iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Markus Mindrebø @markusmindrebo.bsky.social · 8h

Despite it being after hours and amidst stormy weather, we had a wonderful and highly successful lecture with @robehoughton.bsky.social at the UiS campus last night, through the MARRI project. Almost 50 students, staff and alumni came to hear about medieval video games and their academic uses!

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Jonas Fossli Gjersø @jonasgjerso.bsky.social · 20h

Thoroughly enjoyed @robehoughton.bsky.social fascinating lecture entitled "Gaming the Medieval World: Exploring, Learning and Researching through Digital Games" today at the University of Stavanger. A special thanks to @markusmindrebo.bsky.social and the MARRI research group for organising it.

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Robert Houghton @robehoughton.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I had an awesome time with @michellefranklin.bsky.social on legends and lectures! Check out the episode and the spectacular back catalouge of you've missed any.

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Michelle Franklin│Legends and Lectures @michellefranklin.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

LIVE NOW ON LEGENDS & LECTURES Video games and the Middle Ages with Dr @robehoughton.bsky.social! Talking about Kingdom Come, Crimson Desert, Esoteric Ebb, Pentiment, Witcher, Scriptorium, D&D and more! www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVh-...

youtube.com

The Middle Ages in Video Games

YouTube video by Michelle Franklin | Legends and Lectures

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Akito INOUE @hiyokoya6.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I co-edited an English-language book, Japanese Game Studies: A Guide to Studying Japanese Games link.springer.com/book/9789819... and it is now out. The project started back in 2021, so it has taken us five years to finally get it published... hiyokoya.hatenadiary.jp/entry/2026/0...

hiyokoya.hatenadiary.jp

Japanese Game Studies: A Guide to Studying Japanese Games - Critique of Games メモと寸評

I co-edited an English-language book, Japanese Game Studies: A Guide to Studying Japanese Games https://link.springer.com/book/9789819598564 and it is now out. The project started back in 2021, so it ...

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The Middle Ages in Modern Games @midagesmodgames.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Due to popular demand, and to make it easy for our colleagues just getting back after conference season, we decided to extend the deadline for this year's #MAMG conference. If you feel like participating, but haven't submitte yet, worry not! Make sure to send us an abstract by August 8th.

the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester presents The Seventh Middle Ages in Modern Games Asynchronous Conference on 5 to 6 October 2026. The central themes of this year’s event are ‘Possible worlds / Possible pasts’.
In a time of growing political and environmental anxieties, the Middle Ages are often sought as a source of inspiration for alternative futures. Ecologically-minded games like Of Life and Land look to the medieval past to explore alternative, non-exploitative engagements with nature. Medievalist RPGs have long served as possibility spaces for players to interrogate and experiment with notions of sexuality, gender, and identity more broadly. Games like Scriptorium and Traveller’s Rest imagine medieval pasts divorced from the logics of violence often associated with the period. Medievalist fantasy games like Metaphor: ReFantazio openly engage with utopian thinking and our capacities to imagine possible worlds.
This conference considers the Middle Ages and Medievalism in Modern Games. We invite analytical ‘papers’ (comprising 400-500 words of text or 5-minute videos) and sessions of 3 to 5 papers which address any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games. We particularly welcome papers addressing the central conference themes of ‘Possible Worlds’ and ‘Possible Pasts’. The conference will be conducted remotely and there will be no registration fee. To promote accessibility and inclusivity, the event runs asynchronously across time zones.
We are able to accept papers in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words, brief biographies, and indications of time zone and availability as attachments in Word to midagesmodgames@gmail.com by Sunday 8 August.

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The Middle Ages in Modern Games @midagesmodgames.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

We're heading to the Middle Ages in the Modern World conference in Oxford (22-24 Jun 2027) with a strand around Adaptation and Translation! Find our Call for Papers with deadline 13 September here: middleagesinmoderngames.net/announcement...

Adaptation and Translation play an increasingly important role within medievalist games. Medieval texts and medievalist books and films have been adapted to produce a growing range of games with recent titles influenced by such diverse texts as Beowulf, Dante, Kingdom of Heaven and the Name of the Rose. Recent years have also seen a growing trend towards the translation of medievalist games into multiple languages, often introducing different perspectives of the period to new audiences. Modders and homebrew game designers have often taken the lead on both these developments, while translation and linguistic boundaries have appeared as a game mechanic in several medievalist games. Meanwhile, studies into medievalist games have continued to fall into distinct schools divided by language.

