The medieval period offers an opportunity to think about gender through its popular stories and use of arms and armour to construct the bodily identity of those involved in combat roles. This blog post examines how these themes are brought to life through medievalism and fantasy in video games. The blog aims to introduce three […]
A Master Betrayed! is a set of physical and digital interactive narrative works, connected with the East Looe Old Gaol Museum in Cornwall, UK. This volunteer-led museum, occupying the medieval magistrate’s court building at the centre of this small fishing port, tells of the town’s civic, social and economic history through the stories of the […]
Thank you to everyone who tuned in to the livestream playtest of my in-development tabletop game Witch Which? on May 28th 2025, and to anyone who’s watched it on Twitch since. The recording is now available on the Historical Games NetworkYouTube channel with improved audio, and embedded below (content note: the playtest includes themes of historical witchcraft trials […]
Announcing a bonus special event as part of the Gender theme for the Historical Game Network: a livestream playtest of a new tabletop roleplaying game! This livestream will feature four researchers who work in gender and history gathering round the (virtual) table to test out a new game World Weaver: Which Witch? written by myself, Tess Watterson, […]
Guest chair/convenor: Tess Watterson Gender shapes the way that we interact with the world, and thus the way we interact with and in virtual worlds. From avatar creation and embodiment, to the design of non-player characters and in-game interactions, to the marketing and popular reception of games – gender is a crucial factor but not […]
The recording of our Medievalism discussion panel on the 19th March 2025 – featuring Blair Apgar, James Baillie, Katie Newell and Robert Houghton – is now available to watch via the HGN Youtube Channel. You can read more about the theme via the call page, and all of the contributions to Medievalism via the HGN blog.
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 […]