Developed by Omega Force and published by Koei Tecmo, Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War (2007) is a tactical action game that immerses players in the brutal conflicts between England and France during the 14th and 15th centuries. The game is set during the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453), which was a protracted conflict between England and France marked by shifting […]
In video game design, the deliberate reuse and reinterpretation of architectural elements can function as a form of digital spoliation, evoking historical continuity, cultural layering, and the passage of time within virtual worlds. Spoliation refers to the deliberate reuse of architectural elements, sculptures, or other materials from pre-existing structures in new constructions or artistic contexts. […]
878AD is an immersive living history experience in the Brooks Shopping Centre in Winchester, England. Described as “a multi-sensory museum experience with theatre, tech and play,” it was created through a partnership between Hampshire Cultural Trust, Ubisoft, and Sarner to utilise graphics from Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (2020) as a backdrop for telling the story of the year […]
The gaming medium can stimulate original perspectives on the past by incorporating underrepresented cultures or minorities into its game systems. However, when reflecting on the concept of accuracy,1 it has been emphasized that games “should also be inclusive without lying to the audience,” and Diana Cristina Răzman specified that the way the gaming industry addresses […]
As both a game developer and a medieval historian, each of my interests informs the other. In this post, I’m going to talk you through some ways I approach putting medieval elements in games and think about why they’re there. The process I use is based on thinking about medieval ideas as a sort of […]
Guest Chair/Convenor: Robert Houghton The Middle Ages are almost everywhere in games. From the painstaking reconstructions of medieval buildings and cityscapes in Assassin’s Creed (2007-) and Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) to the fantasy worlds emblematic of World of Warcraft (2004-), Gloomhaven (2019) or Baldur’s Gate (1998). From the detailed and measured explorations of medieval life in Pentiment (2022) or Pendragon (1985-) to the comedic Peasant’s Quest (2004) or Munchkin (2001). From post apocalyptic pseudo medieval societies in Fallout (1997-) […]
“The potential of videogames for museums is limitless.” Museum Lab, 2022. In 2014 I was playing Galactic Café’s The Stanley Parable (2013) – a story-based game with a branching narrative providing commentary on player choice, decision making and game design – when I encountered the game’s ‘Museum Ending’. In this ending, the player is invited to explore […]
Click here to download and play “You’re ruining my lore” (via Holly Nielsen, itch.io) This is a short interactive fiction vignette I created to explore some of the ideas (and my own personal perspective and feelings) around “lore” in games, what it has come to mean, and the role of players in the creation of […]
“EA Sports. It’s in the Game”. This infamous refrain will be very familiar to the sports-videogame enthusiasts amongst us. (There are dozens of us. Dozens!) However, when considering player practices and history, it is fascinating to look beyond the confines of digital game content and instead examine the paratexts that are produced around and outside […]
Earlier this year, we at the HGN were very fortunate to work alongside several other partners, including historian Dr Chris Kempshall, the University of Glasgow Games and Gaming Lab, and sponsored by World of Tanks to co-host the Imperial War Museum’s War Games Jam. The War Games Jam asked participating teams to create an innovative […]