The Middle Ages in Modern Games

O Middle Ages in Modern Games, a Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG) e o Laboratório de Pesquisa Arqueologia Interativa e Simulações Eletrônicas (ARISE) tem o prazer de convidar a todos para uma sessão temática no I Congresso Brasileiro de Arqueologia Digital. O archaeogaming e o estudo de jogos medievais se beneficiaram de um crescimento expressivo na última década. De um lado, praticantes de arqueologia e história medieval têm incorporado metodologias para integrar jogos como formas de análise e divulgação de suas pesquisas. Por outro, especialistas em game studies têm reconhecido a importância da arqueologia para o estudo da dimensão material dos jogos e da vivência de pessoas em espaços virtuais. Convidamos estudantes, pesquisadores e profissionais da Arqueologia medieval e afins a integrarem uma sessão temática direcionada às novas fronteiras de pesquisa nesta área. O evento ocorrerá nos dias 8 a 12 de dezembro de 2025, em formato online via YouTube, no período norturno (18h às 21h, horário de Brasília) Tópicos incluem (mas não estão restritos a): Archaeogaming e Idade Média Representações de arqueólogos em jogos medievalistas Arqueologia de espaços virtuais Modelagem 3D e criação de assets para jogos Cultura material da Idade Média em jogos digitais A Idade Média em jogos analógicos Medievalismo e roleplay Uso de jogos para o ensino de história ou educação patrimonial Simulações analíticas Realidade virtual/aumentada e o passado medieval Materialidade de jogos medievalistas Usos políticos e ideológicos da cultura material em jogos medievalistas Olhares decoloniais/anti-eurocêntrico sobre a arqueologia digital e jogos medievais Para mais informações ou eventuais dúvidas, favor escrever ao Dr. Vinicius Marino Carvalho no email midagesmodgames@gmail.com Favor enviar título e resumo da apresentação por meio do link: https://sinsc.furg.br/fichainscricao/7823 Esperamos ansiosamente sua participação!

Temos o prazer de anunciar nossa sessão temática no I Congresso Brasileiro de Arqueologia Digital, organizado pelo @archarise.bsky.social

Se você trabalha com jogos medievalistas ou #archaoegaming sob qualquer ótima, esperamos sua inscrição!
#historygames #medievalsky

The Middle Ages in Modern Games conference, the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), and the research society ARISE (Interactive Archaeology and Electronic Simulations) are pleased to announce a thematic strand at the I Brazilian Conference on Digital Archaeology. Archaeogaming and medievalist game studies have enjoyed noteworthy popularity since the past decade. On the one hand, practitioners of medieval history and archaeology have started to devise methodologies to integrate games as research outputs and vehicles for outreach. On the other hand, game studies experts have acknowledged the importance of archaeology to deal with the material dimension of games and the human experiences within virtual spaces. We invite students, researchers and professionals working with medieval archaeology and related fields to submit proposals for oral communications exploring these themes. The event will be held online and broadcasted via YouTube between 8-12 December, from 6 to 9pm (UTC -3). Topics include (but are not restricted to) Archaeogaming and the Middle Ages Depictions of archaeologists in medievalist games The archaeology of virtual environments 3D modeling and asset creation for games. Medieval material culture in modern games The Middle Ages in analog games Medievalism and roleplay Games as tools for history teaching and heritage education Virtual/augmented reality and the medieval past The materiality of medievalist games Political and ideological uses of material culture in medievalist games Decolonial/Anti-eurocentric approaches to digital archaeology and medievalist games For more information or questions, please contact Dr. Vinicius Marino Carvalho at midagesmodgames@gmail.com Submissions are open until the 5th of November via the following link: https://sinsc.furg.br/fichainscricao/7823 We hope to see you there!

We're pleased to announce we're putting together a thematic strand at the 1st Brazilian Conference on Digital Archaeology, organized by @archarise.bsky.social.

If you work with medievalist #historygames and/or #archaeogaming in any capacity, we'd love to hear from you!
#medievalsky

