InterPlayces: Results of an intergenerational games study

Abstract

Our submission describes the conceptualization and the results of an intergenerational games study composed of various games held in the Welios Science Center. We aim to identify design criteria (game mechanics, goals, etc.) for intergenerational digital games with haptic elements in a museum context that are not only fun, but also foster the communication between old and young players. In order to reach our goal, we confronted players with several different commercially available games as well as a specifically developed game prototype. To address the physical context (museum) in our methods and our game design we also carried out observations of existing installations plus interviews with museum guides. Results show that cooperative intergenerational games in a museum should include haptic elements, consist of several phases, with the possibility of reruns and should not be too complex, both technically and conceptually.