10 video games set in museums and developed by museums

Video games are an increasingly beloved pastime for Italians, and if they were once seen mostly as an activity aimed at children and teens, now, given also the ease of getting them and playing them (all it takes is a smartphone and a digital store ), the wide availability of free titles and the graphical evolutions they have undergone, video games are transversal with respect to age groups. It is also demonstrated by the fact that, in 2019, Italians, on video games, spent almost a billion euros. So much so that even the world of culture has thought that they can be useful to promote quality content (and Italy, moreover, is a world excellence in this area). Therefore, there are many museums that, in recent times, have invested in the development of video games to promote and enhance their collections, believing in the importance of gamification, that is, that strategy aimed at creating playful environments within contexts that are not in order to motivate and engage users of a service or, more generally, an audience. In this article we have collected ten interesting video games set in museums and developed on museum commissions. Fun and learning are assured!

1. Father and son (National Archaeological Museum of Naples)

This is the first video game set in an Italian museum, in this case the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. Conceived by Ludovico Sollima with game design by Fabio Viola and hand-painted graphics by Sean Wenham, it centers on the story of Michael, a boy searching for the archaeologist father he has never met and from whom he has received a letter. Following the directions his father left him in the missive, Michael travels to the MANN in Naples, from where he begins an adventure that traverses the various historical eras from ancient Egypt to the Roman era, from the reign of the Bourbons to the present day, even reliving the eruption of Vesuvius, which destroyed Pompeii in 79. And of course throughout the story, the player gets to learn a lot about the museum’s history and collections. Here is the link to download the game from the Play Store.

2. Past for future (National Archaeological Museum of Taranto).

Past for future is also a game that bears the signature of Fabio Viola and stars William, a man who travels between London and Taranto in search of a woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.In following her trail, William finds himself catapulted into a journey through time that takes him to the time when Taranto was a Spartan colony. The journey will allow him to visit archaeological sites such as the Tomb of the Athletes and others, and the way the protagonist interacts with the places he explores and the characters he encounters will change the course of history, not only of the game, but also of the city and, therefore, the future. Here is the link to download the game from the Play Store.

3. The Medici Game(Pitti Palace)

With The Medici Game we move to Florence to follow Caterina, a young art historian who finds herself involved in a mysterious murder taking place in the Pitti Palace. Thus begins an investigative adventure that the girl is forced despite herself to carry out if she wants to save her life: she will therefore have to improvise herself as a detective and solve numerous puzzles that will require her art-historical skills and will lead her to discover the museum’s treasures, from Raphael’s works in the Hall of Saturn to the paintings in the Hall of Prometheus, from the sculptures in the Boboli Gardens to the White Room.

4. The Umbrian Chronicles (Spoleto and Valnerina Museum Network).

Developed by Italian Maurizio Amoroso’s Entertainment Game Apps Ltd. as part of Museum Connections: between Valleys and Mountains, Villages and Cities, a project of the Region of Umbria to enhance the museums of Spoleto and the Valnerina, The Umbrian Chronicles is a work with a narrative slant whose protagonist is Ponzia Vannozzi, an art historian who has been asked to write an article about culture in Spoleto and other places in the Valnerina. In order to write it, Ponzia will have to take a trip around the area, discover its museums and treasures, meet the locals, and discover that behind the history of the place lies the history of its origins. Here is the link to download the game from the Play Store.

5. Florence Game (Florentine museums)

Firenze Game is a virtual card game developed by Silfi s.p.a. on commission from the City of Florence: the goal of the game is to defeat opponents by discovering information and curiosities about the historical and cultural heritage of the Tuscan capital. Thus, one wins by opening history books, learning about works of art, and finding connections between different categories: in fact, each game allows one to collect more and more cards. The game also establishes a link between online and offline: it is in fact possible to acquire some important “special cards” by going to Florence in person and moving around the city to discover little-known corners of Florence. Here is the link to download the game from the Play Store.

6. Beyond our lives (Etruscan archaeological areas of Tuscany).

This is the first video game commissioned by a tourism promotion agency, namely Toscana Promozione Turistica: created as part of the IN-Etruria project, Beyond Our Lives allows players to experience a narrative and investigative adventure set in Tuscany, between past and present, in the places of ancient Etruria. The protagonists are Sergio and Lavinia, fraternal friends since childhood, great fans of archaeology and Etruscan history. An unpredictable event will disrupt their lives starting a treasure hunt that will push the protagonists to investigate the meaning of life, death and the nature of their relationship. The player will discover the archaeological areas of Chiusi, Volterra, Populonia and Vetulonia.

7. Nubla (Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid)

The game starts in the halls of Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, where the game’s protagonist is located, the sole inhabitant of an imaginary universe existing only in paintings. With him, the player begins a journey that will take him to the fantastic world of Nubla, a universe where puzzles follow one after another and where forgotten places can be found: in the game, in fact, the death of creativity has stopped time and faded memories. There will be no shortage of opportunities to discover works from the Madrid museum’s collections. Nubla is a collaborative project developed by the museum’s Education Department that aims to draw connections between technology and art: the game was designed inside the museum and its settings and plot are based on works in the collection. Here is the link to download the game from the Play Store.

8. Prisme 7 (Centre Pompidou, Paris)

Prisme 7 is a game designed by the Centre Pompidou to introduce players to the universe of modern and contemporary art. The video game consists of 7 levels that take the player into an immersive and educational universe to discover the fundamentals of modern and contemporary creation, on a journey more than a century long that leads from Piet Mondrian to one of today’s greatest artists such as Xavier Veilhan. The goal is to solve puzzles to unlock masterpieces from the Pompidou and thus enrich one’s personal gallery. The game was developed by the Centre Pompidou with the support of the Ministry of Education and Youth.

9. Secret Seekers (Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

The V&A’s video game, launched in 2017, stars eight characters from the museum’s history, who guide the player on a treasure hunt to uncover some of the museum’s secrets. Queen Victoria, William Morris, Jim the Dog and their friends will help players discover little-known facts and trivia through a series of challenges. Created by BAFTA studio Preloaded, Secret Seekers encourages players to discover the history of the V&A held within its walls. You can play Secret Seek ers directly from the museum’s website.

10. Treasure Hunters (Science Museum, London)

This is a photo challenge whose goal is to duel with other connected players to go in search of what the video game asks for (for example: take a picture of something wooden, look for something you might bring to a party, and so on). The player accepts a challenge, after which they set off in search of the perfect shot to find the treasure that best matches the description. The game also features special challenges set in Science Museum Group museums at locations in Bradford, York, London, Manchester and Shildon. You can play alone, in teams, or you can even choose to be the referee! Here is the link to download the game from the Play Store.

- Play at home or wherever you are. - Photo feature: save your photos in the gallery to share with your family, friends and whomever you want. - Challenge other players or choose to be the referee. - “Decide the app” feature solves duels of two. - Point counting system for competitions between friends. - Collect animated badges by playing as a team.

10 video games set in museums and developed by museums

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