The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London has launched a new mobile game that encourages children and families to explore its history and buildings.
Secret Seekers brings eight characters from the museum’s history to life through original illustrations and animations. Players will encounter the V&A’s founder Prince Albert and his wife Queen Victoria, as well as the museum’s first director Henry Cole and his dog, Jim.
The game is designed to be played on the museum’s site in South Kensington on a smartphone or tablet. It promises to reveal little-known facts about the collection through a series of challenges.
Secret Seekers was created by Preloaded, a studio that specialises in “purposeful games” and has worked on a number of other museum projects.
It was launched to coincide with the opening of the V&A’s Exhibition Road Quarter, a new entrance, courtyard and underground exhibition space which opened on 30 June.
Ben Templeton, the associate creative director of Preloaded, said that it was a privilege to have created the game to mark the occasion.
“Our aim was to help families feel at home, by getting to know the V&A’s nooks and crannies,” he said. “We felt that this game is the perfect format, bringing museum characters to life and setting a challenge that gives players licence to roam around the museum.”
Bryony Shepherd, the V&A’s head of interpretation, said: “The museum has been on this site for 160 years and since then it has created buildings to not only house the collections, but also to showcase inspiring design and architecture.
“With Secret Seekers, we aim to make this rich history visible, encourage conversations between generations and spark the imaginations of the next artists, designers and architects by offering a fresh and exciting way to explore the museum’s story at first hand, through the phone in your pocket.”
Secret Seekers brings eight characters from the museum’s history to life through original illustrations and animations. Players will encounter the V&A’s founder Prince Albert and his wife Queen Victoria, as well as the museum’s first director Henry Cole and his dog, Jim.
The game is designed to be played on the museum’s site in South Kensington on a smartphone or tablet. It promises to reveal little-known facts about the collection through a series of challenges.
Secret Seekers was created by Preloaded, a studio that specialises in “purposeful games” and has worked on a number of other museum projects.
It was launched to coincide with the opening of the V&A’s Exhibition Road Quarter, a new entrance, courtyard and underground exhibition space which opened on 30 June.
Ben Templeton, the associate creative director of Preloaded, said that it was a privilege to have created the game to mark the occasion.
“Our aim was to help families feel at home, by getting to know the V&A’s nooks and crannies,” he said. “We felt that this game is the perfect format, bringing museum characters to life and setting a challenge that gives players licence to roam around the museum.”
Bryony Shepherd, the V&A’s head of interpretation, said: “The museum has been on this site for 160 years and since then it has created buildings to not only house the collections, but also to showcase inspiring design and architecture.
“With Secret Seekers, we aim to make this rich history visible, encourage conversations between generations and spark the imaginations of the next artists, designers and architects by offering a fresh and exciting way to explore the museum’s story at first hand, through the phone in your pocket.”