Introducing geogames and geoplay: Characterizing an emerging research field

Abstract

Games and play are part of human life, and place, space, and geography take central roles in determining the rules and interactions of games. Consider how integral maps are to the board game RISK, how video game players navigate through a realistic ‘world’ in pursuit of a goal, the millions of Pokemon Go players navigating the real world to find new Pokemon. Even the very abstract maps of Monopoly and Chess are inherently geographical, utilizing basic spatial rules for game play.