Pop Up Roma – The Game
Urban gamification to showcase the heritage of Rome’s neighbourhoods.
- Mobile-first PWA
- Offline-first
- Gamification
- Multiplayer
Telling the story of Rome’s neighbourhoods.
Open City Roma promotes “Pop Up Roma – the game”, an urban storytelling initiative that won the Artes et Iubilaeum 2025 public call and is funded by the European Union (Next Generation EU) under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) — Measure M1C3, Investment 4.3 “Caput Mundi”. The project guides residents and visitors through the stories, voices and memory of neighbourhoods beyond the historic centre: Tufello, Tuscolano and Ostia Antica.
Interactive tourism that is smooth and accessible on the move.
The problem
Traditional projects built on native apps come with steep barriers to entry: store downloads, sign-ups, a constant connection. In complex urban settings such as Rome’s neighbourhoods, GPS is frequently inaccurate or stalls altogether.
The stakes
Forcing a tourist to download dozens of megabytes over mobile data, or leaving them in front of content that won’t load, means losing their attention: they drop off immediately.
The solution needed
What was needed was instant access from the browser, working flawlessly offline or in areas with poor coverage, with guided navigation that doesn’t rely on comparative geolocation and a multiplayer mode for groups to enjoy the experience together.
From crossroads to experience.
Offline-first PWA architecture
Advanced caching logic managed by the Service Worker keeps audio tracks, images and text playing even without a signal; game progress and medal tables stay saved on the device via LocalStorage.
Crossroads navigation, no intrusive GPS
Routes between points of interest unfold through crossroads the user selects manually: maximum fluidity on the move, without the rigidity of comparative geolocation.
Interactive screens and a bilingual player
A PWA install landing page, an introductory screen, POI cards with an advanced audio player (play, pause, resume) and full Italian/English bilingual support.
Serverless and multiplayer backend
Serverless static hosting to maximise loading speed, with a dedicated server that syncs game sessions in real time between a Master device and multiple Follower devices.
Gamification and neighbourhood medals
At the end of each route, a congratulations screen shows the medals earned and a recap of the neighbourhoods explored.
- PWA
- Service Worker
- Serverless & Static Hosting
- Multiplayer Master/Follower
- LocalStorage DB
- Audio Player
- Bilingual ITA/ENG
- Gamification