The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (CFDC) in Morden leaped onto the digital stage Thursday morning.

The museum launched an interactive mobile game which gives visitors the chance to collect fossils and create their own "Bruce" while they walk through the museum.

"The idea was to leverage devices that people are already using," said Peter Cantelon, executive director of the CFDC. Cantelon reached out to a couple of Winnipeg tech companies last summer to start developing an augmented reality game which would allow people to interact with the displays and fossils in a new way.

"it's about enhancing the experience," Cantelon said.

The app is free to download on Android and iPhone, which was important to Cantelon, he didn't want to visitors to pay to enjoy the game.

"What we really want, is a not-for-profit educational, science, and research oriented facility," he said.

A handful of children were invited to try out the game yesterday for the launch, providing the game's first user trials and reviews.

One student, Annabelle Wiebe, enjoyed the game and wanted to share it with her friends. She also plans to download the game on her parents' phones so she can play again.

"It's so interactive, you actually have to look around," she said.

The CFDC partnered with a Bit Space Development and ZenFri Inc., Winnipeg-based digital media companies, to create the game.

"We want people to understand what you can do with museums, said Corey Kind, chief executive artist of ZenFri Inc.

"We see museums as these great places that can be extremely interactive, but we noticed you have to show people the way."

As King was working with the CFDC, he spoke about the project to friends and noticed that few people know about what the centre has tucked away: the largest mosasaur in the world for example. He said that Manitoban's don't understand what's in their own province, and hopefully the new game will help enlighten people.

Annabelle Wiebe