BOULDER, CO — In an innovative effort to “reframe community concerns as community engagement,” Downtown Boulder this week unveiled a new augmented-reality smartphone game asking residents and tourists alike to answer one deceptively simple question: Homeless? Or just from Boulder?
Modeled after Pokémon Go, the game encourages players to wander the Pearl Street Mall pointing their phones at passersby while the app analyzes key indicators such as footwear integrity, odor radius, bike-to-person ratio, and the presence of a reusable water bottle last washed during the Obama administration.
“People kept saying they couldn’t tell who was homeless anymore,” said a Downtown Boulder spokesperson wearing $400 sustainably sourced sandals. “So we thought—why not gamify the confusion?”
Players earn points by making quick decisions before the individual asks for spare change, kombucha money, or directions to a breathwork collective. Bonus multipliers are awarded for correctly identifying CU professors, trust-fund environmentalists, and tech workers conducting ‘digital detoxes’ while checking Slack on three devices.
According to early beta testers, the game’s hardest level is “North Face or No Fixed Address,” which requires distinguishing between a man living in a tent and a Boulder native who “just doesn’t believe in shampoo.” Another notoriously tricky challenge is “Van Life or Life Crisis,” where players must decide whether someone is unhoused or simply podcasting about minimalism.
Correct answers unlock prizes donated by local sponsors, including free oat-milk upgrades, coupons for $19 turmeric lattes, and a grand prize of one month without being asked to sign a climate petition. Top scorers can also win a limited-edition “I Guessed Wrong” hoodie, pre-distressed and faintly damp for authenticity.
City officials say the game promotes empathy, awareness, and foot traffic. Critics argue it mostly promotes awkward eye contact and moral uncertainty.
At press time, the app had been temporarily paused after players began tagging city council members as “rare NPCs with unclear housing status.”
