Turin, Sabauda Gallery launches its first video game: here's how it works

The Sabauda Gallery of Turin launches its first video game: it is MRT Play, Conquer the Sabauda Gallery, available from a few hours on the main online stores. Conceived by the Royal Museums of Turin in collaboration with Visivalab SL and the support of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation as part of the SWITCH_Strategies and tools for digital transformation in culture call, the app was created with the aim of offering a new user experience that is meant to be innovative and engaging. In fact, thanks to this app, it is possible to accompany users through a guided tour capable of actively involving the public through the game, entertaining them with original content and offering cultural insights in a pleasant and engaging way. The game also wants to increase public loyalty and incentivize new generations to visit museums.

Thanks to the funding received from Compagnia di San Paolo through the Switch call for proposals, the Royal Museums’ digital transformation plan thus continues its development and adds another piece to its digital transformation strategy, which involves the development of ideas and projects with high inclusive and participatory content according to the logic that puts the visitor at the center. The development plan is therefore in full growth phase and will also see in the coming months the launch of the new institutional website and the implementation of an important and innovative digital signage system.

The video game in detail

MRT Play, Conquer the Sabauda Gallery involves the application of gaming mechanics and elements of game-design in contexts that are not normally oriented toward playful activities. Gamification is thus declined as a strategy in the service of the visitor experience. In this way, the museum experience goes beyond the contemplation of the works and stimulates learning through fun and interaction. Theapp can be downloaded for free from major stores by framing a QR code appropriately indicated with signage and captions at the beginning of the visit and along the way.

The structure of the game, which will allow the public to discover the works of the Sabauda in an educational but also fun and interactive way with augmented reality, allows the user, called upon to solve mini-games and puzzles, to play individually or in teams, so as to include groups of visitors, but also individual users. Registration involves entering a name and setting the level of difficulty, thus a user profile will be created that will be useful for recording the score accumulated during the challenges. Next, the player is required to choose a character with whom to face the experience: six characters are available, three of which belong to the history of Turin, and three refer to the professionalism of the Cultural Heritage.

The choice of character influences the course of the visit since each character corresponds to a different game perspective. Clementina, court painter, a young Cavour as a page and Duke Charles Emmanuel I will follow the visitor by activating information and riddles that tell the story of the city, the Savoy court and the paintings on display in the Gallery. Instead, the restorer, curator and researcher will introduce restoration techniques, museum organization, themes and iconographies of the paintings. Following registration and character selection, the application guides the user through the visit by displaying an interactive map of the rooms of the Sabauda Gallery. The game area is divided into 10 sectors to “conquer,” each characterized by a mini-game and a set of riddles. In order not to neglect the educational aspect of the game, following the choice of the character, an information sheet is presented to the user, so that the visitor can learn about professional figures in the world of Cultural Heritage or historical figures.

How does the video game work?

Inside the rooms of the Sabauda Gallery, the visitor’s smartphone will receive a signal from one of the antennas installed near a work. This signal allows the visitor to participate in the mini-game and thus interact with the painting in a fun way. The mini-games vary from room to room and have been constructed in relation to the composition, themes and representational structure of the works involved. There are both mini-games with classic mechanics (combination systems and puzzles, finding figures and identifying differences) and more complex playful forms that require the operation of the sensors that characterize modern smartphones (drawing operations, scrolling and moving the phone, typing on the touch screen, etc.).

With each advancement in the completion of the mini-game, additional information about the work will be provided. The presentation of such information is related to the player’s action if, for example, the user is asked to recognize the architectures of a backdrop. At the end of each correct operation, the architectural element that has been recognized will be described; in this way, the information is tied to the action and makes its enjoyment direct.

Based on the difficulty level selected and the percentage of completion of the mini-game, the player receives a base score. After this stage is completed, riddles will be triggered in the same room based on the knowledge gained from understanding the content presented in the room and the attention paid by the user during the visit. The riddles are different for each individual character, which means that players, by selecting a new one, will gain access to other activities and experience a high replayability of theapp. Having also completed the riddle, the area will be “conquered.” The fruit of these victories will be marked on the interactive map, so as to show the user the progress of the game. After conquering all the rooms, with the conclusion of the Gallery visit, the player will be able to see his or her final score and know the best scores of other players by entering the ranking. However, it is not obligatory to finish all the games; theapp will save the users’ results, and they can return later to finish all the available activities.

Turin, Sabauda Gallery launches its first video game: here's how it works

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.