Summer is here! At Actionbound, we're celebrating the warm season with a special promotion! Throughout August and September, we're offering our premium feature, the Bound Styler, free for one month with every purchase of player licenses. Use the quiet time in the office to prepare an entertaining experience for your team or visitors!
What is the Bound Styler?
The Bound Styler is a versatile feature that allows you to customize your Bounds. Whether it's a team event, a hike, or a fun pub quiz, with the Bound Styler you can:
- Create personalized designs to adjust colors and fonts to design your Bounds according to your preferences.
- Design individual layouts to customize the layout of your Bounds to incorporate your own corporate design.
Inspiration for your summer Bounds
Get inspired by our ideas and create Bounds that are perfect for the season. Here are a few suggestions:
- City discovery scavenger hunts to lead your players through the most beautiful spots in your city or region and tell an exciting story along the way.
- Nature trails and hikes to create interactive nature experiences where players can solve tasks and explore the outdoors.
- Seasonal team events with interactive games for onboarding, summer festivals, or other team events.
How the Summer promotion works
In August, you'll get access to the Bound Styler when purchasing a player license. Whether you buy a new product or renew an existing license, we'll activate the Bound Styler for you at no additional cost for one month.
Why the Bound Styler is the cherry on top
The Bound Styler allows you to set your creativity free and bring your Bounds to life. Here are some reasons why you should try out our premium feature:
- Enhance the player experience – With individually designed Bounds, your game will be more appealing and stand out.
- Boost user motivation – Visually appealing Bounds are more memorable and motivate your players.
- Increase your flexibility – With the Bound Styler, you can adjust and update your Bounds to perfectly match your target audience.
Make your summer more colorful with Actionbound and take the opportunity to try out the Bound Styler.
We look forward to hearing from you here!
The summer holidays are already starting in some federal states and the weather is also slowly getting ready for summer. High time for your Bound in nature, right? In an increasingly digital world, it's not easy to find ways to utilise the benefits of technology without losing touch with nature. Actionbound can help you and show you how to create exciting experiences for adults and/or children.
The advantages of learning in nature
Learning in nature has many benefits: It promotes physical activity, increases well-being and strengthens understanding and appreciation of the environment. These benefits can be further enhanced by combining digital learning with nature experiences. Gamification increases the motivation to learn in nature. Can tree leaves be correctly categorised? What does a birch tree look like? Can you spot one and take a photo of it? Your players can collect points for correctly answering questions. At the end of the Bound, you can see who has collected the most points. Who ends up in 1st place?
Scientific experiments & creative tasks
Integrate simple scientific experiments into your Bounds that can be carried out on site. This makes learning hands-on and practical. Or encourage creativity through tasks that encourage participants to look at and interpret their surroundings in new ways. Have the participants take and analyse soil samples or carry out simple weather observations. With the "creative task" element, the things collected can be photographed and recorded for the future.
Learning stations in nature (GPS and code scanning)
You can organise exciting nature explorations with Actionbound. Children and adults can navigate through the forest, parks or nature reserves while solving tasks that develop their observation skills and knowledge of nature. One task could be to identify different tree species by their leaves or to find certain bird species and record their calls.
With the help of GPS coordinates, your players won't get lost either. It's best to create several sections where your players can check their location. Maybe you can also work together with the city or town nearby and hide permanently installed QR codes. You can also check the locations by scanning the QR codes. Here is a small example: In a botanical garden, stations could provide information about different plant families and their characteristics, with tasks to identify and describe the plants.
Curious now? Why not give it a try and create your next Bound in nature right now?
Exercise, fresh air and a touch of adventure - bike tours are a great way to explore nature while staying active. With Actionbound, you can add a new dimension to these activities by creating interactive and fun tours. In this blog post, you will find out how to create cycle tours with Actionbound and which important aspects you should consider.
