Wherigo

Wherigo

Characteristics
Contact	No
Team members	1+
Mixed gender	Yes
Type	Outdoor
Equipment	GPS receiver, Tablet or Smart phone
Venue	Earth
Presence
Olympic	No

Wherigo is a GPS location-aware software platform created by Groundspeak and initially released in January 2008.^[1][2] A simple description is a mix between an adventure game and a geocache search.

Authors can develop self-enclosed story files (called "cartridges") that are read by the Wherigo player software, installed on either a GPS unit or smartphone. The player and story take advantage of the location information provided by the GPS to trigger in-game events, such as using a virtual object or interacting with characters. Completing an adventure can require reaching different locations and solving puzzles.

Cartridges are coded in Lua. Lua may be used directly, but a builder application is usually used.^[3]

Official

The Wherigo site^[4] offers a builder application and a database of adventures free for download, though the builder has remained in its Alpha version since its last release in May 2008.^[5] The official player is only available for Pocket PC. A built-in player is available on Garmin Colorado and Oregon GPS models.

• Wherigo Builder
• Wherigo - iPhone app by Pi-Soft Consulting, LLC. Acquired and licensed by Groundspeak in May 2011.

Unofficial

The Wherigo Foundation^[6] was organized in December 2012. The group is composed of all Wherigo application developers who, up until that time, had been acting and developing separately. Their goal is to provide a consistent Wherigo experience across platforms, connect Wherigo applications via an API, and add modern features to the Wherigo platform. While Groundspeak is aware of this project, the company has yet to take a position.

Builder Software

• Earwigo - A web-based Wherigo cartridge builder.^[7]
• URWIGO - A .NET Wherigo cartridge builder for MS Windows.^[8]
• Wherigo\\kit - A simplified web-based Wherigo cartridge builder.^[9]

Player Software

• WF Player - The Wherigo Foundation's main player app for both the iPhone and Android (operating system). Currently in development.^[10]
• WF WinPhone Player - The Wherigo Foundation's player app for Windows phones. Currently in development.^[11]
• Openwig - Provides limited support for Java ME enabled devices as well as desktops running Java.^[12]
• WhereYouGo - Android (operating system) app by menion.asamm, based on the Openwig client.^[13]

Emulator Software

• Webwigo - An online emulator.^[14]

Cartridge Listing Site

• Wherigo Foundation - A new cartridge listing service with an API. A launch date has not been announced.^[15]

References

1. "Getting Started with Geocaching > Geocache types". Geocaching.com. Groundspeak. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
2. "Getting Started with Geocaching > Glossary of Terms". Geocaching.com. Groundspeak. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
3. "Do I have to use the Wherigo Builder to create a cartridge?". Wherigo.com. Groundspeak. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
4. "Wherigo > About the Wherigo Platform". Wherigo.com. Groundspeak. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
5. "Wherigo Builder". Wherigo.com. Groundspeak. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
6. "Wherigo Foundation". WherigoFoundation.com. WherigoFoundation. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
7. "start [Earwigo Wiki]". www.earwigo.net. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
8. "urwigo |". urwigo.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
9. "Wherigo\\kit". wherigo.rangerfox.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
10. "Wherigo Foundation: WF.Compiler and WF.Player". Groundspeak Forums. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
11. "Wherigo Foundation: Windows Phone Player development thread". Groundspeak Forums. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
12. "Google Code Archive - Long-term storage for Google Code Project Hosting.". openwig.googlecode.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
13. "WhereYouGo - Android Apps on Google Play". market.android.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
14. "webwigo". www.webwigo.net. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
15. "Wherigo Foundation". wherigofoundation.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.

External links

• Wherigo.com - Official Wherigo site
• GeocachingCE - Geocaching for WINCE
• Groundspeak - Groundspeak forum for Wherigo