The Heritage Game

This article presents two complementary Portuguese case studies — Aldeia Pintada and the Lagoa Geotour — and analyses how each integrates gamification into community-based heritage work. The authors describe the participatory design process, the local partnerships with municipalities and cultural associations, and the gamified mechanics deployed (storytelling trails, geocaching, AR/QR-driven quests).

The findings show that gamification can act as a catalyst for community engagement and intergenerational learning, and the article concludes with a transferable model for using gamified heritage experiences as drivers of cultural-tourism in low-density territories.