O Middle Ages in Modern Games, a Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG) e o Laboratório de Pesquisa Arqueologia Interativa e Simulações Eletrônicas (ARISE) tem o prazer de convidar a todos para uma sessão temática no I Congresso Brasileiro de Arqueologia Digital. O archaeogaming e o estudo de jogos medievais se beneficiaram de um crescimento expressivo na última década. De um lado, praticantes de arqueologia e história medieval têm incorporado metodologias para integrar jogos como formas de análise e divulgação de suas pesquisas. Por outro, especialistas em game studies têm reconhecido a importância da arqueologia para o estudo da dimensão material dos jogos e da vivência de pessoas em espaços virtuais. Convidamos estudantes, pesquisadores e profissionais da Arqueologia medieval e afins a integrarem uma sessão temática direcionada às novas fronteiras de pesquisa nesta área. O evento ocorrerá nos dias 8 a 12 de dezembro de 2025, em formato online via YouTube, no período norturno (18h às 21h, horário de Brasília) Tópicos incluem (mas não estão restritos a): Archaeogaming e Idade Média Representações de arqueólogos em jogos medievalistas Arqueologia de espaços virtuais Modelagem 3D e criação de assets para jogos Cultura material da Idade Média em jogos digitais A Idade Média em jogos analógicos Medievalismo e roleplay Uso de jogos para o ensino de história ou educação patrimonial Simulações analíticas Realidade virtual/aumentada e o passado medieval Materialidade de jogos medievalistas Usos políticos e ideológicos da cultura material em jogos medievalistas Olhares decoloniais/anti-eurocêntrico sobre a arqueologia digital e jogos medievais Para mais informações ou eventuais dúvidas, favor escrever ao Dr. Vinicius Marino Carvalho no email midagesmodgames@gmail.com Favor enviar título e resumo da apresentação por meio do link: https://sinsc.furg.br/fichainscricao/7823 Esperamos ansiosamente sua participação!

Temos o prazer de anunciar nossa sessão temática no I Congresso Brasileiro de Arqueologia Digital, organizado pelo @archarise.bsky.social

Se você trabalha com jogos medievalistas ou #archaoegaming sob qualquer ótima, esperamos sua inscrição!
#historygames #medievalsky

The Middle Ages in Modern Games conference, the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), and the research society ARISE (Interactive Archaeology and Electronic Simulations) are pleased to announce a thematic strand at the I Brazilian Conference on Digital Archaeology. Archaeogaming and medievalist game studies have enjoyed noteworthy popularity since the past decade. On the one hand, practitioners of medieval history and archaeology have started to devise methodologies to integrate games as research outputs and vehicles for outreach. On the other hand, game studies experts have acknowledged the importance of archaeology to deal with the material dimension of games and the human experiences within virtual spaces. We invite students, researchers and professionals working with medieval archaeology and related fields to submit proposals for oral communications exploring these themes. The event will be held online and broadcasted via YouTube between 8-12 December, from 6 to 9pm (UTC -3). Topics include (but are not restricted to) Archaeogaming and the Middle Ages Depictions of archaeologists in medievalist games The archaeology of virtual environments 3D modeling and asset creation for games. Medieval material culture in modern games The Middle Ages in analog games Medievalism and roleplay Games as tools for history teaching and heritage education Virtual/augmented reality and the medieval past The materiality of medievalist games Political and ideological uses of material culture in medievalist games Decolonial/Anti-eurocentric approaches to digital archaeology and medievalist games For more information or questions, please contact Dr. Vinicius Marino Carvalho at midagesmodgames@gmail.com Submissions are open until the 5th of November via the following link: https://sinsc.furg.br/fichainscricao/7823 We hope to see you there!

We're pleased to announce we're putting together a thematic strand at the 1st Brazilian Conference on Digital Archaeology, organized by @archarise.bsky.social.

If you work with medievalist #historygames and/or #archaeogaming in any capacity, we'd love to hear from you!
#medievalsky

Series | Concordia University Press - Concordia University

Our friend and contributor Stephen Yeager is one of the series editors for Media Before 1800 with Concordia Press - and they're looking for new book pitches. It may be of interest to some of our contributors:

www.concordia.ca/press/series...

There's still a couple of weeks left to get your abstracts in for our @imc-leeds.bsky.social strand next year! We how to see a lot of you there. Deadline 17 September.

Dropcaps Game

If you've been following us this year, you'll know all about DropCaps from Kelcey Gray and Jessie Contour. The game is out now on Google Play and the App Store and is well worth a look! www.dropcapsgame.com

The Call for Papers for our strand on the Middle Ages in Modern Games for next year's @imc-leeds.bsky.social is now open with the conference theme of 'Temporalities'. Please circulate to any interested parties. Deadline 17 September. Text here: middleagesinmoderngames.net/announcement...

In the last few weeks of writing this paper I've been inspired by the Middle Ages in Modern Games network (@midagesmodgames.bsky.social), who I met at @themamoconf.bsky.social. My paper is really the Ancient World in Medieval Games, but some methodologies are strikingly similar!

Power point slide that has a screenshot of the virtual model of Notre Dame from Assassin's Creed Unity. The slide reads 'Assassin's Creed and Notre Dame: sparking debates on ocularcentric learning and heritage preservation. Professor Mariana López. School of Arts and Creative Technologies. University of York

Preparing my presentation for Thursday's @midagesmodgames.bsky.social session at #IMC2025. I'll be reflecting on the ocularcentric perspectives at the centre of Ubisoft's work on heritage as a way of legitimising historical representation in the AC games, by focusing on the Notre Dame fire of 2019.

Now this will be interesting

If you’re attending the event, come and find us in room 1.09 of the Maurice Keyworth Building on 9 and 10 July.

Full programme for 2025 on our website: middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=1157

We’re delighted to be returning to the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds next week. We’ve got 20 papers in person and online spread over two days of the event, alongside a roundtable on medievalist games outside the Anglophone world.

