Richard Cole

✍️ Prof Esther Eidinow (@clahbristol.bsky.social) & Dr Chris Bevan (Computer Science) introduce us to their AI in Antiquity project which uses new technologies to bring the ancient world to life

Read how their use of AI aims to enhance the teaching of ancient culture 👉 bit.ly/4qwgyjt

🎮 Video games are no longer just entertainment. They are tools for change.

The #BristolDigitalGameLab is pioneering this shift, asking not just what games are, but what they can do for society.

Watch the full video to learn more 👉 bit.ly/3KNNe7Q

@richardcole.bsky.social @mikesamuel8.bsky.social

You can catch the sound bite below where I talk about being involved in the design and development of simulations, how students respond to their use as pedagogical tools, and how they ask new questions in the process. bristoldigitalgamelab.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2025/09/10/t...

I had a fantastic conversation with Dr Sarah Jones this summer for the University of Bristol Humanities Learning and Teaching Network podcast series about using VR and video games in the Classics and Ancient History classroom.

By taking a 360-degree look at immersivity in historical games and VR, from production to reception, the chapter demonstrates how ‘virtual antiquity’ is engaged in developing a historical literacy. www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph-de...

Immersivity in ‘Virtual Antiquity’ - this chapter for
@emmacole.bsky.social's ground-breaking book Experiencing Immersion in Antiquity and Modernity was inspired on the one hand by my work on Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and the other by the research I conducted for the Virtual Reality Oracle project.

Our eight-week active play experiment revealed four play interests for historical games: ludic, prosthetic, narrative, and referential. Our findings help to temper claims about the role of history in historical games, which in this study was more directive than front and centre of the experience.

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

"‘As you write your Odyssey…’: An empirical study of Classics students’ play interests and ergodic characterization in historical video games" - this joint article with @alexvandewalle.bsky.social for the journal Convergence was an absolute pleasure to work on. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Double publication alert! Both the below focus on
@ubisoft.com's #Assassin'sCreedOdyssey as a case study, demonstrating not only how influential the game has been on my own (and others') thinking, but also on the development of games studies scholarship more broadly. #BrisotlDigitalGameLab

Immersivity in ‘Virtual Antiquity’ - this chapter for @emmacole.bsky.social's ground-breaking book Experiencing Immersion in Antiquity and Modernity was inspired on the one hand by my work on Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and the other by the research I conducted for the Virtual Reality Oracle project.

Our eight-week active play experiment revealed four play interests for historical games: ludic, prosthetic, narrative, and referential. Our findings help to temper claims about the role of history in historical games, which in this study was more directive than front and centre of the experience.

"‘As you write your Odyssey…’: An empirical study of Classics students’ play interests and ergodic characterization in historical video games" - this joint publication with @alexvandewalle.bsky.social for the journal Convergence was an absolute pleasure to work on. doi.org/10.1177/1354...

Double publication alert! Both the below focus on @ubisoft.com's #Assassin'sCreedOdyssey as a case study, demonstrating not only how influential the game has been on my own (and others') thinking, but also on the development of games studies scholarship more broadly. #BrisotlDigitalGameLab

All participants will receive a £20 Love2Shop voucher for completing the study, which will take no more than 1 hour. Participants must be able to attend the Museum in person on Monday 28 July.

Find out more and register your interest: forms.office.com/e/bxL5ihres2

You will be testing a prototype of an interactive, quest-based experience that involves conversing with a range of AI-powered characters inspired by ancient Egypt to explore the Egyptian Gallery.

A callout for last minute signups for a #BristolDigitalGameLab research study on Monday 28 July to test a new game, developed by Meaning Machine in partnership with the University of Bristol and Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

‘As you write your Odyssey…’: An empirical study of Classics students’ play interests and ergodic characterization in historical video games - Alexander Vandewalle, Richard Cole, 2025 The various ways that players actually play historical games, and how history – or players’ conceptualization thereof – impacts play processes, remains understu...

Incredibly excited to share this collaborative article with @richardcole.bsky.social, out now in Convergence!

We hosted an active play experiment to explore how players make choices in historical games, and which role history plays (or doesn't) in this process: journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Four people sat on sofas around a table with one person writing on a piece of paper

People looking at laptops, sat at tables for the training session

Back of the audience for the Compass CDT careers event with the speakers at the front looking at the screen

Conor delivering the JGI presentation at the Game Jam

Day 5 of #BristolDataWeek wrapped up on Friday.

We had our Applied Data Analysis in Python: scikit-learn training session, Museums of Languages: A Concept Game Jam with Bristol Digital Game Lab, and the Careers in Data Science seminar with Compass CDT.

#BristolDataWeek2025 #BDW2025

Looking forward to rolling the dice for this tomorrow with @alexvandewalle.bsky.social!

Wishing you were choosing your next adventure from the Illithid? Join Dr. Richard Cole & Dr. Alexander Vandewalle at Hitpoints & History this weekend to discuss #Baldursgate3. Tickets 20% starting today!

Https://hitpointsandhistory2025.eventbrite.com

Congratulations to Dr @richardcole.bsky.social who is a University Enterprise Fellow for 25/26! 🥳

Richard will make use of the Fellowship to develop the Bristol Digital Game Lab's pioneering work around games for public service

Read more about the new cohort 👉 bit.ly/4cnHFqi

We're extremely lucky to be hosting the one and only Dr Glaire Anderson at the #BristolDigitalGameLab next month. On Wednesday 7 May 2025 @ 17:00, hear Glaire talk about “Lessons from ‘Leaving Arabistan’: New Possibilities for Academic & Games Industry Collaborations.” buytickets.at/bristoldigit...

It was inspiring to meet fellow contributors at this book launch and take part in the wider discussions prompted(!) by this volume.

Thanks so much, Alex! Here's to the next chapter in our collaborations!

Thanks, Nick! Much appreciated.

Thanks, Kate! Hope to catch up soon.

Thanks, Emma! I feel like I can finally take a breath.

Thanks, Greta! It feels like that - still hasn't properly sunk in.

Thanks so much! Very kind of you to say.

Thanks, Steve! Much appreciated.