This strand addresses engagement with adaptation and translation within and around games. We invite papers of 20 minutes addressing any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any forms of digital or tabletop games, but we particularly welcome contributions which engage with ‘Adaptation’ and ‘Translation’ broadly defined.

Topics may include (but are not restricted to):

Translation as game mechanic
Adaptation of medievalist works to ludic format
Game mods
Translating medievalist games
Scholarship across languages
Roleplay
Transposing games into different periods
Global approaches to medievalist games
Ludic medievalist influences beyond games
Pedagogy through commercial games
Medieval and ancient languages in games
Cultural appropriation and reclamation
Queering medievalist stories through play

Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words and brief biographies, to midagesmodgames@gmail.com by Sunday 13 September.

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"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Think I've about hit the end of a run through X4: Foundations and I'm struck by two things: 1) there needs to be a genre descriptor grouping X4 and Bannerlord because they speak to similar fantasies and 2) the first person perspective makes for some remarkable screenshots.

A screenshot from X4 showing the debris of several large battles around a large defense station a gate, with numerous capital ship hulks drifting at odd angles.

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Robert Houghton @robehoughton.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I had a great time talking to @michellefranklin.bsky.social about so many games. Keep an eye out for the episode next month and make sure you catch up with all her excellent work.

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Michelle Franklin│Legends and Lectures @michellefranklin.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Finished recording with @robehoughton.bsky.social about THE MIDDLE AGES IN VIDEO GAMES, including discussion on Crimson Desert, Crusader Kings, Kingdom Come, Witcher 3, Dragons Dogma, D&Ds, Dishonoured, Onimusha, Esoteric Ebb, Pentiment, and more! The episode will be out at the end of August:

Picture of Dr Rob Houghton in his office beside me in my office

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Dr. Kurtis Hanlon @kurtishanlon.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

IT'S OUT! My paper on gamifying the classroom is out and open access. And it's not just about using Kahoot quizzes in class; I examine how to utilize agency to actually turn the course into a game, not just a traditionally graded course that looks like a game. READ IT! doi.org/10.33823/pht...

doi.org

Gamified Grading: Using the Principles of Andragogy to Foster Self-Directed Learners | Proceedings of the H-Net Teaching Conference

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Aaron Trammell @aarontram.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

(Also this other bad boy is on the way soon, too…STAY TUNED!!!!)

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Blair Apgar @blairapgar.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

CFP now open! The Middle Ages in Modern Games returns to Leeds IMC 2027. We're inviting papers on medievalism in digital and tabletop games, especially those engaging the congress theme of Communities. Abstracts due 13 Sept. Visit middleagesinmoderngames.net/announcement... for more information.

CALL FOR PAPERS post image #1:

The Middle Ages in Modern Games invites submissions for its strand at Leeds IMC (5–8 July 2027), sponsored by the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Research at the University of Winchester.

This year's strand explores the congress theme of Communities, examining how medievalist games imagine, construct, and negotiate social groups. Papers may consider communities as systems of governance, identity, cooperation, conflict, trade, religion, reputation, or belonging, as well as the ways players form communities around games. We are particularly interested in how games shape understandings of medieval communities through mechanics, narratives, and audiovisual representation.

We welcome papers and sessions (3–4 papers) addressing any aspect of the medieval period or medievalism in digital or tabletop games, across any region and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’—including fantasy.
We particularly welcome submissions engaging with Communities broadly defined.

Abstracts due 13 Sept. All inquiries to midagesmodgames@gmail.com. For more info, visit: https://middleagesinmoderngames.net

CFP image #2 -

Topics might include (but are not restricted to):

Teaching Medieval Communities through Games
Membership and inclusion within communities; “the Other”
Religious groups within medievalist games
Migration and mobile communities
Race, ethnicity, and cultural identity-based communities
Gender, sexuality, and queer communities
Chosen families and alternative kinship structures
Colonialism, indigeneity, and community representation
Assimilation, hybridity, and multicultural communities
Community lines along social class and/or castes
Enclaves, splinter cells, and secession
Communities of violence and disruptive communities
Cooperation and obligation within medievalist games
Relationship and favorability mechanics in medievalist games
Guild systems in massive multiplayer online games (MMOs)
Language and visual signifiers of communities
Player communities of medievalist games
Positive and negative community exchanges

