Modern gaming is a huge economic and social phenomenon, with recent digital games titles often generating revenue comparable with the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. Games that ‘recreate’ antiquity, such as Sid Meier’s Civilisation, Rome: Total War and Assassin’s Creed Origins allow players to access an immersive environment where they are introduced to representations of past societies and activities. Scholarship has begun to explore the impact of this genre on not only the players’, but also wider society’s engagement with and understanding of the past, In addition to digital historical games, there is an extensive catalogue of simulation games in other formats, which have allowed designers and players to explore many aspects of antiquity (including culture, ethical systems, religion, slavery, economy, politics and warfare), to model variables and to test hypotheses. This module examines the medium of historical games as a way to simulate and analyse antiquity. It engages with recent ludological theories to understand the limitations and advantages that such simulations offer, the choices made in identifying and designing historical events, processes, cultures, societies and environments in games format, and the role that authors and players have in the interpretation and mediation of the past.  Students will have the opportunity to analyse critically digital and non-digital ludic representations of the past and to engage directly in the design and development of historical (non-digital) games based on ancient evidence. They will therefore develop a wide range of transferable and employability skills involving innovation and creativity, collaboration, supportive criticism and reflection, critical analysis, research and development.

• demonstrate a knowledge of games played in antiquity and the relevant evidence
• demonstrate a knowledge of practice of modern historical gaming, with a particular focus on antiquity
• demonstrate a knowledge and critical understanding of modern theories and scholarship relating to historical gaming
• demonstrate an understanding of the processes involved in developing games based on interpreting ancient evidence
• demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between ancient evidence and its reception in modern culture
• discuss these issues in written work with coherent and logical arguments, clearly and correctly expressed.
• produce a critically informed simulation of past events, processes and/or societies in a game medium

10 two-hour teaching sessions (once every fortnight) over two semesters, two game design consultation sessions, independent and group study (with each project group meeting in the weeks between lectures), coursework feedback tutorials.

Classes will consist of lecture-seminars and group work focusing on the theme of the session. These classes provide a framework for the interpretation of the evidence and a critical understanding of the modern debates and theories relating to the design and reception of historical games based on antiquity. Slides and, where appropriate, other learning materials are used to illustrate the topics and evidence discussed. Classes will also involve group discussion and development of original games. These will be based on ancient historical topics selected by the group, providing an opportunity for students to analyse and discuss key issues and topics in the module, and to get feedback on their ideas from the tutor and their peers.

Group study enables students to practice organisation and delegation of tasks, group responsibility in the development of ideas and interpretation of evidence – principally in the production of a viable and critically informed game on an Ancient Historical theme. This will be submitted to the formative assessment of peer play-testers who will provide critical and supportive feedback before final submission of the game for assessment.

Independent study enables students to familiarise themselves with the primary source material and the most important modern approaches and debates on the subject. A reading list is provided, with guidance on key items of reading for major themes and lecture topics.

Coursework feedback tutorials provide students with an opportunity to get feedback and guidance on all aspects of their written work. Game consultation sessions provide feed-forward input to groups in the design and implementation stages of historical analysis and game production.

• analysis of a variety of different types of historical evidence, such as literary texts, artefacts and images
• analysis of a variety of historical games and genres, such as digital, tabletop, board, card and roleplaying games set in antiquity
• creative, imaginative and flexible thinking skills
• modelling and testing the simulation of historical processes 
• game development skills such as rules design, parameter testing, creation and realisation of components, layout and the game aesthetic
• assimilating and synthesising complex information and ideas
• critical thinking skills, such as analysing and evaluating evidence, critiquing interpretations or arguments, and challenging assumptions
• constructing and defending arguments based on evidence
• clear, accurate and effective communication of ideas and arguments in writing and in debate
• employing basic skills and conventions in the presentation and use of literary and material evidence
• bibliographic and referencing skills
• contributing to group discussions
• team work and collaboration
• offering critical and supportive feedback
• using IT resources effectively
• independent working and time management

Students will be assessed through one 1500 word coursework exercise (40%) and one group project (60%).

The coursework exercise will require knowledge and critical deployment of evidence and critical understanding of modern scholarship to answer questions and construct arguments relating to the historical gaming of antiquity.

