This paper presents Word by Word—a mobile game that allows visitors to personalize and share their experience by allowing them to construct and continue each other's stories based on the objects that they observe within the museum. The objective of the game’s concept and development is to contribute to the ongoing body of work in how mobile games could be used to support meaningful social experiences within museums. Through the use of humor, the game encourages visitors to socialize within the museum and provide unique personal interpretations of the artworks.

Through a process of iterative design, our research provides insights into which mobile interface design factors could inhibit or enhance a collaborative storytelling experience, and how a mobile game could be used to support a meaningful social museum experience by encouraging visitors to construct their own personal interpretations of the artworks.