The BBC has recently featured LoGaCulture’s “Avebury Adventures“, highlighting how playful technology can deepen public engagement with one of the world’s most iconic heritage landscapes.

Under the headline “Stone circle visitors can learn with new games”, the BBC reports on how more than 20 smartphone-based experiences — ranging from artistic and educational to story-driven and exploratory — have been launched at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Avebury, as part of the LoGaCulture European research initiative.

Led by the National Trust, University of Southampton, and Bournemouth University, and supported by LoGaCulture’s mission to explore how game culture can enrich local heritage experiences, the project has given designers the opportunity to creatively respond to the rich archaeological and mythological history of the Avebury landscape.

“We want our visitors to derive as much as they possibly can from visits to Avebury,” said Dr Ros Cleal, National Trust Property Curator at Avebury.

From time-traveling scholars and neolithic hunts to digital sheep, ancient landscapes, and location-based storytelling, the apps offer new ways to engage audiences of all ages. Among the titles highlighted in the article are:

  • Avebury Research Challenge, which immerses players in the history of the site;
  • Stone Truth, where users collaborate with Victorian characters to reimagine Avebury’s past;
  • Henge Hunts, starring Hunter Jim, which uncovers the site’s wilder prehistoric fauna;
  • Ages of Avebury, which invites users to rebuild the monument and search for its lost stones.

“The games will help visitors learn,” noted Dr Charlie Hargood, Associate Professor in Games Technology at Bournemouth University. “We have the Avebury research challenge which will teach you about the history of the site. We also have the stone truth where you work with two Victorian scholars in order to author a new book on Avebury where they talk through various theories in historical science on the Avebury site.”

Visitors can access the games for free by scanning QR codes displayed on-site, including at the barn exhibition space at Avebury. The full BBC article can be read here.

We are proud to see LoGaCulture’s vision of playful, situated digital heritage gaining visibility. Congratulations to all collaborators and creatives involved in bringing Avebury Adventures to life!