Step 1: Develop the main idea
Before you start with the technical implementation, think about what should make your cycle tour special. Would you like to introduce historical sights, challenge the participants to a puzzle or perhaps stage an entertaining scavenger hunt? The main idea determines the character of your tour and makes it unique. It is also important to consider who the tour is intended for. Is there a specific target group? Here is a small example of a basic idea: Get to know the nature in your neighbourhood. Plant tour by bike!
Step 2: Route planning
Careful route planning is crucial. Make sure that the cycle tour is safe and enjoyable and mark the individual stops at prominent points. Also consider how much time the participants will need for each stop and whether there are enough opportunities to rest in between. Be sure to cycle the tour once beforehand and take a watch with you. Are the cycle paths safe, where is a good place to take a break and which things are easy to spot from the bike?
To stay with the plant tour: Is there perhaps a particular tree that plays an important role in your tour? Or does a little fictitious raven guide you from station to station?
Step 3: Create Bound and add interactive elements
Actionbound is a user-friendly platform that allows you to create interactive tours. Register on the website en.actionbound.com and start creating a new tour.
For each stop, you can add questions, tasks or quizzes to encourage interaction. But be careful: If you are creating a tour for your family and friends, you don't need to do anything else, but if you want to develop a tour for teaching purposes or as a tourist offer, you will need a corresponding licence. Simply contact our sales team.
Just send an email to sales@actionbound.de. Make your cycle tour interactive with Actionbound. Add photos, videos or audio recordings to tell the story of the stations. Games, puzzles and quizzes add fun and variety to the tour. Don't forget to also include rewards or points for certain actions to awaken the ambition of the participants. Let's stick to the nature route again: how about our raven from the Bound getting to know different animals, trees and bushes at each station, for example. He makes new friends at each station. For instance, an earthworm that lives under a deciduous tree or a blackbird that likes to peck the sunflower seeds. If questions are answered correctly, the raven collects friends and food.
Step 4: Consider technical aspects
Make sure that the participants have access to the internet during the tour so that they can use the Actionbound app, or ask them to download the Bound once beforehand. This way, the Bound can also be played offline. Test the tour in advance to make sure that everything works smoothly. Inform the participants about technical requirements before the start and give clear instructions on how to use the app. And important: Please do not hold the smartphone in your hand while cycling. This could be dangerous. Explain the routes clearly beforehand and possibly put up signs to show the way.
Step 5: Do not neglect safety
The safety of the players comes first. Point out that they should follow the traffic rules and be aware that the environment may not be barrier-free. Encourage them to wear protective equipment such as helmets, especially if the tour takes them along busy roads.
With Actionbound, bike tours can become exciting adventures. The combination of movement and interactive elements creates a unique experience for participants of all ages. Careful planning, creative ideas and consideration of important aspects will turn your Actionbound bike tour into an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Use the diversity of the platform to explore nature in a new, fun way and keep moving.
Are you planning an Actionbound bike tour this year? If so, please feel free to link us on our social media channels. We are always happy to receive links!
We are already very excited that Actionbound will be represented at two important trade fair events this summer: at the Copetri Convention in Offenbach and at the Learntec in Karlsruhe. The team is really looking forward to meeting customers (and of course those who want to become customers) and we might even have a "little" surprise prepared for you. Stay tuned!
Copetri Convention 14.-15.05.24 in Offenbach (Germany): Innovation on the move
The Copetri Convention, known for its focus on innovative technologies and creative approaches, is the ideal forum to come together around the focus topics of "People, Community, Transformation and Innovation". The Fredenhagen site in Offenbach is the perfect location for a new kind of trade fair event, where you will gain insights into our latest developments, among other things. We are also looking forward to accompanying the event with a Bound that will guide you around the entire site. And whether you are already an experienced user or just discovering Actionbound - at the Copetri Convention you will have the opportunity to experience your trade fair visit in a different way!
Learntec 03.06.24-06.06.24 in Karlsruhe (Germany): Shaping the future of learning
Every year, the Learntec is the epicentre for digital learning and offers the perfect stage to find out about the latest trends in the education sector. We have been a regular guest in Karlsruhe for years - as always, you will find us where the popcorn smells best and the couch invites you to linger and play a Bound - in
Hall 2 at
Stand L3 to be precise :).
