Engaging museum visitors through escape rooms and immersive storytelling

In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Francine Boon, a self-described ‘sociologist turned mystery maker‘ and co-director of Sherlocked, an award-winning experience design studio based in Amsterdam, about transforming how visitors engage with museums through immersive storytelling and game design.

Francine shares two major museum projects in this episode: her Rijksmuseum escape room that attracted 10,000 participants in nine weeks and received a 9.4/10 rating, and her recent Palace Mysteries project at the Amsterdam Royal Palace. Both demonstrate Francine’s ability to reach difficult age demographics (12-18 and 10-12 year olds) through carefully designed puzzles and storytelling that connect visitors with museum collections.

Listen to discover practical solutions for designing games in museum spaces, from protecting valuable objects to managing visitor flow. Learn how giving players specific roles encourages appropriate behaviour, explore techniques for building compelling narratives around objects, and find out how to ensure visitors engage meaningfully with collections rather than just playing games.

The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown. Support the show on Patreon and find more resources at thinkingmuseum.com