The following press release was issued by Jason Silva, Chief Administrative Aid to Mayor Kimberley Driscoll:

The City of Salem, the North Shore Community Development Coalition, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Engagement Game Lab at Emerson College are excited to announce the launch of “What’s the Point?” an online community planning game that lets community members electronically interact with one another to contribute ideas towards shaping the future of the Point neighborhood.

Learn more at the planning game's website.

There will be a launch party for the game on Friday, Jan. 25 at 4 p.m. at Orange Leaf Yogurt on Lafayette Street.

Anyone who lives, works, attends school or plays in the Point neighborhood is encouraged to attend and sign up to play the game. In addition to the launch party, North Shore CDC will host game play meet-ups at the Community Room at 104 Lafayette Street on two dates: Thursday Feb. 7 and Thursday, Feb. 14 from 3 to 5 p.m.

“The planning process presents a great opportunity for residents, business owners, and others to actively participate in creating a common vision to strengthen the neighborhood,” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll. “The online game is an exciting new way to get involved. It’s wonderful to see how involved the youth have been in developing the game.”

“What’s the Point?” is an online game that engages the public in expressing their vision for the community’s future.

The game was designed by the Engagement Game Lab, a research and development lab at Emerson College.

To play the game, players log into the website and complete a series of timed “missions” which focus on different aspects of neighborhood life, such as living, playing, doing business and getting around.

Participants earn coins for each challenge they complete, and can use these coins to help fund real-world causes in the community.

The input given by the community members playing the game will help inform the planning process.