what those who use the buses use.

Platforms	Count
iPhone	2014
Android	1247
BlackBerry	987
Windows	73
Nokia	58
Symbian/3	34
iPod	15

iPhone takes a significant chunk - although not the majority - with 45%. Android coming next at 28%. BlackBerry still has a strong showing among Londoners with 22%.

I'm unsure whether "Windows" is WP7 or the older "Windows Mobile". Either way, Nokia's market share has collapsed.

The next interesting thing to look at is which countries the users are from.

Countries	Count
United Kingdom	4453
Lithuania	15
United States	10
Germany	2
France	2
Italy	2
Jordan	2
Netherlands	2
Spain	1
Ireland	1

As expected, the majority are using UK SIMS.

This doesn't count visitors who are using a local SIM on their stay - but it's still interesting to see where tose whoa re prepared to pay roaming data charges are coming from. Who knew so many Lithuanians loved our bus system...?

As far as I can tell, the Google statistics don't actively prevent duplications - so one enthusiastic Lithuanian could have scanned the code 15 times.

The data aren't entirely rigorous - but do show some interesting trends for QR use in London.

Tracey Emin, Cambridge University, QR Codes, Statistics and Bit.ly

@edent — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 09:15:47 +0000

I spend yesterday wandering around London and, as is my wont, spotted some QR codes which I think may interest readers of this blog.

Tracey Emin

The Hayward Gallery are having a Tracey Emin retrospective. At the start of the exhibition is this rather odd QR code.

Why odd? Three main reasons.

It leads directly to a 14MB MP3 file.
The code is really quite small considering it's a low-lit gallery.
Rather that being printed directly onto the wall, it appears to be a separate sticker.

The MP3 is an audio guide to the exhibit. That's a great idea - let people listen on their own equipment rather than the gallery having to fork out for expensive audio playback devices.

The specific implementation has two major problems. Firstly - file size. While 14MB ought not to cost too much - unless you're a tourist roaming - the signal strength in the gallery isn't great, and there's no free WiFi. The audio isn't that well compressed - I was able to reduce it to 5MB with only a minor loss of quality. As users are likely to be listening on cheap mobile phone headphones, high-fidelity isn't always necessary.

Secondly, there's no warning that you're about to download a large file. The QR code goes straight to the MP3. I think a small mobile-friendly interstitial would have been useful here. Tell the user what's about the happen, how large the file is, etc.

Cambridge University

Cambridge University joins Kingston University in the "not-quite-getting-QR" camp.

The CTA is too far away from the code, the URL leads to a non-mobile optimised site, and they've taken the rather strange decision to use "bitly.com" rather than "bit.ly" as their URL's domain - adding 3 extra characters.

It's the use of Bit.ly by both Emin and Cambridge that I want to discuss.

Bit.ly Still Considered Dangerous?

I tell my clients to avoid using Bit.ly where possible. Especially for anything sensitive. I don't fully agree with Ben Metcalfe's analysis of the Lybian owned .ly tld - but bit.ly does have some rather worrying default security settings.

You can see a bit.ly URL's statistics by appending a "+" symbol to the end of the URL. So, here are the statistics from Tracey Emin's and Cambridge University's QR codes. Click the graphs for the full set of stats.

While this is great for nosey people like me who are interested in how well used QR codes are - do you really want your competitors knowing how well your campaign is doing?

Ubiquitous QR Codes

@edent — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:22:36 +0000

How Popular Are QR Codes?

One common complaint I hear is that QR codes are just too obscure. I don't think that's true. Aside from continual use in newspapers and magazines, they're all over the city.

Here are a few examples that I snapped while walking around London.

(Gadget) Geeks Of London

@edent — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:58:53 +0000

Geeks Of London kicked off the new year with a gadget meet up.

It was great seeing so many weird and wonderful gadgets. I think it would have been a good idea to give everyone a 30 second slot to talk about what they'd brought to show off.

As for me, I took along an iPad competitor from 2004, my MP4 watch, and my now ubiquitous video glasses - from which I recorded the highlights from the event.

Many thanks to Nokia Ovi for sponsoring the food and drink.

London - As Though I Had Never Seen It Before

@edent — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:32:39 +0000

In the last week, I've played two ARGs around London. Using Alternate / Augmented Reality is an amazing way to discover - or rediscover - a city.

The Real Game

This is still in "beta" so I can't say too much about it. It's a spy game with a twist. You and your partner race around London solving clues. All the while you are being chased by a "Dagger" team whose aim is to solve the same clues, find you and photograph you.

Running around London solving riddles is fun in of itself - but what heightened the experience was the constant "chatter" between your team and "Control".

The paranoia of thinking you're about to be rumbled is enhanced by hearing about the movements of your "enemies", how other teams are progressing, and helpful clues around the way.

The game took in several familiar locations - Waterloo, Tate Modern and the British Museum - which really made me investigate aspects of the spaces that I simply hadn't seen before.

Subtle Mob

Billed as the polar opposite of a FlashMob - a SubtleMob is a performance piece for two people in a crowd.

A group of people listen to the same MP3 - started at exactly the same time - and follow the performance round the streets of London. You're never quite sure who is playing, nor if they're listening to the same track as you. As the performance progresses, you're asked to perform subtle actions. The people wandering around the street shouldn't notice that you're doing anything out of the ordinary.

Here's a video showing one from last year.

It was one of the most intense experiences I've ever had in London. I've seen performances in lots of London theatres - some big, some in the back room of pubs - but "As If It Were The Last Time" was the most personal, moving and bewitching "show" I've witnessed. Truly magical.