Welcome aboard! Learn the ropes and sail the seas!

The New Bedford Whaling Museum set out to engage the next generation of museumgoers with stories of sailors, whalers, and the industry that connected the globe. We collaborated to produce Voyage Around the World – a multiplayer gallery game that charges visitors with managing the crew aboard a 19th Century whaleship. 

Up to four players collaborate in this touchtable game, working together to complete 15 sailing challenges. Players delve into the crews’ backstories and pastimes as they learn how to best assign them to the tasks on board. Players must share the crew, sparking cooperation, competition, and discussion around the table. 

An international crew from all corners of the map highlights the global nature of the Yankee Whaling industry. Whether sailing for fortune, freedom, or family back home, the crew have unique motivations for joining the voyage. Each character possesses a skill that aids in certain tasks, such as spotting whales or hauling heavy equipment. 

Embarking on this voyage takes players through vast open oceans and challenging hazards, like icy waters and shallow straits. By exploring each port of call, players learn about the traded goods unique to each region and where featured artifacts can be viewed in the museum. This reward system motivates visitors to explore the galleries after their game, a key goal for the interpretive team.

Voyage Around the World was developed in Unity and installed on a 65-inch Ideum Pro 4K touchtable. Visitors can play in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.  This project was featured at MuseWeb 2023 in a pre-conference workshop titled Cooperative Multiplayer Games for the Museum Space.