Interreg

The RheijnLand.Xperiences project involved a more than three-year cooperation (2017-2020) between the IT and media departments of two universities of applied sciences, the two leading tourism offices in the region and eight museums: four from the Kreis Kleve and Kreis Wesel and four from the province of Gelderland.

The goal was to enhance innovation, cooperation and regional cultural promotion by the museums in the border region. The museums planned to tell the common history of the border region. They did so by using cross-border themes such as ‘the Romans’, ‘Dukes and Counts’ and ‘Worldwar II’. The museums wanted to raise their profiles among young people in particular. Supported by IT experts and students from two universities of applied sciences, they digitally opened parts of their collections and objects and connected them by means of gamification, geocaching, virtual and augmented reality and storytelling. The aim was to increase the attractiveness of the region and to promote visiting the regions on both sides of the border.

The result was presented in September 2020: a game called ‘Sofias Smuggling’. Each museum has its own sub-game with constantly changing applications. The museums and their parts of the game are linked by an overarching story about the tradeswoman and time traveller Sofia, who has her accomplices in each museum but also has to defeat enemies. The game playfully shows the history of the border region and tempts the players to visit all the museums (otherwise the game cannot be completed) and to thereby automatically visit the neighbouring country.