We therefore cordially invite you to visit us at these events this year, where we will also be involved with live talks, among other exciting interactions. It's also the perfect opportunity to get in contact at our stand, exchange ideas and reflect together on the future of digital learning and experience!
Stay tuned for more updates and news ahead of the events and also check out our
Instagram channel, where you will find a little competition to win tickets to the events!
You probably know about “escape rooms” where you are locked in a room and have about an hour time to puzzle your way out together. With Actionbound, you can also create location-independent escape games for teams or yourself. Whether it is a corporate event or for educational use – everything is possible 💪.
Here are our tips on how to create customised escape games for your friends, family, colleagues, and whoever you would like to entertain!
Let's start with the story
It is all about exciting storytelling which is the basis for the whole game. There are almost no limits to your creativity but examples like a secret agent mission, a mysterious treasure hunt or a space station that needs to be evacuated could be an inspiration! You can find your escape game theme almost anywhere, e.g. in board games, cities, books - just keep your eyes and ears open but remember that less is more when it comes to the goal of the game.
Think of a specific major obstacle that the players have to overcome!
Play your way from level to level
Escape games consist of several levels. For this example here, we will create three levels, an introduction and a conclusion. Players progress by collecting keys that open doors to enter the next level.
Tip: Work with section elements in the Bound Creator - preferably one section per level. This will help you to structure your game (for you as the creator and the players).
Intro
Introduce your players to the game by welcoming them in a way that fits the story. What is the aim of the game, what is it about and how does it work? Does the end of the world need to be prevented or is the group locked up somewhere and needs to find the keys to free themselves? We suggest having a maximum of five elements for the Intro. Let your players introduce themselves, for example with a photo or a funny video. Also explain the rules of the game and give initial hints on how to find the keys, for example. Then start with the first level.
Level 1
Once the basics have all been explained, the team has introduced itself and the rules are clear, you can get started with the first level. Create a new section in the Bound Creator and name it Level 1 so that you, as the creator, can keep a better overview. The puzzles and tasks in the first level shouldn't be that difficult yet. Start simple and give your players the chance to gain motivation. You may have to find one key in the first level and several in the following levels. Complete the first level with an information element and explain to your players that the first level is now complete and another one is about to begin
Level 2
Your tasks can get a little more difficult in this part. A certain information from the first level might be needed to solve a puzzle (this could be the first team-task). But keep in mind to create a more simple story if you just start with Actionbound. The more games you create the more challenging they get for sure!
Level 3
Now it gets tricky and the story reaches its climax. Here you can add puzzles that can be a bit more difficult than in the first two levels. Start a new section in the Bound Creator and name it Level 3, after which it's best to add an information element. Explain exactly what the upcoming level is about and what needs to be achieved. If we stick with our example from above, you could have them find the matching doors for the collected keys and arrange them in the correct order. To increase the motivation of the players, it is a good idea to put a “time switch” on the element. For example, they only have one minute to put all the keys into the right locks in the right order. Can you solve the puzzle? Will the final "door" open?
Outro
Of course, every story and every escape game needs an ending. Answer the puzzle and thank your players for taking part - e.g. they contributed to preventing the end of the world and so on. You can also suggest taking a souvenir photo at the end or give the players direct access to their results and media which would happen through the
Bound challenge.
Combining knowledge with fun
Of course, you can create a Bound without imparting any specific knowledge and simply for fun. However, escape games can also be used to present content of all kinds in a fun and exciting way. EduBreakouts are particularly popular in the classroom nowadays - e.g. puzzles that have to be solved within one lesson - regardless of whether a lock has to be picked or an object has to be found. The players collect the necessary keys or clues, for example, by answering questions on specific topics correctly.
But such games are not only very popular in the education sector. Escape games can also be used to get to know your company better - e.g. as an onboarding game for new employees. You hide the keys and clues in certain places in the company building. At the end, the password in the Bound can be used to unlock your own computer in the office - including a welcome gift, of course.
