Gamification is the application of game elements in non-game contexts. It has shown promise in its application in museums as it is seen as a mediation tool that can enhance visitor engagement and learning in museums and cultural heritage settings. By integrating game mechanisms in the visit, like challenges, rewards and interactivity, it can make the overall museum experience more fun while also allowing to connect with diverse audiences, including families, children and visitors with diverse needs.
Gamified approaches can create immersive experiences especially when digital tools are included in its set up, that can increase the overall visitor participation and motivation.
How to define and implement gamification? Where to start from?
The first most important step is to define the goals of this on-site mediation tool and to identify the targeted audience.
Useful questions to ask: What is the objective of this game? To educate? To entertain? To improve accessibility?
Who is the target audience: children, families, teens, or adults. Understanding their interests will help tailor a more relevant experience.
While gamification can satisfy visitors’ desires to learn and enjoy simultaneously, its usefulness may be limited when relaxation is the primary motivation. So this step should not be ignored.
The second step would be to select the type and format of the game that suits your museum, exhibition and institution more.
Here are some type of games that can be considered:
- Scavenger Hunts or Treasure Hunts: Visitors search for clues or objects across exhibits
- Quizzes and Challenges: Fun, knowledge-based games (e.g., interactive touchscreens or mobile apps
- Story-Based Adventures: Turn exhibits into game-like journeys where visitors “unlock” parts of a story
- Leaderboards and Rewards: Encourage participation with digital badges, points, or small prizes
For implementation there are some accessible basic tools that can be used to create the game. Here are some suggestions for you:
- Actionbound (Freemium): Create interactive scavenger hunts or guided tours with mobile devices. Visit Actionbound’s website.
- Kahoot! (Freemium): Use quizzes and challenges to engage families and school groups. Visit Kahoot’s website.
- Genially (Freemium): Design interactive game elements like puzzles, maps, or branching challenges. Visit Genially’s website.
An important factor to keep in mind is to make sure that the game is inclusive and user-friendly for everyone.
Here are some general guidelines that could be useful for that purpose:
- Using clear and simple instructions
- Providing options for screen readers, captions, and multilingual content.
- Adapting physical games, such as scavenger hunts, to accommodate visitors with mobility challenges.
Before launching and promoting the game, it will be necessary and effective to test the “pilot” of the game with small groups made up of the audiences identified at the beginning, to check that accessibility, enjoyment and clarity criteria are met, and to collect feedback. The final adjustments can thus be made before introducing the gamified experience to the public.