Stranger Things spin-off game among augmented reality trails coming to Ipswich in 2025

The augmented reality (AR) trails set to offer high-tech fun in Ipswich this year have been revealed.

Ipswich Borough Council has said that four AR events – including a returning favourite – will launch in 2025.

These form part of the Digital Ipswich scheme, paid for by the £25 million Towns Fund.

The first trail – returning from last year – is DiGBY and Friends adventure trail, featuring famous Ipswich mascot Digby the Octopus.

The council said this would offer ‘fun miniature AR games for the children’ during the summer months.

The second trail is known as ‘Journey of Words’ and would celebrate wordsmiths that lived, worked or visited Ipswich through the years.

A spokesperson for the borough council said: “It would include several famous stars, past and present, and brings audio, AR and visual commentary together for a unique walk through the town.”

The third trail is known as ‘Weird’s WICH’ and is an AR game spin-off of Stranger Things, for those aged 15 and above.

It would see players battle ghouls, witches and monsters, with portals across Ipswich, before a final battle in the Cornhill.

It is set to launch at the same time as Stranger Things’ season five finale later this year.

A final trail is set for Stoke Bridge, currently in development in partnership with Ipswich Central, and celebrate the history of the waterfront.

The Digital Ipswich scheme aims to make the town more ‘digitally enabled’.

As part of the same initiative, the borough council lodged plans for a digital portal, to connect the town with another location, earlier this week.

In addition, it has also submitted proposals to install four sets of ‘digital binoculars’ for use in augmented reality trails.

These would be placed at the both the James Hehir Building and the Old Customs House, on the waterfront; next to the Giles Circus statue, at the junction with Butter Market, and next to the old Grimwades buildings in the Cornhill.

Plans also hinted the authority planned to install more binoculars at Paul’s silo and Christchurch Park in the future.

Planning documents said: “The digital binoculars are permanent sculptures that offer both augmented reality and virtual reality experiences, allowing users to view animated and interactive historical scenes layered over real-world views or immersive reconstructions.

“Users simply look through the device to access the content—there are no screens or buttons.”