## 1 Introduction and Background  
Online Virtual Museums (OVM), serving as vital complements to physical museums, have emerged as significant channels for cultural dissemination [1, 2]. OVM transcends spatial, temporal, and geographical limitations, allowing global visitors to access, explore, and learn about cultural heritage at any time and from anywhere [3]. However, the intranibility of virtual environments introduces novel challenges; the absence of physical reference points and spatial boundaries can lead to user disorientation, complicating self-localization and subsequently diminishing their immersion and presence, thereby adversely affecting the user experience in virtual museums [4, 5]. Spatial disorientation among visitors in virtual museums is partly attributed to spatial orientation challenges and navigational design issues within the virtual environment [6]. Scholarly testing and analysis of virtual museum navigation have demonstrated a significant impact on user experience, with visitors often experiencing poor location awareness and a lack of clarity in direction during their visits [7]. This issue is particularly pronounced when navigational aids and informational displays are inadequate for effective spatial positioning [8, 9, 10]. To enhance user experience, it is crucial to identify and implement improvements in navigation that can mitigate spatial disorientation and enhance spatial cognition within the virtual domain. Spatial cognition represents a multidisciplinary research nexus spanning cognitive psychology and geographic information science, among others, focusing on how humans understand, recall, and navigate spatial information. This domain extensively engages with cognitive maps [11; 12; 13], navigation systems [14; 15; 16], and information visualization [17; 18; 19], uncovering the profound interplay between spatial cognition and the mechanisms of navigation and information processing within complex settings. In the real world, navigation is often associated with tools such as compasses or maps [20]. Maps are indispensable for facilitating navigation and enhancing spatial cognition, offering visitors increased security on unfamiliar paths, improved focus [21], and efficient exploration [22]. Similarly, within virtual environments, maps depict fictional geospatial constructs [23], often materializing as mini-maps [22]. Mini-maps offer a top view of the virtual landscape, either in entirety or partially [24], acting as a critical tool in games to convey essential information, allowing users to obtain a comprehensive overview and make informed decisions [25; 26]. Effective game design elements significantly enhance user engagement and interactivity, particularly in virtual environments devoid of physical spatial references [23]. Given the longstanding success of games in facilitating spatial navigation and cognition in intricate virtual environments. [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [27] focused on spatial usage patterns in video games, exploring how players interact within virtual spaces and the connections between architecture and gaming. Their research highlights the context-specific significance of game spaces, guiding players to integrate game environments with the real world. [PERSON], [PERSON] et al. [24] discussed how game design elements could be transformed into the concept of \"gamification\", proposing that displaying paths in space is optimal for navigation and that mini-maps can enhance player performance. [PERSON], [PERSON] [25] examined the intersection of virtual reality (VR) and video games, focusing on the concepts of immersion, presence, and spatiality in virtual environments. His study underscores that virtual worlds transcend mere technological constructs, serving as socially and culturally constructed spaces that enable specific interactions and performances. Similar to video games, virtual museums employ first-person interaction modalities, incorporating a variety of interactive design and user experience strategies [26].