Motivation increases with excitement
Why don't you try it out yourself and tell us about your experiences?
You don't have an account yet, but fancy giving it a try? Actionbound is free of charge for private users. You can simply create an account and create your Bound straight away. If your Bound is for the education or business sector, you will need a corresponding licence. Please contact our sales team directly (sales@actionbound.de).
We are very excited to see your Bound ideas!
Note: These are all tips and tricks. Of course you can also build an escape game with many more levels, decisions and switches. There are no limits to your imagination.
Get your inspiration by playing the following Bound:
Creating a Bound is just the beginning. If you want it to be played often and inspire your players, there are a few points to consider - after all, you want the world to know how much passion and energy you have put into the end result 🙂
Here are some helpful tips to promote your Bound in the best possible way:
Quality of your Bound:The key to success lies in the quality of the content. Make sure that your Bound is appealing, informative and entertaining.
Understand your target group: Engaging with your target group is crucial. Tailor your Bound to the needs and interests of your target group, because the better you know them, the better you can target them.
Creative titles and clear descriptions: Use catchy titles that arouse curiosity and precise descriptions that convey the content of your Bound. Creative and memorable names are an added bonus.
Visual appeal: Use appealing graphics and a user-friendly design to attract the attention of potential players. A visually appealing design is crucial.
Social media promotion: Share your Bound on the social platforms that your target group frequently visits. Use relevant hashtags and keywords and link to the Bound-page on the Actionbound website.
Email marketing: Send a newsletter to your customers or multipliers in your network to make them aware of your Bound.
Cooperations: Collaborations with influencers or other companies can significantly increase the visibility of your Bound and reach a wider audience.
Targeted advertising: Place targeted adverts on blogs, in magazines or regional media to directly address potential players. Invest in online adverts or flyers if you have the budget for it.
Landing pages: Create your own landing page on which your Bound is presented in detail and the start-QR code is displayed. Interested parties will find all the information they need here.
Customer reviews and recommendations: Ask participants for reviews and share them on social media or your website to gain the trust of potential participants. Satisfied players are often the best ambassadors.
Use feedback from participants: Collect feedback from players and use it to continuously improve your Bound. Players' needs can change, so stay flexible.
Time-limited actions: Announce when Bounds are only available for a limited time or when this makes sense in terms of content, e.g. in relation to seasons.
Community building: Create a community or forum where players can exchange ideas. The opportunity to exchange ideas promotes loyalty and interest.
Create incentives: Offer a prize for completing your Bound. This prize can of course be completely customised.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your Bound gets the attention it deserves 🙂
Plus, we're always excited to hear about your success. Don't hesitate to get
in touch
with us and become one of our
testimonials!
Time and again, we at Actionbound are confronted with a question from our users. "Is Actionbound actually barrier-free?". Here is the blog post that answers the question and offers tips and tricks on how to reduce barriers. So we are not completely barrier-free, but our software still offers starting points on how to easily reduce barriers and design content that is suitable for the target group.
Let's take a closer look at this:
Actionbound can be used to create individual routes, rallies and games. The content is filled in by the creators in our Bound Creator. The players then play the Bound on their mobile devices. Depending on the target group, it is important to prepare the content in such a way that it is understandable and, of course, fun.
Actionbound is for EVERYONE! Inclusion is an important part of our society that aims to provide equal opportunities for participation and development. This also applies in the field of digital learning.
Here are some specific application tips:
READING
The contents of the Bounds can be read aloud by the players. At the beginning of the Bound, a person can be selected to read the contents to the group. Or there can be a game master responsible for reading.
A good option for solo players would be to read the text out loud and, for example, create practice videos with creative tasks. This way, you can review the reading success in the results afterward.
Unfortunately, there is no built-in read-aloud function in the app. However, the texts can be recorded by the creators of the Bound during the development phase and integrated into the individual elements as audio files. This allows players to listen to the texts while reading them. If necessary, the texts could also be narrated by professional speakers. This way, the Bound becomes an immersive auditory experience.
