WOW - Winter Olypmpics Wonders
Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino
Visitors to the Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino, as part of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic project.
Project TypeVirtual Reality
ScopeEducational / Museum
An authentically inclusive gaming experience, designed to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic sports and accessible to everyone. Through targeted technological solutions, WOW – Winter Olympics Wonders offers an immersive exploration of the connections between sport, culture, history, and innovation. The Olympics are not just competitions, but shared stories and drivers of social change.
The project is part of the three-year initiative Anelli di congiunzione (2024–2026), promoted by the Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino in collaboration with the Autonomous Province of Trento, Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, and the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.
Goal: To create an engaging, evolving experience that complements and enhances a dynamic exhibition on the history of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The exhibition is continuously updated, with yearly themes from 2024 to 2026, leading up to Milano Cortina 2026: from "Records" to "Performance" to "Territories", exploring symbols, disciplines, milestones, and innovations.
An inclusive and accessible gaming experience, available in both virtual reality and on mobile devices. The game is modular and constantly evolving, designed to grow alongside the exhibition. Each new release introduces updates that enrich the exhibition content, making the museum experience more engaging and interactive, while also enhancing the legacy of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Il progetto
The WOW – Winter Olympics Wonders game experience offers a unique opportunity to learn through play. With points, levels, and challenges, participants retrace the evolution of Winter Olympic and Paralympic sports from 1924 to today—an immersive time-travel journey blending discovery and entertainment.
Thanks to an innovative user experience, available via VR or mobile app, the traditional exhibition format is transformed: from an assertive model to a narrative and immersive experience in which the visitor becomes the central figure.
This is a unique opportunity not only for the public—who can step into the shoes of an athlete and dive into Olympic history—but also for the Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino. The Foundation can bring fragments of the museum to a wide array of events related to the Olympic celebration, highlighting how sport intersects with history and culture, and offering a broader, more informed perspective on the meaning of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Inside the experience
Wearing the VR headset—or directly via smartphone—users access an interactive virtual platform where they can embody an Olympic or Paralympic athlete, competing in a downhill race.
While the body engages in the athletic performance, the mind is tested with questions about 16 different disciplines — including biathlon, bobsleigh, Nordic combined, curling, ice hockey, figure skating, and more.
To advance in the game, users must achieve strong athletic results and correctly answer historical quiz questions. Every advancement corresponds to a new edition of the Games, from Chamonix 1924 to the present day.
Only the most skilled will be able to preserve Olympic memory, embarking on an exciting journey through legendary achievements and technical innovations — right up to today.
RELEASE 2024 – "Records"
The theme of records guides the first edition. Randomly chosen as either an Olympic or Paralympic athlete, the user tackles challenges focused on speed, time, and evolving equipment. Each historical checkpoint unlocks upgrades in line with the era being explored, making the challenge increasingly complex and engaging.
RELEASE 2025 – "Performance"
A theoretical level is added to the challenge, featuring quizzes, trick questions, and educational insights across 16 Olympic disciplines. Topics include the introduction of shaped skis, bobsleigh technology, and running prosthetics. The game becomes even more layered and educational.
RELEASE 2026 – "Territories"
The third release will focus on host territories and their relationship with the Olympic event. A new chapter, ready to surprise and further enrich the experience.
About the design
WOW – Winter Olympics Wonders offers a customizable immersive experience in virtual reality, available in both first-person and third-person perspectives. The third-person mode is specifically designed to minimize motion sickness — a common discomfort caused when visual movement doesn’t align with the user’s physical stillness.
To ensure maximum accessibility, a mobile version is also available, designed for users who are more sensitive to VR environments. Available on Google Play, the mobile version faithfully replicates the virtual experience and fits perfectly into the concept of the extended museum.
WOW is designed to go on tour to Olympic venues, becoming a dynamic and engaging promotional tool, ideal for attracting younger audiences. Through active play, users can explore and delve into the major themes of the Olympic Games — one of the most captivating events in history.