Playing the Middle Ages

Playing the Middle Ages Pitfalls and Potential in Modern Games - New Directions in Medieval Studies

Paperback (24 Apr 2025)

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Publisher's Synopsis

The Middle Ages have provided rich source material for physical and digital games from Dungeons and Dragons to Assassin's Creed. This volume addresses the many ways in which different formats and genre of games represent the period. It considers the restrictions placed on these representations by the mechanical and gameplay requirements of the medium and by audience expectations of these products and the period, highlighting innovative attempts to overcome these limitations through game design and play.

Playing the Middle Ages considers a number of important and timely issues within the field including: one, the connection between medieval games and political nationalistic rhetoric; two, trends in the presentation of religion, warfare and other aspects of medieval society and their connection to modern culture; three, the problematic representations of race; and four, the place of gender and sexuality within these games and the broader gaming community.

The book draws on the experience of a wide-ranging and international group of academics across disciplines and from games designers. Through this combination of expertise, it provides a unique perspective on the representation of the Middle Ages in modern games and drives key discussions in the fields of history and game design.

Book information

ISBN: 9781350242920
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Pub date:
Language: English
Number of pages: 288
Weight: 454g
Height: 234mm
Width: 156mm
Spine width: 25mm