In general, when it comes to texts, it is advisable to pay attention to the following:
- Simple language
- Short sentences
- Paragraph breaks after each sentence
- Not too many sentences in one element
- Highlight words and sentences using Markdown formatting
With our extra feature, the Bound Styler, you have the option to customize fonts and background colors. If you are interested in this topic, get more information from our sales team.
LISTENING
Engage your players' senses and allow them to perceive your content auditorily. Give their eyes a little break and use the option to upload audio files. Don't just record texts, as mentioned above; use sounds or music as well.
Enhance your audio recordings with sound effects and music. Use the option to insert sounds in quiz tasks. For example, you can ask what sound is being heard or have players respond with sounds. You can find many licence-free sounds on the internet for free download. Alternatively, you can easily record sounds and voice messages with your smartphone and upload them to your media library. Give this option a try!
Making it even easier with audio files: Have you heard of our native audio player? We've written an entire blog article about this feature. With this setting, you can, for example, adjust the playback speed. Additionally, you have the option to continue playing the files while in standby mode. No more interruptions. If you're interested in this topic, click here.
PRESENTING & CREATING
Use pictures, illustrations, videos, audio files etc. when designing your Bound. Be creative in the design and avoid walls of text.
Present your content to your target group. Or almost (even) better:
Let your target group generate the content! Use the Task element and let your players get creative. How do they see the city? What is their favourite place? With photo and video tasks, you can address your players directly and involve them in what you want to convey. When the Bound is finished and the files are uploaded, you as the creator can find the files in your settings. Create a collage from the pictures and let the experience resonate.
TRY OUR INCLUSION-BOUND
Want to see what a Bound could look like? Then take a look at our example Bound. Here, the character Sidney Simple guides you through the Bound and explains the individual elements with a focus on inclusion. Download the Actionbound app for free and scan the starting code at the bottom of the page.
Have fun trying out and developing your Bound idea. We always appreciate your feedback. Do you have an exciting Bound project? Feel free to reach out to us! :)
Actionbound was created as tool to digitise the classic scavenger hunt and make it more intuitive. The fact that you can do this easily with our software is probably well known, but it's not the only thing you can put together with our software. Have you ever tried to develop Bounds that can be played from anywhere? No matter if sofa or forest, city or country. Here we provide you with a few simple tips and tricks on how you can create a location-independent Bound.
The classic Escape Game
Yes, it's true. Actionbound can also be used to create Escape Games. You don't need GPS coordinates for this. Important: Make notes at the beginning. What is it all about and what should happen in the individual sections? Where should the players "puzzle" their way out of? Does the Bound only work for one person, or does it need a team? Our Stages help you to structure your location-independent Bound. In each Stage, the players could, for example, puzzle their way through rooms or question fictitious people. For example, one puzzle could be solved per Stage. Just try it out. It always makes sense to start with simple puzzles and then increase the difficulty as the game progresses. Another tip for Actionbound pros: If you build Switches into your Escape Game, you can develop different paths. In any case, you should test, test, test beforehand.
A quiz to test one's knowledge
The quiz format is often used in education. You can create simple quizzes with Actionbound. The format is very suitable, for example, to check homework or to introduce a new topic. Tip: Too simple quiz questions will quickly bore your players and make the game experience monotonous. Try to pimp your Bound with creative questions and use photos and audio recordings to convey your content. Your quiz Bound should last no longer than 20 minutes in total to keep the game fun.
One Bound - different locations
Would you like to use Actionbound to bring places to life for players, even if they can't visit and discover them on site? Simply create a Bound that can be played from anywhere. Stages will help you structuring your Bound. Create a fictional character, for example a guide, who accompanies the players from place to place. Level up your Bound by adding different media like audio recordings. Use quiz questions to test your players' knowledge. Actionbound tip: Let your fictional character interact with your players. Questions like "Where are you right now?", "What does your environment look like?", "What places do you like to visit?" make your Bound more lively and you will get many different reactions, no matter where the Bound is played. Just give it a try.
