Spatial Narratives in Mixed Reality: Immersive Gamified Heritage Experience at Yedikule Fortress

Abstract

A comparative study was conducted to assess the impact of simple game elements on user experience and awareness of the historical Yedikule Fortress. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether the incorporation of gamified virtual overlays, which were designed to remain historically authentic, contextually grounded, and aligned with the physical environment, had an impact on participants' recollection of the visited space. An iterative development process was employed, commencing with expert evaluations followed by an extensive user study. The developed interface and features of the HoloLens 2 device are detailed, and the results of the user study are presented. Our findings highlight that, in contrast with previous assertions in the literature, there is no statistically significant difference in the impact of game elements on users' experiences of spatial technologies. © 2025, Education and research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. All rights reserved.