PatriActívate is a heritage videogame application. The application is educational available and free to play on mobile or desktop. The Ministry of Culture of Peru launched this game to help Peruvians stay engaged and connected with their heritage during the Pandemic.
What is it?
The game is short with a layout similar to a board game; to begin the player chooses one out of 4 personalities to play the game the lady of Cao (Mochica Culture), the scissor dancer (Andes), the marinera dancer (Coast) and Túpac Amaru (Descendant of the Incas).
After choosing the character, you play against another figure, the first to get to the centre of the board wins. To advance the map, you roll dice landing on red or darker hexagons that unlock heritage items, which allow you to roll again. These items feature an image and a short description of a tangible or intangible Peruvian heritage and tradition. Moreover, except for insight into Peru’s history and culture, you get the chance to roll the dice again and advance further.
Honestly, I have not been so excited to land on a heritage item in a while. However, some hexagons might reveal a replica card that will send you back, hindering your progress.
The game includes a glossary with all necessary information and is fun, short and informative. If you speak basic level Spanish it is easy to understand, so give it a try.
Our take
PatriActívate is a great tool to promote culture and heritage, pandemic notwithstanding. The game came to be from the rising need to find alternative ways to interact with culture at a national level during Museum lockdowns, such as digital exhibitions and social media. In this instance, the game achieves more than its set purpose, as is not just an educational tool but has the potential to promote culture internationally, if translated, setting a new example for sharing heritage. What if instead of reading guides, a classroom/family/friends play together a short informative game giving the necessary information for the cultural site they plan to visit? This would certainly change the game (pun intended) and the way we perceive visits to cultural sites.
Overall PatriActívate attains its purpose of ludic education and brings innovation to the field of heritage management, and we hope to see more initiatives like it.
I want to learn more:
PatriActívate
PatriActívate: un juego familiar que enseña a cuidar el patrimonio cultural
Un jeu vidéo pour la défense du patrimoine culturel péruvien