Have you ever created a location-independent Bound? Can you still play it? We are always happy to receive links on our social networks.
The university in all its shapes and colors is quite complex and multifaceted. For first-year students in particular, both the building itself and the whole surrounding area can seem very overwhelming and intimidating. This is exactly where Actionbound comes in: Just in time for the start of the semester, there are tips and tricks on everyday university life and how to use Actionbound.
The interactive campus tour
Where is the cafeteria? Where can I borrow books? Where can I find the Unicafé and where is the Audimax? You can tell that the semester is starting again by the small groups of first-year students walking across campus and being guided from one station to the next. But not all students have time on the scheduled day or take longer to find certain places on the sprawling campus. Many universities are already using Actionbound to make the start of the semester more interactive and time independent.
Fun and games can be used to interactively explore the campus. Unlike a guided tour, the locations are discovered by the students themselves. Actionbound tours can of course also be created for groups. This is ideal for student councils, for example, or for rallies on campus.
Here are a few selected examples of campus tours with Actionbound:
Click through the Campus Tour of the South Australian Institute of Business & Technology (SAIBT).
Campus Tour SAIBT
The Technical University of Munich offers a tour of the campus in Garching. There is a lot to discover in this area.
Campus Tour TUM
The Geisenheim University of Applied Sciences in Hesse also developed a tour for English-speaking students.
Click here to check it out.
Scientific papers, seminars and co.
You are preparing a seminar paper or your thesis and you are still missing the whole part with the surveys? No problem. Actionbound can help here, too. You can easily insert your surveys into our software and your testers can start the bound via QR code. You can view the results on your account and easily integrate them into your work.
Bounds can also be used for presentations or group work. You want to introduce to a new theme or convey content in a playful way, then just try to build a Bound. It's super easy and fun on top of that. Bounds can also be designed explicitly for groups and do not necessarily have to be location-dependent. You can also create location-independent bounds. Just give it a try!
Some scientific articles on the Actionbound learning method have already been published. A list of the articles can be found here.
Create your everyday life with Actionbound
Studying does not always mean sitting in seminars and looking for books in the library. For most students, it is the first time in their own flat or shared flat, or alone in a new city.
Have you ever thought about bounds that might add value to your free time? How about a flat-rate Bound? Elements in the Bound-Creator can be assigned with switches. These are then played, for example, on different days of the week. Who has to clean the bathroom and the kitchen when? Who lives in your flat anyway?
The boring flat cleaning plan was yesterday - with Actionbound you can make it more digital and much more fun.
Or how about a pub quiz or city tours especially for students? Or weekend trips with the circle of friends or or or.
Try our campus tours bound
Actionbound fits perfectly into the university context. Want to see what a Bound could look like? Then take a look at our example Bound.
Download the Actionbound app for free and scan the starting code at the bottom of the page.
Have fun trying out and developing your Bound idea. We always appreciate your feedback. Have you ever built or played a Bound specifically in this theme area? Feel free to reach out to us and to link us to our social networks.! :)
Let teams compete against each other with the Bound Challenge!
The Bound Challenge allows several teams or single players to play a Bound against each other. The Bound Challenge is ideally suited for Bounds which should be played by several small groups, e. g. in the library, at the zoo or in the museum. For this, neither the creator nor the participants have to be registered at Actionbound and can nevertheless benefit from a combined evaluation of the results.
Any number of players or teams are grouped together using the individual start code of the Bound Challenge. If a new Bound Challenge is created, a start guide PDF with QR code is automatically created for downloading and printing. The Bound Challenge creator also receives a link to access the results of his group and to easily compare them.
The Bound Challenge is available if the Bound owner has a valid Actionbound license and the Bound is online.
Results and comparison view of the Bound Challenge
The Bound Challenge is part of our license feature set. If you want to unlock this feature for your Bounds, check here for suitable license. If you can't find the right product for you, feel free to contact Benedikt Heiß.
