City Conquest

20 factions

Each team picks a faction: a group with its own story, strengths and characters.

• Gate Guards of Gwanghwamun

  “No one passes unasked”

  The sumunjang, the royal gatekeepers of Gyeongbokgung, opened and closed the palace gates with drums and ceremony. Today their changing of the guard is played again in front of Gwanghwamun.

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• Hall of Worthies

  “Letters for everyone”

  King Sejong's scholars of the Jiphyeonjeon worked with him on Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, proclaimed in 1446 so that every person could learn to read.

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• Turtle Ship Crew

  “Twelve ships are enough”

  The sailors of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, whose iron-roofed turtle ships beat a far bigger fleet in the war of 1592-1598. Yi's statue looks down Gwanghwamun Square.

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• Royal Astronomers

  “We read the sky”

  Jang Yeong-sil and the court astronomers built rain gauges, sundials and water clocks for King Sejong. Copies stand in front of his statue.

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• Jongno Silk Merchants

  “A good price and a good word”

  The licensed shops of Jongno, the Sijeon, sold silk, paper and fish to the capital for 500 years. Their street is still Seoul's main street.

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• Bell Ringers of Bosingak

  “When the bell rings, the city wakes”

  For centuries the great bell on Jongno opened the city gates at dawn and closed them at night. Today it rings in the New Year for the whole country.

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• Pansori Singers

  “One voice, one drum, one story”

  Pansori is Korea's great story-singing: one singer with a fan and one drummer can hold a crowd for hours. It is on UNESCO's list of world heritage.

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• Namsadang Acrobats

  “Higher on the rope”

  The wandering Namsadang troupes travelled from village to village with tightrope walking, mask dance, plate spinning and farmers' music.

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• Royal Painters

  “Paint the king, paint the world”

  The Dohwaseo was the royal painting office of Joseon. Its painters made the king's portraits and the great procession scrolls; it stood where Insadong is now.

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• Gisaeng Poets

  “A poem for every guest”

  The gisaeng were trained artists of Joseon: music, dance, poetry. Some, like Hwang Jini, wrote poems that every Korean child still learns.

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• Lantern Makers

  “Light the way”

  Every spring, before Buddha's birthday, thousands of hand-made lotus lanterns light up Jogyesa and Jongno for the Lotus Lantern Festival.

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• Royal Court of Joseon

  “Rule with virtue”

  The kings and queens of Joseon ruled from Gyeongbokgung for five centuries. Their palace, their gates and their main street are all in this field.

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• Builders of Hanyang

  “Measure the city”

  In 1394 Jeong Do-jeon and the builders of the new capital Hanyang laid out the palace, the walls, the gates and the main street in a few years.

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• Pabal Riders

  “The message never stops”

  The pabal was Joseon's express post: riders and runners carried urgent letters from relay station to relay station, day and night.

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• Righteous Army

  “Rise when the country calls”

  The Uibyeong were volunteer fighters, farmers and scholars who rose to defend the country in the wars of 1592 and later.

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• Royal Interpreters

  “Every language opens a door”

  The Sayeogwon trained Joseon's interpreters in Chinese, Mongolian, Japanese and Jurchen; they travelled with every embassy.

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• Tiger Hunters

  “Not afraid of anything”

  Tigers once came down from the mountains around Seoul, even into the palace. Joseon kept a special unit of tiger hunters.

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• Dokkaebi

  “A bit of mischief”

  Dokkaebi are the goblins of Korean folk tales: they love wrestling, buckwheat jelly and practical jokes, and their magic club can make gold appear.

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• Royal Kitchen

  “Feed the palace”

  The Suragan was the royal kitchen: cooks made twelve-dish meals for the king and great jars of kimchi and soy sauce for the palace.

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• Haechi Guardians

  “We know right from wrong”

  The haechi is a lion-like guardian that can tell right from wrong and keeps fire away. Two stand in front of Gwanghwamun; it is Seoul's symbol.

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Two ways to play

Without a game master

You play on your own. The organiser opens the game master page, chooses the default language and the playing time, and starts the game. From then on everything runs by itself on every phone: the zones, the chests, the merchant and the final count.

Often chosen by companies

With a game master

Someone leads the game from the game master page: follows every team live with its points and zones, sends messages to all teams, adds 15 minutes or stops the game, gives a team a power-up or puts a chest right next to it, and looks at the photos and videos. The game master never sees the answers.

€199.00 including 5 teams, €19.95 per extra team

The organiser sets up the game on the game master page (the default language and the playing time) and starts it for all teams.

Every player can pick and switch the language on their own phone.