Abstracts due 13 Sept. All inquiries to midagesmodgames@gmail.com. For more info, visit: https://middleagesinmoderngames.net

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Ed Roberts @ecroberts.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

On Thursday 17 September, @memsunikent.bsky.social welcomes Professor Ben Pohl (@benpohl.bsky.social) to Canterbury to give a public lecture on his recent research on the Bayeux Tapestry. 7pm, Canterbury Cathedral Lodge. All welcome - attendance is free, but registration required! Full details:

eventbrite.co.uk

Food for Thought—The Bayeux Tapestry Revisited

A talk by Prof Benjamin Pohl, Professor of Medieval History, University of Bristol.

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Jeremiah McCall (he/him) @gamingthepast.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Friends, Cincinnati Country Day School, is hosting a led-by-me workshop for educators on researching & designing problem space boardgames for classes, Sat. Oct. 3rd. For $20 registration, you get a copy of my new book too. Grateful for spreading word. events.veracross.com/ccds/96-Gaming

A flyer for Cincinnati Country Day School's Workshop, Gaming the Past, Present, and Future: Designing problem space games for durable skills and content across the curriculum.

To register: https://events.veracross.com/ccds/96-Gaming

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Alexander Vandewalle @alexvandewalle.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

New article out! 🎮🚨 I explore hegemonic and counter-hegemonic forces in video game receptions of Greco-Roman mythology, considering whether the contrast between conservative and progressive depictions maps onto the similar distinction between AAA and indie games. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

link.springer.com

AAA Versus Indie? Hegemonic and Counter-Hegemonic Forces in Video Game Receptions of Greco-Roman Mythology - International Journal of the Classical Tradition

The reception and tradition of Greco-Roman mythology in video games is traditionally considered as violent, masculine and sexist. Nevertheless, there are alternatives to this generalising description,...

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Robert Houghton @robehoughton.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Not only is my book, The Middle Ages in Computer Games, now out in paperback, @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social are giving a copy away! Enter by Sunday.

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Boydell & Brewer @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

🌟 Win a paperback edition of The Middle Ages in Computer Games by @robehoughton.bsky.social 🌟 What you need to do: 👉 Follow us 👉 Comment on this post and let us know your favourite video game Last chance to enter: Sunday 12 July 2026. One winner chosen at random from across our social channels.

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The Middle Ages in Modern Games @midagesmodgames.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

We're heading back to @imc-leeds.bsky.social next week for two days of papers on the Middle Ages in Computer Games! Come and find us Maurice Keyworth 1.06 (Mon) and Clarendon Building 1.01 (Tue). Full programme here: middleagesinmoderngames.net/leeds-imc-20...

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MAMO Conference 2027 @themamoconf.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

❗It's here! The Call For Papers for MAMO 2027❗ - Seeking a broad range of proposals for papers and events, focusing on aspects of medievalism in the modern world. - Featuring some very special events and keynotes... - You can find a plaintext version of this CFP at shorturl.at/0FJjY.

CFP for MAMO 2027. You can find a plaintext version of this CFP at <https://shorturl.at/0FJjY>

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Robert Houghton @robehoughton.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

This year's Middle Ages in Modern Games conference is being run by @vinicius-marino.bsky.social and @tesswatty.bsky.social, and they've got a great theme! It's moved to October so plenty of teaching opportunities. Make sure you get an abstract in.

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The Middle Ages in Modern Games @midagesmodgames.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

The CfP for the upcoming #MAMG26 is now live! The event will take place on 5-7 Oct, assynchronously and online. Come join us from anywhere in the world to discuss medievalisms in games and alternative approaches to the ludic past.

In a time of growing political and environmental anxieties, the Middle Ages are often sought as a source of inspiration for alternative futures. Ecologically-minded games like Of Life and Land look to the medieval past to explore alternative, non-exploitative engagements with nature. Medievalist RPGs have long served as possibility spaces for players to interrogate and experiment with notions of sexuality, gender, and identity more broadly. Games like Scriptorium and Traveller’s Rest imagine medieval pasts divorced from the logics of violence often associated with the period. Medievalist fantasy games like Metaphor: ReFantazio openly engage with utopian thinking and our capacities to imagine possible worlds.

