Studying pervasive games is inherently difficult and different from studying computer or board games. This article builds upon the experiences of staging and studying several playful pervasive technology prototypes. It discusses the challenges and pitfalls of evaluating pervasive game prototypes and charts methods that have proven useful in previous research. The aim is to open discussion on the situated methodology of qualitative study of evaluating and researching pervasive play. (Contains 1 note.)