In recent years, gamification is having a huge spread and popularity, but it is necessary to reflect on what it is and what it means. The term appears to derive from the word “game” or “game” or “fun” with no particular purpose. However, defining gamification in this way is limiting because it is a very effective tool capable of transmitting messages of different kinds “and inducing active behavior on the part of users” (see An Introduction to gamification) in order to achieve specific objectives. Therefore, the user and his active involvement must always be placed at the center of this.

But what is gamification actually? It can be defined as a set of rules deriving from the world of gaming, which aim to apply playful processes to activities outside the game; in this way it is possible to modify and influence the behavior of people in order to generate active interest in users towards the message that has been wanted to communicate. Consequently, gamification can be applied to many contexts, be they websites, communities, contents, companies to achieve concrete objectives such as engangemet, loyalty, interaction with users and within cultural institutions, such as the museum. The aforementioned may be the potential gamifiable contexts so as to encourage the user’s interest, involvement and active participation.

Having defined what is meant by gamification, it is appropriate to reflect on the relationship that is created if the world of gaming is used in the complex world of cultural institutions.