Photo of game dice of various colors on a topographical site plan.

Photo by Gabriel Mckee & Daniela Wolin (CC BY 4.0)

DAY 3: Re-Rolling the Past: Representations and Reinterpretations of Antiquity in Analog and Digital Games

Online Conference organized by Gabriel Mckee (ISAW Library) and Daniela Wolin (Yale University & ISAW Research Affiliate)

Analog and digital games (e.g. video, role play, board, card, pedagogical, and alternative games) are platforms for modeling and experiencing events in fantastic, modern, or historical settings. When devising games based on ancient historical and archaeological contexts, an informed and critical approach is essential, lest games perpetuate problematic narratives or provide inaccurate representations of the past. "Rerolling the Past" builds off of the recent increase in academic studies of games to show how games can serve as a fruitful avenue for communicating information about the ancient world. This conference will bring together historians, archaeologists, scholars of gaming, and game designers to discuss three intersecting themes: archaeology in/of games; pedagogy and games; and critical approaches to game design. We hope to acknowledge and address common issues and challenges that cut across disciplinary divides and envisage how increased collaborative initiatives can be developed in the future.

Program:

DAY 3
Friday, November 13th
11am-2:30pm

11:00am
Hamish Cameron (Victoria University of Wellington), "The Painful Art of Abstraction: Representing the Ancient World in Modern Games"

11:25am
Alexander King (NYU Game Center), "Systems, Theming and Accuracy in Representations of the Past in Games"


11:45am
Break

11:55am
Daniela Wolin (Yale University & NYU ISAW), "Gender Across the Board: Representations in Ancient World-Themed Games"

12:20pm
Shawn Graham (Carleton University), "From agent based model to analogue archaeogame: how we made FORVM: Trade Empires of Rome"

12:35pm
Break

1:30pm
Panel Discussion

Schedules for other days of the conference: day 1 | day 2

Please check isaw.nyu.edu for event updates.

ISAW is committed to providing a positive and educational experience for all guests and participants who attend our public programming. We ask that all attendees follow the guidelines listed in our community standards policy.