We invite analytical ‘papers’ (comprising 400-500 words of text or 5-minute videos) and sessions of 3 to 5 papers which address any aspects of the medieval period or medievalism in any and all forms of modern games. We particularly welcome papers addressing the central conference themes of ‘Possible Worlds’ and ‘Possible Pasts’. The conference will be conducted remotely and there will be no registration fee. To promote accessibility and inclusivity, the event runs asynchronously across time zones.

We encourage submissions from medievalists, games scholars and developers at any point in their career— especially those from Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers and members of any groups under-represented within the academy and industry. We welcome pieces addressing any region globally, and within a broad definition of ‘medieval’ and ‘medievalism’.

We are able to accept papers in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words, brief biographies, and indications of time zone and availability as attachments in Word to midagesmodgames@gmail.com by Sunday 3 August.

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Justine Breton @bretonjustine.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Point d'étape Fantasy & Histoire : on approche des 20 % ce matin, merci ! À ce rythme-là, on devrait pouvoir vous annoncer quelques belles choses rapidement... 😎 fr.ulule.com/fantasyethis...

fr.ulule.com

FANTASY & HISTOIRE

200 chefs-d'œuvre et trésors méconnus

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Evan Torner @guyintheblackhat.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

I know I am connected to -- and even do consulting work for -- organizations that seek fixed outcomes through role-playing, including assessment. But my personal belief is that these games are ends in of themselves, and that they need neither justification nor tangible social outcomes.

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Eugen Pfister 🇪🇺 @eugenpfister.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Jetzt geht es an eine ganz dringende Bringschuld. #GameStudies

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Boydell & Brewer @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

"...an especially valuable resource for those researching the intersection of history and media." CHOICE. The Middle Ages in Computer Games by Robert Houghton now in paperback 👉 buff.ly/xhCWC5I #BookSky @robehoughton.bsky.social

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Robert Houghton @robehoughton.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

My book, "The Middle Ages in Computer Games" is out in paperback tomorrow (2 Jun). If you've been waiting to get hold of it, now could be a good time! boydellandbrewer.com/book/the-mid...

The book, "The Middle Ages in Computer Games" by Robert Houghton lying on a wooden desk with a computer keyboard visible.

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Esther Wright @enwright.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

It's publication day for Writing Game Histories!! 🥳🎉 Please do recommend it for your library, but it's also out in paperback so not as hideously expensive as academic books can be: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/writing-g... @doktornick.bsky.social @doni.bsky.social @historygamesnet.bsky.social

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Jenny Cromwell / Papyrus Stories @jennycromwell.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

“Ancient Egypt in Video Games” has arrived!! It’s been a journey getting here, thanks to DHL, but great to have my physical copies! Thanks to all the contributors. I’m really happy with it, and thanks to @rabeari.bsky.social & @degruyterbrill.bsky.social for their support plus series editors!

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Alyssa S. @drsepinwall.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

The 56% off sale from @upmississippi.bsky.social ends *tomorrow*. Last chance to get SLAVE REVOLT ON SCREEN & almost every one of their pop culture, Caribbean history, film, African American history & other books for bargain prices!

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Alyssa S. @drsepinwall.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Love when an article is almost ready to drop! I first became interested in Blackhaven 🏰🔥🎮 in 2021. Gave a paper at AHA 2022. Published version finally coming out this yr in @chriskempshall.bsky.social @katexe.bsky.social @robehoughton.bsky.social Routledge Companion to Video Games & History 🗃️!

Screenshot of contributors' agreement part, for my article on Slavery and Memory in Blackhaven, in the Routledge Companion to Video Games & History

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Dr. Erika Graham-Goering @jeanneologist.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Hey there fellow syllabus-makers! Having sunk hours into finding student-friendly chapters on basic aspects of medieval history, I figured I'd sink several more into putting them in a handy list so I can quickly find them again—and so can you! Drop-down contents lists included for quick comparison.

erikagrahamgoering.wordpress.com

Medieval History Textbooks, 1000–1500

After sinking countless hours into hunting down good introductory chapters on various aspects of medieval history for course syllabi, I wanted to make a list (in no particular order) of textbooks, …

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Justine Breton @bretonjustine.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

🐺📚 My short upcoming book Translating The Witcher: Publishing Fantasy Fiction in Europe (@universitypress.cambridge.org, series "Elements in Publishing and Book Culture") will be available online May 14, and as paperback in June! share.google/gbKrSC06L7Cv...

