This document discusses the creation of educational digital games for museum galleries. It provides several examples of games created for different museums between 2003-2013. The document then focuses on the creation of a game called Mosaic for the Getty Villa museum, including the design process through paper prototypes, partnering with RIT, and player testing feedback. It concludes by identifying the remaining challenge of ensuring players closely examine artworks to learn required information to win the game, while keeping it engaging.

1. The Museum as Game Space:
Creating educational
games for museum galleries

2. Why I Love Serious Games
2008:
Fascinating!
1981: Not fascinating…

3. The Getty Villa

4. Digital Museum Gallery
Games

5. Mystery @ the Museum
Boston Museum of Science (2003)
Played by parent and child
teams with a Pocket PC
and a walkie-talkie

6. Ghosts of a Chance
Smithsonian American Art Museum (2008-
2010)

7. Murder at the Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(2012)

8. Maryland Science Center
PlanetMania (2013)

9. Capture the Museum
National Gallery of Scotland (2013)

10. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty
Center
Switch – Phases I & II (2012 & 2013)

11. Games at the Getty
Villa

12. Creating a Game for the Getty Villa
Phase I – Paper Prototype (2010)

13. Phases II & III – Partnering with the
Rochester Institute of Technology
Design Document
iPod Prototype

14. Mosaic: Narrative

15. Mosaic: Quests

16. Mosaic Battles: a match-3 mechanic

17. Mosaic: Winning the Game

18. Mosaic: Increasing Difficulty
Level 1 challenges
Final Battle

19. Mosaic: Game Play

20. Mosaic: Win State

21. Mosaic: Audience Feedback so far
•It’s fun (7.5-10 out 10).
•The number of in-game rounds of match-3 need to be
reduced.
•How the game moves you through the museum needs
to be rethought.
•Scavenger hunt aspect gets high ratings from players.
•People don’t explore buttons for information (Help) or
game play (Change ability).
•The map needs some work.
•People read and enjoy the narrative.
•Some players pay attention to works of art while playing,
others don’t – the game does not require looking at the
works of art.

22. Remaining Questions and Next Steps
Game players must learn what the game requires
in order to advance to a win.
How do I make the content I want to teach:
•Close looking at works of art
•Information about how ancient works of art were
made and used
function as what the player must learn to win the
game – and keep the game engaging at the same
time?