Bow Street Runner
The game invites the player to become a Bow Street Runner for Mr. Fielding. As a Runner, you are required to help solve a crime as a junior investigator. When you arrive at the scene there is another higher ranking investigator present observing all of what appears to be a robbery-turned-murder. Your job is to look beyond the obvious and, in your quest to look for clues, pursue the answers to lead you to the true motive and killer. You are able to analyze the scene, collect evidence, and interrogate eye-witnesses. You get promoted in rank as you find clues leading you to the one(s) you seek. As you add to your case file, you find yourself enthralled in the midst of dangerous and heroic scenarios that aim to keep you from “running” the streets.

Analysis based on Flow Theory

• Task that the learners can complete- The game provides plenty of small sections that lead to the completion of the entire task. Each scene requires the Runner to obtain all of the potential evidence to help him/her solve the crime. When all of the evidence is found, a symbol of a file folder appears letting the player know that he/she has completed this section and is now ready to move on to the next scene that brings him/her closer to solving the case.
  
  
• Ability to concentrate on task- The game world definitely draws the player. There are many different elements of surprise (i.e., a seemingly benign discussion leads to bullets being fired). The player is deeply engaged during each scene by either the elements of the case (such as clues) or due to the graphic nature of the scene itself (i.e., blood, gaping wounds, etc.).
  
  
• Task has clear goals- Bow Street Runner has clear components throughout the game. The Runner is able to gather important objects and artifacts hopefully leading him/her to solve the crime. Depending on how much worth Mr. Fielding places on the artifacts obtained, the Runner has the potential to be promoted in rank. The Runner knows that he/she is trying to solve a murder case, however, there are various elements that challenge the Runner in his/her quest to reach the goal of solving the crime.
  
  
• Task provides immediate feedback- The game responds to the player’s choices or movements at certain times. There are other “characters” that are either other investigators or potential eye-witnesses to the crime. These characters respond to the player’s pre-set questions. If Mr. Fielding is pleased with a finding, the player will see his/her rank meter displayed across the screen. However, there were some times when I wasn’t sure exactly what to do next because it wasn’t clear (no instructions, no arrows, and no file folder). During these instances when feedback was not readily available, I was able to click on the question mark (help icon) to receive further instructions.
  
  
• Deep but effortless involvement- There are times when the game creates scenes that are far removed from what the players know to be real. For example, at one point I was able to walk in on a potential eye-witness who was stabbed several times. I, as the player, was required to clean out the wounds and suture the stab openings (three of them) in less than 3 minutes in the hopes of saving the woman’s life. I have no idea how to suture a wound in real life but was only required to click and drag the needle-point from one end of the wound to the other on the digital screen. It was harder than it seemed. My poor eye-witness didn’t make it!
  
  
• Exercising a sense of control over their actions- The game allows the player some flexibility in determining his/her paths. He/she is able to ask pre-set interrogating questions in any order to each suspect. He/she does not have to follow any particular order when searching through the crime scene and looking through possible clues.
  
  
• Concern for self disappears during flow- Bow Street Runner does provide an environment that is a simulation of life and death such as the suture scenario I described above. However, I did not feel as though my character was ever in danger. There was one time when I had to ease drop on a conversation and I thought I had to do so before getting caught. However, the characters in that scenario did not interact with me. Instead, the point was for me to hear the conversation and not to avoid being caught in the act.
  I did not find any decisions or activities that might be dangerous “only” in the game world. There were many decisions that would have been dangerous in the real world (once again referring to my poor eye-witness that was not afforded a real doctor to heal her life-threatening wounds).
  
  
• Sense of duration of time is altered- The game allows the Runner to play certain tasks that would take hours or days in just merely minutes. I was able to learn about a possible murder happening across town and arrived on the scene of the crime within minutes of reading about it. I was also able to “drive” through the village to different addresses within seconds. The player can easily lose track of time while playing Bow Street Runner. Perception of time can definitely be distorted especially when the player is doing well, moving along in rank, and engrossed in the crime scene investigations.