i-Game: Redefining Cultural Heritage Through Inclusive Game Design and Advanced Technologies

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The intersection of serious games, advanced technologies, and culture offers new paths for fostering social inclusion and sustainability. This position paper presents i-Game, an EU project dedicated to transforming the relationship between cultural heritage and the gaming industry. By creating an open-source platform for inclusive game development, i-Game integrates tools such as Explainable AI (XAI) and virtual reality to enable diverse stakeholders—including underrepresented groups—to co-create games that address societal and cultural challenges. Through pilot projects in museums and the textile industry, i-Game explores the potential of gamification to enhance learning, creativity, and collaboration while advancing sustainable practices. The project highlights how interdisciplinary methodologies and ethical-design principles can reshape the cultural heritage landscape, democratizing access to innovative tools and fostering a deeper connection between technology and heritage.