In Search of Belonging
The University of Montpellier and its partners in the MUSE project, along with the Montpellier-based startupAtlantide, are launching a new challenge for students with the Montpellier University Sherlock Experience (M.U.S.E.) app. A geolocation-based mystery game designed to help students discover or rediscover the various campuses of the University of Montpellier and its partner, Institut-Agro, and to better embrace the unique identity of one of the oldest universities in France and Europe.
What subject was taught at the Collège de Mende? Who was Narcissa? Who discovered bromine? But also: where can I play basketball, grab a coffee, or borrow a book while studying at UM? These are all questions you’ll easily be able to answer after playing M.U.S.E. This new puzzle game, offered by the University of Montpellier and its MUSE project partners, was designed by the Montpellier-based startup Atlantide. Specializing in history-based geolocation puzzle games, this startup is already well-known in Montpellier for the app Fabre and the City. The concept here is the same: a simple storyline that serves as the backdrop for an adventure through time and space.
Treasure Hunt
A mysterious chest containing a priceless but unknown treasure has just been discovered in the university archives. The university is asking its best students to set out in search of the four keys that open the chest before they fall into the wrong hands. To find them, the heroes—that is, the players—will have to traverse four university campuses: at Triolet, the key to innovation; at Richter, the key to creativity; at the pharmacy campus, the key to protection; and downtown, the key to health.
On each campus, the app guides players—from scrolls to cryptex—to discover the history of the various sites of the University of Montpellier and its partner, Institut-Agro. Each puzzle offers an opportunity to view one’s surroundings in a new light by noticing a plaque, a bust, or an inscription that had never been seen before. Simply put, the M.U.S.E. game invites players to discover key student hangouts such as the (S)PACE, university libraries, and sports facilities.“One of the game’s objectives is to familiarize students with the University’s various sites, but also to remind them that as students at UM, they have access to all these sites and the full range of services offered there,” explains Karyn Pravossoudovitch, project manager for student initiatives at the Muse Department and the Campus Life Department (DVC), who oversaw the game’s development in collaboration with the Office of Student Life (BVE).
Building a Sense of Belonging
As the player progresses across the geolocated map, the game—which combines augmented reality with archival documents—unlocks new characters, providing fresh clues or, conversely, presenting new puzzles. Little by little, through visits to the campuses or the narrow streets of downtown, the game weaves an identity through the puzzles. The identity of an 800-year-old university that today draws on the rich heritage of all its components, from the oldest—medicine—to the School of Chemistry, a newer addition.
“Strengthening this sense of belonging to UM is one of the game’s main goals. Students often feel more connected to their specific school than to the University as a whole, ” notes Karyn Pravossoudovitch. “With this game, we want them to feel like students of the University of Montpellier. ” However, the game isn’t aimed solely at students and could well entertain not only UM staff working on the various campuses or downtown but also Montpellier residents curious to learn more about a university inextricably linked to the history of the city where it was founded. “Personally, I’ve discovered things about the different campuses that I’d never seen before, even though I work there , ” says Karyn Pravossoudovitch with a smile . And you, what are you doing for lunch break?
The Montpellier University Sherlock Experience is available for free on all download platforms. Allow about an hour for each tour. Don’t forget to charge your battery!