The Target! Stop Thiefs!

Last time, In New Media class, we played a very original and atypical game. The game was The Target developed by the company La Mosca and the principle is a hunt for robbers.

This game runs in the streets of Vlissingen and we were equipped with smart phone with GPS. The principle is simple and surprising: one team of robber has to commit “crimes” in different place of the map. To commit them, robbers must find adapted tools. These crimes constitute different sum of money. To win the game, robbers must earn 1millions euros.

Three teams of policemen work together to arrest the team of robbers. Each three minutes, they receive an extract of the map with the location of each team. It permits to locate the team of robber to encircle them or to trap them. To arrest the robber, policemen must be at less than 30 meters from them and then, use the gun. If they shoot robbers, policemen win. If the robbers shoot policemen before, the team of policemen must come back to their headquarters to play again.

First time, I played a role of robber. We collected a lot of tools to commit profitable crimes but after 12 minutes, we were shot by a team of policemen which was hidden behind a car.

Second time, I played a role of policeman but I didn’t arrest the robber. Our goal was to occupy the north of the map but robbers were in the south of the map. They put a mine to trap one of the policemen team but at least, after 15 minutes, robbers were arrested.

It’s very rewarding experience. It’s a good way to develop and improve skills in team work, and to make strategic and thoughtful choices.

François Gautier