That’s really all for this year! Thank you for joining #MAMG25, whether as speakers, participants, or both! The conference may be over, but that doesn’t mean you cannot go forward with reading all the awesome papers that have been delivered this year, and with asking more questions to their authors!

Time for conclusions for #MAMG25! Please join us for the concluding remarks on this year ‘The Middle Ages in Modern Games’ conference, with Robert Houghton delivering them, by the title ‘International Opportunities, International Challenges’. Read it here: middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=1065

10 minutes to go before going forward with the concluding remarks by Robert Houghton on what the latest #MAMG25 has delivered to us! Join us at 4pm (UTC+1) for ‘International Opportunities, International Challenges’!

That was all for our last Keynote Lecture! But #MAMG25 is not over yet! We will take a break now, but please join us at 4pm (UTC+1) for the concluding remarks by Robert Houghton, looking at what this year’s immersion in medievalist games has given us, and what it could give us in the future!

The time for our second (and last) Keynote Lecture has come! William Chen speaks at #MAMG25 about ‘Making Rajas of Asia: Modding Cultural Representation and Stateless Government in an Imperialist Game’. Come read and ask your questions: middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=900

Time for #MAMG25 last Keynote Lecture: William Chen will talk to us about the power of modding and the possibilities it offers with his paper ‘Making Rajas of Asia: Modding Cultural Representation and Stateless Government in an Imperialist Game’. Join us in 10 minutes!

We have a slightly longer break now, then please join us again at 2pm (UTC+1) for our second keynote for #MAMG25, delivered by William Chen: ‘Making Rajas of Asia: Modding Cultural Representation and Stateless Government...'

That’s a wrap for the Globalism and Religion panel! Thank you so much to our presenters: Hirohito Tsuji, Ron Heckler, and Juan Manuel Rubio Arévalo, and to everyone joining in with questions and comments! #MAMG25

Final paper for this #MAMG25 session on Globalism and Religion is ‘The Eternal Presence of Holy War: The Procedural Rhetoric of Jihad and Crusade in Total War: Medieval 2’, by Juan Manuel Rubio Arévalo. Come read and ask your questions in the comments: middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=881

Next up is Ron Heckler’s ‘„Denn häufig haben sich auf seinem Wink und Befehl viele von ihnen von einer hohen Mauer hinunter gestürzt [...]“: Die Tradierung des mittelalterlichen Mythos der Nizari Ismailis in Narration und Gameplay in Assassin’s Creed’: middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=981

The Globalism and Religion panel is starting now with a paper on ‘Religious Tensions: The Itatehyōzu Shrine in Assassin's Creed Shadows’ by @tsujihirohito.bsky.social, check it out on the website here: middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=877 #MAMG25

Just 10 minutes to go before we start our second panel for today, Globalism and Religion, at 12pm (UTC+1)! While you wait, check out all the awesome papers on our website from the last two days of #MAMG25 using the programme with links: middleagesinmoderngames.net/announcement...

a man holding a sword in front of a fence ALT: a man holding a sword in front of a fence

Thanks so much to all our presenters in Friday’s first panel for #MAMG25, Jéssica Iolanda Costa Bispo, Simone Fleres, Roderick Dale and Markus Mindrebø! We have a short rest now, then we’ll be back for our second session, Globalism and Religion, at 12pm (UTC+1)!

Landscape image from the Witcher 3, with a man (Geralt) on a horse in the foreground looking out over the ocean from a coastline, with Norse style long ships on the water and dark clouds above.

Third and final paper to close our Witcher panel is ‘Dungeons & Distortions: The Pseudo-Norse berserkir in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’ by Roderick Dale and @markusmindrebo.bsky.social, check it out and ask your questions in the comments: middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=866/

Game screenshot of The Witcher 3, in the foreground a man Geralt, with white hair, leather armour, and two swords sheathed on his back, is facing away from us, riding a white horse towards a stone bridge into a medieval townscape in the background.

The second paper of our Witcher panel is now live, ‘The Witcher 3: un viaggio nel tempo e nello spazio dell’Europa medievale’, by Simone Fleres, and is in Italian (with an English translation): middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=861

Close up image of Ciri, a white female character with grey hair and yellow 'Witcher' eyes. A 'The Witcher IV' Logo is in the bottom right corner.

Starting today’s first #MAMG25 panel is the paper ‘Female Voices in a Medieval-Inspired Universe: a Brief Comparative Study of the Representation of Women in The Witcher Books and Video Games’ by Jéssica Iolanda Costa Bispo. It’s live on the site: middleagesinmoderngames.net?p=815

The third and final day of #MAMG25 is about to begin! Head over to our website to check out the programme, and read two days of great papers, and our first panel for today, Fantasy Medievalism in The Witcher, will start in just 10 minutes at 10am (UTC+1)! middleagesinmoderngames.net/announcement...