ATTENDEES OF this weekend’s Mindfield event will be encouraged to network as part of a game designed by Galway-based CrowdScanner. Called People Hunt, the game is based around a downloadable app that gives players points for each person they interact with throughout the day. The game works by giving users one of five secret identities based on questions they answer in the app, which they then take with them as they meet other people.

“Once they have their secret identity they have to go and find other players and try [to] figure out what their secret identity is,” said Adrian Avendano, co-founder of CrowdScanner.

“They then bump their phones together and get more points if they guessed correctly.”

Mr Avendano said the game is designed to make people talk and get to know each other, which is the overall aim of the Hackerspace section of the event. He said he saw the concept becoming part of the company’s product offerings as it could be used at large company conferences and commercial events.

Besides the People Hunt, the Hackerspace event will host talks and workshops aimed at encouraging collaboration among other things. One workshop will aim to build an LED-lit monster from recycled material while Michel Bauwens of the P2P Foundation will also talk about opening up the internet.

This is the first time Hackerspace will be part of Mindfield; previously it has taken the form of smaller meet-ups around the country.

“The idea of hackers is not the negative,” said Mr Avendano. “Real hackers are not about cracking things but the opposite, they’re about creating.”

The Hackerspace events are free to attend, though some costs may apply for materials at workshops. Mindfield runs in Dublin’s Merrion Square from today until Sunday and tickets for the whole event are €69.