Ghosts of a Chance
An Alternate Reality Game at the Smithsonian.
WHY?
1. Increase name recognition of Luce Foundation Center and Smithsonian American Art Museum.

2. Encourage new ways to interact with the museums collections and interpretation.

3. Draw a broader audience, on-line and on site.
The Teaser
ARGFest-o-Con 2008

http://www.ghostsofachance.com/goac_eyes/
The Story
"What happens next occurs in rapid succession as do most spirals toward doom, with everyone involved swearing that they never saw "it" coming..."
http://ghostsofachance.com/main_site/?p=story
The Artifacts
Necklace of the Subaltern Betrayer
Predictor of Imminent Doom
Con Artist's Replica
Diorama of a Travesty
Memory Vessel
Escape Quilt
http://ghostsofachance.com/main_site/index.php
Live Events
Sept 20, 2008, National Museum of Natural History
Oct 4, 2008, Congressional Cemetery
Final Event
Oct 25, 2008, Smithsonian American Art Museum
244 players
70 completed all six quests (3-5 hours)
Ongoing Game
Over 1,000 players between December 2008 and July 2009
"The best museum experience ever"
"It's the most fun I have had in a museum."
"It got everyone interested in the museum, even people who don’t like art."
"This museum was exhilarating and I never felt like sitting or sleeping." 
"The kids are still talking about how cool it was."
"A great way to see the museum"
"What a creative, amusing and unique experience."
"We had a BLAST. It was great, informative and fun"
A Valuable Experience
Only 25% of participants had visited the Museum before. After the game, 68% of participants said they would definitely come again.

95% of players remembered at least one artwork from the game.

When asked how "fun" the museum was (on a scale of 1 to 7), 44% of participants gave it the maximum score of seven, and 85% gave it a high score of five or more. 


[Based on 59 completed surveys, June 28, 2009]
Word cloud of responses when participants were asked to describe the experience:
http://www.americanart.si.edu/calendar/activities/ghosts/
What's next?
Multiple Institutions 
On-line platform
Mission-based games targeted to specific educational/programmatic/marketing/etc. goals
New audiences (Gamer/Maker/DIY communities)
Social Media connections

PHEON