This document discusses how to design effective museum games. It provides guidelines for museum games through the TEMA framework: games should be Tested to ensure usability, Exciting to engage players, Meaningful by relating to the museum's content, and Accessible to all visitors. Examples are given of games that follow these principles, such as a storytelling board game tested at a historic site. The document emphasizes playtesting games with both museum staff and visitors to improve the design and understand user needs.

1. Museum Games
Daniela De Angeli
University of Bath
www.danieladeangeli.com

3. WHOGames are for everybody
[ ]

4. Play is an essential component of all
human culture. The chances are that
you enjoy playing something –
whether it’s Angry Birds or a round of
charades at Christmas
Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens, 1938

5. WHATWhat is a Game?
[ ]

6. A game is an activity (i.e. event)
with rules among adversaries
trying to win objectives.
Clark C. Abt, Serious Games, 1970
A game is a system in which
players engage in an artificial
conflict, defined by rules, that
results in a quantifiable outcome
Salen and Zimmerman, Rules of Play, 2004

7. What Museum Professionals Think a Game is?
An entertaining experience without serious consequences
A tool that could enrich a visit to a museum
A playful rule-bound engagement with others/friends
Informal engagement that encourages competition
A learning experience

8. Games are directed, narrative experiences fit
within systems. The rules define the interplay
between the system and the player. (...) We can
understand a museum visit, itself, as a game and
a visitor as a player.
James Collins (Digital Media Project Manager at the Smithsonian), How Games
Transform Museum Experience, 2015

9. Museum Game = Game

10. Museum Game = Game
Good Good

11. Gamers won't seek out or recommend your
game based on its learning outcomes[ ]

12. Games poorly made do not sell!
(see ET The Extra Terrestrial, Atari ‘82)
[ ]

13. Game
Museum

14. Relevant to museum/collection
Game
Museum
"The subjects of the
exhibition are the
beginning of
everything..."
Hélène Alonso, AMNH

15. Relevant to museum/collection
Educate/Explain/Persuade
Game
Museum
"The goal is always to
explain. Explain how
something works, and
make [visitors] fall in
love with the science
too"
Hélène Alonso, AMNH
“Narrative can educate
and persuade...and
we’re seeing narrative
maturing in games
now”
James Collins, Smithsonian

16. Relevant to museum/collection
Educate/Explain/Persuade
Drive visits (on/off-line)
“... offer something to
people that makes them
want to leave their
home, come to the
museum, experience
something and ...
connect with the objects
themselves."
Barry Joseph, AMNH Game
Museum

17. HOWHow a Museum Game should be?[ ]

18. Tested Exciting Meaningful Accessible
TEMA

19. Tested Exciting Meaningful Accessible
Game should be well structured, easy to
understand and play (no training required)

20. Tested Exciting Meaningful Accessible
Creating Meaningful Play is the (main) goal of successful
game design. Games should teach something new, change
attitude, stimulate curiosity and discussion

21. Tested Exciting Meaningful Accessible
Game should attract (e.g. good game aesthetic
and cool name!) and maintain attention (i.e. be
fun, challenging, and interactive)

22. Tested Exciting Meaningful Accessible
Test content with museum staff and gameplay with both
gamers and visitors.
Why: Improve game; Understand visitors/players;
Involve and motivate visitors

23. Tools for fast prototyping
Example: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2drv3IJAQBM7CalfMsp_m4uwpOSTCjVzPIgsjsT0e93iVkA/viewform

24. Storytelling boardgame: players
need to “buy” cards and use them
to tell a good story
Look like a game
- Inspired by traditional
storytelling boardgames
- Gameplay tested with gamers
Game was tested at Dyrham Park +
Post-evaluation:
- Easy to play
- Inspire curiosity
- Provide useful data about
visitors’ preferences

25. Understand visitors’ perspective, needs and
interests by playing and making games

26. The End. Daniela De Angeli
dada21@bath.ac.uk
danieladeangeli.com