Go undercover and complete secret missions in parks across Tacoma with free Agents of Discovery app

Seven new summer missions launching July 1st use AR technology to turn screen time into green time with interactive outdoor challenges  

Calling all kids! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make contact with secret animal agents stationed at parks across Tacoma.  Using a smart phone or tablet, complete their challenges to learn and explore about the nature and history in each location.  

Agents of Discovery is a free app-based game that uses augmented-reality (AR) technology to create an immersive experience, turning your device into a tool for guided outdoor activity. Starting July 1 and running through August 30, open the app at seven different locations to be greeted by an animal agent with brand new missions. Complete the mission by taking on challenges that are geo-triggered as you walk through the park, and learn about local history, culture, ecosystems and safety. 

“Agents of Discovery adds a new way to spend time and have fun at your favorite parks and may encourage people to explore somewhere they haven’t been before,” said Tacoma Nature Center Facility Supervisor Michele Cardinaux.  

The missions in Tacoma this summer can be found at Cummings Park, Wright Park, Titlow Park, Swan Creek Park, Tacoma Nature Center, Charlotte’s Blueberry Park, and Wapato Park. Ambitious agents and their parents can also check the Agents of Discovery website to find missions spanning the Puget Sound area from Yelm to Mt. Baker, across the Olympic peninsula and as far east as Wenatchee.  

Players, or “agents,” can complete multiple missions to earn digital badges and physical prizes, including a chance to win an Adventure Backpack, Gift Card to Bass Pro Shops, or tickets to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, the Woodland Park Zoo and the Pacific Science Center. 

The fun doesn’t stop once summer is over, either. The app offers at-home missions that can be played year-round in your own back yard. 

The Agents of Discovery app is free to install from Google Play or the App Store, and missions can be downloaded before you head out to the park. No data or WiFi is required to play a mission once it has been downloaded, but the AR technology does require permission to use your device’s camera. The app uses voice-to-text technology for accessibility, and many missions can be played in both English and Spanish. 

You can find more information on the Parks Tacoma website at https://www.parkstacoma.gov/agentsofdiscovery/.