(Un)Becoming the Museum Visitor: the Value of Playing an (un)Serious Game in a Museum

Abstract

This article describes and evaluates the use of a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) in a museum, and its impact on the visitor experience. We developed LORE, a bespoke Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) module, in collaboration with the Hellenic Museum. Through interviews with players, game masters, and museum staff, we found that the game reconfigured the sociality of the museum; that the museum’s historical content was valued, but flexible; and that designing for collaborative dynamics gives rise to a type of play that does not otherwise occur for adults in museum settings. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the potential of TTRPGs (and RPGs more broadly) in museums, connecting..