MASON CITY, Iowa - Remember the mobile game Pokemon Go craze a couple years ago? You might like this sort of game.
After developing it during the winter, website and app designer Nathan Pearce recently launched the 'River City Hunt' app. Through the 'Little Detective' game, users track down clues in Downtown Mason City to find where a group of bank robbers have their hideout. The goal is to recover the stolen loot before the gang skips town.
Even though it's been officially released, Pearce says there have been some additions to make it an even better experience.
"Added witness statements, added an easy level, which a lot of people seem to prefer that because it can be challenging. We're constantly taking feedback and adding improvements to the game."
In addition to an easy and normal, more challenging, levels, the app has self-paced, timed or competitive play styles.
Pearce says that the game is a perfect combination of his interests in history and techology, and uses what's called augmented reality.
"We are telling the application to look for specific things in the real world, and map the virtual things on top of them. Some of the other things we plan on adding include imposing video on things. We can impose 3-D objects and puzzles that come to life as soon as it recognizes something in the physical world."
The fun doesn't stop there; Pearce plans on adding more hunts in the game throughout the year.