{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"practice/three-minute-museum","type":"practice","id":"three-minute-museum","lang":"en","title":"Three minutes at the museum","summary":"Connect audience constraints to rules and the first interaction.","updatedAt":"2026-10-20","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/practice/three-minute-museum/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/practice/three-minute-museum.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/practice/three-minute-museum.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Audience and interface"],"sourceIds":["source-3e6c21889ae768e0","source-6f794a271cd60b9c"],"sources":[{"id":"source-3e6c21889ae768e0","title":"Challenges for Game Designers: author website","url":"https://designgames.wordpress.com/","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-6f794a271cd60b9c","title":"Challenges for Game Designers: table of contents","url":"https://designgames.wordpress.com/toc/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"goal","title":"Goal","body":"Connect audience constraints to rules and the first interaction."},{"id":"example","title":"Scenario and materials","body":"Make a game for a museum visitor who has three minutes. They see the screen for the first time, need not read a long tutorial and may leave at any moment. The game idea is to reconnect an object with its use.\n\nPaper screens"},{"id":"constraints","title":"Constraints","body":"- The initial screen makes the first action visible.\n- A session fits within three minutes and can restart immediately.\n- Key instructions work without sound and do not depend solely on colour."},{"id":"steps","title":"Steps","body":"1. Describe the visitor's situation without inventing verified audience research.\n2. Draw the initial screen, play screen and ending.\n3. Check the paper scenario with someone who has not seen the project. Note where help was needed."},{"id":"outcome","title":"Deliverable","body":"Three screens, session rules and a record of a new player's first attempt."},{"id":"checks","title":"Check your work","body":"- The player can identify the first action without a hint from the designer.\n- The result of an action is visible on screen.\n- Ending and restarting need no explanation."},{"id":"reflection","title":"Reflect","body":"What did the short session force you to remove? What did the player gain?"}],"relations":[{"type":"practices","direction":"incoming","label":"What this helps you learn","key":"lesson/level-wayfinding","title":"Making a route readable","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/level-wayfinding/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/level-wayfinding.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/level-wayfinding.md"},{"type":"practices","direction":"incoming","label":"What this helps you learn","key":"lesson/running-a-playtest","title":"Running a playtest with a concrete question","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/running-a-playtest/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/running-a-playtest.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/running-a-playtest.md"},{"type":"practices","direction":"incoming","label":"What this helps you learn","key":"path/level-design","title":"Level design","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/learn/level-design/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/path/level-design.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/path/level-design.md"},{"type":"practices","direction":"incoming","label":"What this helps you learn","key":"path/game-verification","title":"Game verification","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/learn/game-verification/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/path/game-verification.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/path/game-verification.md"},{"type":"uses","direction":"outgoing","label":"Sources in the selection","key":"resource/challenges-for-game-designers","title":"Challenges for Game Designers","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/resources/#resource-challenges-for-game-designers","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/resource/challenges-for-game-designers.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/resource/challenges-for-game-designers.md"}],"placements":[{"title":"In the original collection","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/practice/#three-minute-museum"}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"topic":"audience","level":"beginner","minutes":60},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Thematic inspiration: Challenges for Game Designers by Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber. These scenarios, constraints and checks are independently written around broad game-design learning topics. This is not a translation or a sequential retelling of the book exercises.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors"}}