Fresh Air is an international games festival of outdoor pervasive and social games presented by Pop Up Playground which will run at Federation Square on the 8th, 9th and 10th of February, 2013.

For three days at the end of summer, Pop Up Playground presents a range of new games and playful activities developed by Pop Up Playground as well as games and situations from local and international games designers and playful companies.

Fresh Air offers you a range of awesome things to do.

  • There are big games going on all around Fed Square usually starting a new one every hour.
  • There are little games going on the stage of The Edge and you can go down and play them when ever you like.
  • In the foyer of the Edge we have set up a bunch of Constructive Play activities and you can use them to make whatever you like.
  • If you’ve got kids with you we’ve got kids games running down on River Terrace all afternoon.
  • There’s also a couple of ambient games which start at HQ but might take you all over Fed square, that you can do on your own or in groups and go at your own pace.

Schedule:

There will be a number of ambient games running through the festival. You can sign up for these at any time in The Edge. The ambient games  are:

Outside Line, No Show (Vic)

The phone is ringing – It’s for you. It’s your lover. Or your ex-lover turned psycho-killer. Or your ex lover’s lover turned double-crossing private investigator. OUTSIDE LINE is a one-player live action game where you choose your genre and we take you there. Who’s on the line? It’s your call.

7:candles, Larkin’ About (UK)

Peregrine, Play Reactive (Vic)

Guardians of Hidden Universes, Universe Creation 101 (Vic)

 

Friday night, 6.00 pm

Mont Trottoir, Atmosphere Industries (WA)

Teams of intrepid climbers compete to scale the tallest mountain around, which happens to resemble a sidewalk.  Race other players from the bottom of the mountain to the top. You score points for your team depending on what place you come in. The team with the most points wins.

 

Friday night, 7.00 pm

Feed Your Family, Pop Up Playground

Teams of three operate giant birds and use them to collect worms to take back in your nest.  But be careful because there are other birds out there doing the same and they can challenge you for the worm you’re going for,  They can also steal worms right out of your nest so keep your eyes on them while you try to feed your family.

 

Friday night,  8.00 pm

The Host, Pop Up Playground

You are the brave team of scientists, medics and security who are taming the Martian landscape and have established the first human colony on the planet.  Mars base 1 is not just an outpost, there are hundreds of civilian colonists setting up new lives on a new world.  As night is falling reports are filtering through of a breach in containment and you are all called together to quarantine the alien life form that has broken into the facility before the security system kicks in and foods the dome with poison gas.

 

Saturday Afternoon,  1.00 pm

Tourist Attractors, Pop Up Playground

Some of you like to go on the Contiki tour of the world, seeing the most famous and popular sights there are.  Others like the Lonely Planet tour and want the obscure, off the beaten track experience.  Pop Up Playground’s Tour Guides are spread out through Fed Square.  Go find them all and take the craziest tour of a Melbourne landmark since Batman said a bog would be a nice place for a village.

 

Saturday Afternoon,  2.00 pm

Attack the Block, Larkin’ About (UK)

Through blood sweat and tears, you and your fellow team members have carved out a slice of territory in the wilderness surrounding [location of event]. But you need to hold on to it, because others are amassing and your borders are breached!

 

Saturday Afternoon,  3.00 pm

Bury Yer Treasure, Pop Up Playground

The high seas are a treacherous place, filled with dread pirates stealing from gold laden Spanish galleons.  Fortunately for you, you’re one of the pirate captains, in charge of your own tall ship.  Raid the galleons and the other pirates and bury your treasure on your secret pirate island.

 

Saturday Night,  6.00 pm

Nashville, Obscure Games (USA)

“Say there, you wouldn’t happen to be from Nashville, would you?”  Fight your way through the rough-and-tumble streets of Nashville. Send secret signals, form alliances, and take down your enemies, before the Marshall returns to town. All this with just your whits and a hand of five card stud.  Find as many members of your gang as possible, form a posse, and keep hold of as many high-value cards as you can.

Saturday Night, 7.00 pm

A Movie of You, Pop Up Playground

You and your team are guerrilla film-makers competing for the coveted Gold Shorty, a world famous short film award I just made up right then.  Using classic movie clichés and smart phones cameras, you’ll go from on set to red carpet in ten minutes.

 

Saturday Night, 8.00 pm

Honey Bee, Play Reactive (Vic)

Description coming soon

 

Sunday Afternoon,  1.00 pm

Pudding Lane, Pop Up Playground

In 1666 a fire began in Pudding lane that spread through the night and burned most of the City of London to the ground.  Your job is to protect your home, collect water from the Thames, fight the fire and save as much of the city as you can.

 

Sunday Afternoon, 2.00 pm

Blind Trust, Kilkenny Games

Description coming soon

 

Sunday Afternoon,  3.00 pm

Uncivil Wars, Slingshot (UK)

A game of ancient taunts and cardboard castles. Only your wits will protect your castle from a barrage of bean bags. Last fort standing wins.

Sunday Night,  6.00 pm

The Gobstopper Job, Serious Business (UK)

It’s a heist!  Your team of expert thieves must break into the safe, grab as many of the sweets and lollies as you can and make off with them in your swag bag before the Police chase you down.  It’ll be just like taking candy from a bank. Well, actually, it’ll be exactly that.

 

Sunday Night, 7.00 pm

Holy Cow, Sacred Udder, Team Hat (UK)

Holy Cow, Sacred Udder is a delightful farmyard fairytale brought to you by Team Hat. Players are recruited into the Farmer’s flock on a journey into the harsh nature of life within the farm. How far would you go to save yourself? An innovative and fun game of team work, this is a stealth race against your opponents with lots and lots of udders.

 

Sunday Night, 8.00 pm

The Tail Wags, Coney (UK + Australia)

You’ll follow a stranger through the city and look for opportunities to steer and sweeten their evening whilst staying inconspicuous. A scratch game in development. Follow @thetailwags for more info.

 

Fresh Air trailer:

Fresh Air trailer from popupplayers on Vimeo.