Cover of the book Translating The Witcher: Publishing Fantasy Fiction in Europe.
Justine Breton
Series "Elements in Publishing and Book Culture"
Cambridge University Press, 2026.

The cover is purple, with a big darker stylish "&" in the middle of the page.

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Tales from the Mabinogion @mabinogiongame.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

We're into the last couple days of the Steam Medieval Fest! Plenty of engaging titles on sale for you to enjoy while you wait for 'Tales from the Mabinogion' to launch! store.steampowered.com/category/medieval

store.steampowered.com

Medieval

Steam Medieval Fest 2026

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American Medieval Podcast @americanmedieval.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

boom! goes the dynamite. the dynamite in this case? a new episode. this week we talk with @blairapgar.bsky.social about medieval video games and game studies and art and all sorts of cool stuff. Enjoy! #medievalsky podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...

podcasts.apple.com

Medieval Video Games with Blair Apgar

Podcast Episode · American Medieval · April 22 · 49m

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Eugen Pfister 🇪🇺 @eugenpfister.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Eben erscheint ein Paper von uns, das zu schreiben mir besonders viel Spass gemacht hat. Und ich durfte sogar ein Google Sheet als Vorbereitung dazu aufsetzen! <3 Danke @hekabeohnename.bsky.social und @pachuki.bsky.social ! #Gamesstudies

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Gamers with Glasses @gamerswithglasses.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Hi everyone! We have a resource that we're trying to put together, and we wanted to ask what you think, since it seems that a couple scholars and educators follow us 😊. What are some games that you have found to be really effective for teaching in the game studies classroom?

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Eugen Pfister 🇪🇺 @eugenpfister.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Für den @akgwds.bsky.social schreibe ich gern über mein nicht mehr heimliches Lieblingsthema: „Historische Authentizität in digitalen Spielen“ #GameStudies gespielt.hypotheses.org/10245

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Chris Kempshall @chriskempshall.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

I recently reorganised the collection of interviews I’ve collated on my website. So if you want to see me talk excessively about the First World War, history in computer games, or various Star Wars topics then you can find lots of YouTube links here! chriskempshall.com/speaking/

chriskempshall.com

Interviews & Speaking

As a historian of the First World War and modern representations of conflict I have undertaken a range of media interviews and public speaking engagements. For examples of some of my recorded talks and interviews, see the YouTube links below: The First World War History in

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Exilian @exilianofficial.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

And we've got three different takes on research for medieval games from the worlds of indie TTRPGs (James Holloway, @gonzohistory.bsky.social), academia (Robert Houghton, @robehoughton.bsky.social), and AAA games (Maxime Durand): www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7WE... #research #history

youtube.com

Research for Games Panel (CMW6)

YouTube video by The Exilian Channel

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James Baillie @jubalbarca.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

I did a thing and you can listen to it here! Also do listen to the other videos in the thread of people with much more experience talking much more succinctly :) Thoughts always welcome if you have any on the talk!

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Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 08/04/2026

And this beautiful game on grief is out now! If you want to support Arab-made work about the Arab world, history, arts, and culture -especially in a time of destruction and erasure towards our people- I cannot recommend this game more. store.steampowered.com/app/3451680/...

store.steampowered.com

Save 10% on The House of Hikmah on Steam

The House of Hikmah is a fully voice-acted, narrative-driven 3D adventure game exploring grief, legacy and the search for answers after profound loss. Solve puzzles, encounter historical scholars of t...

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Dr Florence Smith Nicholls @florencesn.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

It's out! I was very excited to be asked to write about a minigame for Eteo Games, and I chose the Mirror Game in Her Story, a digital reimagining of the 19th century board game Reversi.

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DH2026 | X/Twitter (@DH2026_Daejeon) @dh2026daejeon.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

📢 New CFP at #DH2026! "Distant Past(s) – Current Future(s)" — full-day mini-conference on DH approaches to ancient & medieval studies. Long & short talks welcome. ECRs encouraged. 📅 Deadline: May 1, 2026 🔗 vlandau.notion.site/distant-pasts-current-futures-2026

vlandau.notion.site

Distant Past(s) – Current Future(s): Digitization, Digital Objects and Datafication Approaches in Ancient and Medieval Studies | Notion

Mini-Conference Organizing Committee

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