Play Through History

Play is foundational to our humanity. Board games have been found in societies as far back as ancient Egypt and continue to find popularity in the 21st century. The technological developments of the 20th century led to the creation of digital gaming. There are now over 3.09 billion players of video games worldwide.

Ancient game token sitting on a replica gameboard for Mehen

Video games are one of the most popular and profitable forms of media. Many of these games draw upon historical themes. These types of video games are increasing in prominence. We should consider what versions of history players are receiving through their gameplay and what effects this has on their understanding of the past.

Overview image of museum display featuring video game 'Save One More' and trench art objects

This exhibition connects audiences with both the history of gaming and the ways that games centre, interpret, reinterpret and reimagine history. This duality allows us to see how games have evolved and to explore where this evolution is heading

We invite you to Play Through History!

Apotheon and Gamer Perceptions of the Ancient World

Heaven's Vault and Archaeogaming

This short video presents an explanation of archaeogaming as a concept and a demonstration of how archaeogaming is applied in the game Heaven's Vault (Inkle, 2019).