Fostering Visitor Engagement Through Serious Game-Based Mediation in Small Local Museums

Small local museums play a crucial role in safeguarding cultural heritage, but often lack the necessary resources and digital capabilities to engage younger visitors effectively. This study examines whether a mobile serious game can enhance engagement, intrinsic motivation, and cultural knowledge among Generation Z museum visitors. This study introduces Thai-Craft-To-Go, a mobile serious game that mediates intangible cultural heritage—specifically Thai textiles and handicrafts—for Generation Z. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Flow Theory and operationalized through the Mechanics–Dynamics–Aesthetics (MDA) framework, the game translates cultural content into interactive play. We conducted an exploratory evaluation with 30 Generation Z participants using the Game Engagement Questionnaire (GEQ), the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), and a 10-item knowledge test administered before and after gameplay. Results indicated high engagement—particularly Presence and Absorption on the GEQ—strong intrinsic motivation on the IMI (notably perceived competence and value), and significant knowledge gains (mean scores increased from 4.40 to 8.03; t(29) = 8.39, p < 0.001, d = 1.53). These findings suggest that a well-designed serious game can align museum learning with the digital habits of younger audiences, enhancing engagement, motivation, and cultural understanding. For small local museums, serious games provide a feasible and cost-conscious pathway to revitalize visitor experiences and support the intergenerational transmission of intangible cultural heritage in the digital age.