This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way.

This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way.

      Maya Claire

      Exploring the Museum of All Things is akin to traversing the vast expanse of human knowledge. This interactive museum, created by developer Maya Claire and available for free on itch.io, materializes Wikipedia by transforming any page from the internet’s preferred information source into a digital exhibit for users to examine at their convenience. Although this interactive experience might not fit the conventional definition of a "game," the Museum of All Things is an inventive use of interactive media that highlights the extensive amount of information we have readily available.

      As I begin my journey in the Museum of All Things, I find myself in a lobby. Before me is a help desk featuring a sign and a map detailing the organization of the space. Wings extend from the main hall, categorizing topics such as people, history, culture, geography, and more. Similar to a real museum, the ideal way to explore MoAT is to choose a wing at random and start your adventure. I opt for the culture wing and stroll down a spacious white corridor, branching off into smaller hallways. A sign for flood myths catches my eye, prompting me to enter, where I discover a large exhibit complete with framed images and substantial text posters explaining the various historical, cultural, and religious dimensions of the term.

      All of this content is derived directly from Wikipedia, with images sourced from Wikimedia Commons. In essence, this means that each exhibit corresponds to a Wikipedia page transformed into a physical environment. Within each exhibit room, additional signs indicate other links—each one a connection you would find on the actual Wikipedia page to a related topic. For instance, after exploring the flood myths exhibit, I veered into the Zeus hallway and ended up on a tangent from there.

      The sensation of becoming immersed in the information labyrinth is a hallmark of the Wikipedia experience that many recognize. The interlinking of pages allows for endless clicking, often leading one to a vastly different place than where they began, accumulating disparate facts along the way. MoAT slows down this information dive, transforming it into a more reflective process by situating it within an expansive setting that follows a surreal pattern of infinite corridors and exhibits. Although it may only take seconds on Wikipedia to go from Danny DeVito to Henry VIII with a few clicks, navigating the same path in MoAT could take minutes as you traverse its more intricate layout. I feel as if I finally grasp what the main character in Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi experienced.

      This experience compels players to engage with each piece of information intentionally, contrasting the hurried flow that often characterizes browsing on Wikipedia. There are options to streamline the searching process within MoAT if preferred. A search feature in the lobby leads directly to the exhibit you're seeking, and should you wish to delve deeper into a topic, an option in the pause menu will connect you directly to the relevant Wikipedia page. However, the uniqueness of transforming all this information into a physical environment is what renders MoAT so appealing.

      Museums can be endurance challenges. Personally, I adhere to the rule that I can’t spend more than three hours in a museum. One minute beyond that threshold usually leaves me overwhelmed, resulting in glazed-over eyes. It explains why, despite living in New York City for so many years, I haven’t seen every room in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That's just one museum, and while it is one of the largest globally, it has a finite amount of knowledge contained within its walls. In contrast, MoAT is nearly impossible to quantify.

      By translating Wikipedia’s repository of knowledge into a semblance of physical space, it provides a striking reminder of how much information is truly at our disposal. Presenting it in the form of a traditional museum also emphasizes that Wikipedia is not a spontaneous creation but rather a project shaped and actively curated by people. Information is a powerful asset, and as negative forces attempt to regulate initiatives like Wikipedia, MoAT serves as a reminder not to take this resource for granted.

      Willa is a freelance games critic based in NY. She hosts the Girl Mode podcast and has previously contributed to Inverse and Kotaku.

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This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way. This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way. This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way. This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way. This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way. This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way. This complimentary interactive museum allows you to experience Wikipedia in a completely new way.

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