Teylers jacht naar kennis & kunst
Teylers jacht naar kennis & kunst
As part of the Video Game Development minor at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, the Teylers Museum in Haarlem commissioned the creation of an engaging and educational game for children aged 8-10. The result was Teylers jacht naar kennis & kunst (Teylers Hunt for Knowledge and Art), a game designed to enhance the museum experience and make it more fun for young visitors. In the game, children help Pieter Teyler restore his book through an educational scavenger hunt, adding a layer of gamification to the museum to engage young audiences.
Context and purpose
The museum wanted to make the museum more appropriate for young visitors, but had the difficulty doing so since the museum carries the status as a historical monument which prevented any physical changes. The museum emphasized the importance of preserving its historical character by avoiding any physical installations. Therefore a mobile solution needed to be developed to integrate a game onto since altering the physical space was not possible.
Development
During the development of concepts with the stated requirements and boundary conditions, various ideas emerged, including an AR experience, guided tours, craft assignments, and treasure hunts. To ensure the game's effectiveness and appropriateness, several factors were taken into account, including the museum's collection, its vision, the target audience, and suitable game elements for the museum environment.
The AR experience was initially investigated due to its ongoing trend, but it was not pursued further because of limited interest and concerns about the long-term sustainability of the technology’s novelty. Guided tours with voice-over were also explored, but this option was deemed unfeasible due to the potential for noise pollution, which the museum wanted to avoid. The concept of a viewing box for children was rejected because of the additional logistical challenges and the extra infrastructure it would require. Lastly, a treasure hunt featuring an imaginative story through a magical manuscript was considered, but it did not align with the scientific nature and vision of the Teylers Museum.
ConCept
In the game concept for the Teylers Museum, children between the ages of 8 and 10 are invited to an educational treasure hunt. The young visitors help Pieter Teyler to restore one of his books from the library, which has suffered water damage due to an accident. In order to assist Pieter Teyler, the damaged parts of the book must be supplemented. These parts are spread throughout the museum and include fossils, minerals and paintings.
To play the game, young visitors receive interactive prompts through a web app that guides them through the museum in a playful way, serving as the interface for an engaging treasure hunt. Players are challenged to locate missing pieces hidden among display cases and museum walls. As they explore, they are encouraged to take photos, identify missing book titles, and recognize missing paintings on the walls, all as part of their mission to recover the damaged parts.
When all parts have been collected, the young visitor is rewarded with a certificate as an aspiring scientist and a supplemented version of the damaged book, enriched with the parts collected by the player.
