This article was taken from the June 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Why go for a run, when you can conquer a kingdom? Run an Empire, a new iOS game from London-based Pan Studio, turns jogging into urban warfare. "I've always loved strategy games," says cofounder Sam Hill, 30. The Kickstarter-funded game turns the city into thousands of tiny territories: run around one and you claim it. Run faster or more regularly than your neighbours to steal territories and earn rewards. The game is typical of Pan Studio's playful take on the city. For 2013's Hello Lamp Post, street furniture in Bristol could respond to text messages as if it were alive -- you could chat with a postbox, if you wanted. "The definition of what a game is is changing," says Hill. Next up: a choose-your-own-adventure built on the UK road network.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
