Welcome to Townsville. Our tiny town has gone viral, and I’m so proud it’s finally getting the recognition I’ve always known it deserves.
…But with such an explosion in visitors, we really need your help. To keep this place functioning, we’ve created a message board where our fine residents have posted ways you can help.
Please, Please help. We’ll give you points.
Townsville was a week-long immersive puzzle and narrative exploration experience designed for Google’s GenAI workweek in January 2026 with more than 2,000 attendees and more than 1,000 actively participating in the Townsville experience.
Googlers at the Workweek discovered immersive actors, flyers, business cards, tickets, banners, newspaper stands, and other installations that intrigued them into joining a story with more than 90 storylines and puzzles to solve.
Brenda is stressed out by all the new deliveries her delivery company has to make. Gus’s gig as a volunteer firefighter has gotten so busy it’s distracting from his crush on Brenda. Sal’s pizza deliveries have turned into quests in and of themselves. And Mayor Crater—an amateur magician in his spare time—just wants all this to become the biggest show Townsville has ever seen (much to Gus and Brenda’s chagrin).
Players can call phone numbers and interact with the characters by text message. They can diffuse blown fuses in an old model T. They can help Brenda pack up a Uhaul with more boxes than look like they can fit, and ultimate, they can come together and help the town thrive.
The Enemies of Time—an immersive experience design company from Michael, Karen Castelletti and Lyra Levin—was responsible for Townsville’s narrative design, character design, daily newspapers, casting, phone-based puzzles, and played several of the immersive characters.
Enemies of Time worked with Team Handstand, the producers for Townsville.
Michael was responsible for phone-based puzzles, fabrication, and played the role of Townsville Mayor Crater.
Immersive Design
Get a bauble from a vending machine, get a business card from the volunteer firefighter, or find a parking ticket on an iconic Google bike. There were dozens of ways to find puzzles to solve and phone numbers to call to interact with the various characters, whether in person or via automated systems that sent people on quests and learning more about the gossip and drama of this tiny town.
Townsville Tattler
Every day, the Townsville Tattler reported on the notable events of the previous day. Who topped the puzzle leaderboard? Who broke a new world record? What new pizza recipes has Sal tried? What’s Grandma Bernice’s favorite heavy metal to knit to.
These papers splashed participants’ photos across the headlines from just the day before! They were chocked full of puzzles and gossip about residents and participants alike.
Character Interaction
Townsville residents (such as the Mayor) brought the game to life – welcoming guests, running live quests, and making everyone feel like a VIP with repeated interactions.
The highest reviewed aspect of Townsville were Googlers’ ability to interact with the friendly and engaging characters, offering hints, sending people on new quests and gossiping about the other residents of Townsville.
