Promoting Cultural Heritage through Board Games: the Case of Silkroadopoly

Cultural Heritage is composed of tangible and intangible cultural assets which stand out for their value, enriching the place in which they are found. Cultural Heritage marks the history of a culture and also the identity of each individual through values transmitted from the past with the scope to preserve and then transmit them to future generations. Preservation methods are changing with society and nowadays are emerging new ways to explore cultural heritage, from the use of mixed reality in museums to digital games designed to convey cultural content. In this context, the use of serious games are used in the field of cultural heritage as a means to transmit cultural knowledge and provide an interactive experience with heritage materials. This thesis aims to investigate whether board games have the potential to contribute to the promotion of cultural heritage. For this purpose, a board game named Silkroadopoly was created. It is a revisited version of the board game Monopoly focused on Marco Polo’s Silk Road. The board game combines traditional gameplay elements with technological elements, such as QR codes on the properties, which give players the opportunity to discover stories and anecdotes related to the historical sites along the Silk Road. Silkroadopoly was evaluated through gameplay sessions involving eleven participants, focusing on user experience and engagement. A mixed method research approach was adopted, collecting data through observations, semi-structured interviews, and pre and post questionnaires assessing the player’s experience. Results, although limited in scope, could contribute to a better understanding of the impact of board games on the promotion of cultural heritage and offer valuable insights for developing innovative and playful learning experiences. Keywords: Cultural Heritage, Board games, User Experience, Edutainment, Serious Game, Silk Road.