The group project will be the design of a playable( non-digital) game. Students will be organised into small groups in order to produce a game consisting of a rule-booklet (maximum 2 sides of A4), game components (such as pieces, cards and game board), and a 1000 word, reflective, “Designers’ Notes” that will provide a defensible interpretation and rationale for the historical simulation and attendant design choices, including a critical appraisal of the ancient sources and relevant modern scholarship upon which the game is based.

Students will also be required to engage in formative assessment in class of other groups’ games. They will, complete Playtester’s Questionnaires aimed at providing critical and supportive feedback on the development of other groups’ games.

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE:

Students who fail the module will normally be expected to resit the failed component(s) in the summer resit period.

Games that were played in Antiquity: ancient ludic contexts, evidence and modern reconstruction

Games about Antiquity: Contemporary Ludic Culture(s) and Historical Research

Themes in Historical Gaming: Progress, Utopia and Dystopia

Themes II: Conflict, Power and Violence

Themes III: Othering and Counter-Hegemonic Perspectives

Experiencing Antiquity? Immersion, Environment and Agency

The Art of Gaming

Modelling the Past – design choices and process, realisation, packaging

Antiquity Redesigned: Modding

Closing the Feedback Loop: Play testing

Antley, J. 2012. ‘Games and Historical Narratives.’ Journal of Digital Humanities.

Apperley, T. 2013. ‘Modding the Historians’ Code: Historical Verisimilitude and the Counterfactual Imagination’. In Playing with the Past (ed.) M. W. Kapell, and A. B. R. Elliott. Bloomsbury.

Begy, J. 2015. “Board Games and the Construction of Cultural Memory.” Games and Culture.

Champion, E. 2015. Critical Gaming: Interactive History and Virtual Heritage. London: Ashgate Publishing.

Chapman, A. 2016. Digital Games as History: How Videogames Represent the past and Offer Access to Historical Practice. New York, NY: Routledge.

Chapman, A., Foka, A. & Westin, J.  2017. ‘Introduction: what is historical game studies?’, Rethinking History, 21:3, 358-371

Clyde, J., Hopkins, H. &  Wilkinson, G. 2012. ‘Beyond the “Historical” Simulation: Using Theories of History to Inform Scholarly Game Design’, Loading 6 (9): 3–16.

Cornell T. & Allen T.  (eds), 2002. War and Games, Woodbridge & Rochester

De Groot, J. 2009. Consuming History: Historians and Heritage in Contemporary Popular Culture. Abingdon: Routledge.

Frissen & Raessens (eds) 2015, Playful Identities: The Ludification of Digital Media Cultures, Amsterdam.

Harrigan P.  & Kirschenbaum M. G. (eds), 2016. Zones of Control: Perspectives on Wargaming Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

Huizinga, J. 1955 Homo Ludens.

Kapell, M. W.  & Elliott, A.B.R. 2013 Playing with the Past: Digital Games and the Simulation of History, New York: Bloomsbury Academic.

Kee K. et al  2009. ‘Towards a Theory of Good History Through Gaming’, The Canadian Historical Review 90.2, 303-326.

McCall J. 2011. Gaming the Past

Mortara, M. et al , 2014. ‘Learning Cultural Heritage by Serious Games’. Journal of Cultural Heritage 15 (3): 318–325.

Purcell, N.  1995 ‘Literate Games. Roman Urban Society and the Game of Alea’, Past and Present, 147.

Sabin, P. 2007. Lost Battles: Reconstructing the Great Clashes of the Ancient World. London: Continuum.

Sabin, P. 2012. Simulating War: Studying Conflict through Simulation Games. London: Continuum.

Schut, K. 2007. “Strategic Simulations and Our Past.” Games and Culture 2 (3): 213–235.

Steinkuehler, C, Squire, K. and Barab. S. (eds). 2014. Games, Learning, and Society: Learning and Meaning in the Digital Age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Uricchio, W. 2005. ‘Simulation, History, and Computer Games’. In Handbook of Computer Games Studies, (ed.) J. Raessens and J. Goldstein, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 327–338.

van Creveld, M.  2013. Wargames: From Gladiators to Gigabytes Cambridge:  CUP

Winnerling, T. Kerschbaumer F.  (eds) 2014. Early Modernity and Video Games, Cambridge Scholars Publishing,

See the module handout for the full reading list.