A Serious Game for Cultural Heritage?

Abstract

Queens Game explores the potential of creating a serious game for cultural heritage through collaborative intersectorial research and production. Popular neo-medieval entertainment-games lack correct historical content and the appeal of modern character-based screen period drama, which often focuses on female protagonists: princesses attract large followings. Female player-characters in games usually act and dress like males – though studies show that female gamers prefer atmospheric exploration, interactive drama, and gathering and crafting to defeating enemies. The Queens Game incorporates well-researched history and features exploration and gathering, utilizing period-drama and musical approaches to characterization and staging. The player-character, based on a real medieval princess, lives in a virtual, populated, explorable version of her real castle, now built over. Medieval visual, musical, and storytelling modes in a historically accurate setting immerse visitors in the Middle Ages, potentially attracting players who don't normally enjoy games as well as those who do.