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Avoiding the Historical Accuracy Trap: Lessons from Five Thousand Years of Fun

Overview:

Aiming for historical accuracy in games is a trap: history's answer to 'what really happened', is at best a solid theory and at worst a deeply divisive ideological frame. Making games based on historical facts and accurate reconstructions of the past is costly and can generate destructive debates within both developer and player communities. nnThis presentation by two 'play archaeologists' presents a different approach, knowledge-driven storytelling, rooted in studies of the past, particularly of how people played in and play with the past. The aim of the paper is to provide inspirational insights from the intersections past and present play to create more interesting, diverse, accessible, and inclusive experiences of the past in video games. This paper will combine knowledge about the past and its implementation in video games by focusing on the Royal Game of Ur, a 5000 year old board game, and the development of a video game based on it.

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