The Heritage Game

This study revisits gamification as a contemporary social phenomenon and examines how its design elements interact with motivation, identity and community building. Drawing on social-science theory — Self-Determination Theory, Expectancy Theory and Goal-Setting Theory — the authors propose a set of heuristic criteria that researchers, designers and heritage practitioners can use to assess gamified experiences beyond purely technical or playful aspects.

The framework distinguishes structural mechanics (points, levels, missions) from psycho-social qualities (meaning, autonomy, belonging, collective participation, cultural integration), and provides a vocabulary for evaluating cultural-heritage games developed within community-based heritage projects.