games and museums: the potential, the proof, and the challenges (talk for museum ideas)

Games and Museums: The potential, the proof, and the challenges

Martha Henson@marthasadie

Wellcome CollectionWellcome Collection•Life, medicine and art

EngagementEngagement•Non-didactic approach

Why games?Why games?•Museum “stuff” makes great games

•Reach a new, bigger audience

•Gameplay IS engagement

Thoughtden/Capture the Museum

How?How?•Collaborate on it

•Test it

•Distribute it to portals

•Evaluate the hell out of it

High TeaHigh Tea

AxonAxon

Magic in Modern LondonMagic in Modern London

Who’s the PestWho’s the Pest

BUTBUT•Games can be expensive•Games can be difficult to get right

El Paso Times

CostCost

•Don’t reinvent the wheel

•Find more money

•Run a game jam

•Don’t cut corners

•Use existing game creation tools

•Do something simple, use paper!

DifficultyDifficulty•Work with experts

•Test and iterate

•Think systems

•PLAY

Playniac

Thanks!Thanks!

•martha@marthahenson.com

•@marthasadie

•Museum Games wiki: museumgames.pbworks.com

•Wellcome games: www.wellcomecollection.org/explore/play.aspx

•@edugameshub / edugameshub.com