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

Abstract

Games about the ancient past serve as a sort of simulation, formalizing real-world events into a system of rules which are then enacted by players who take on the role of an agent inside a narrative system. Requiring active engagement with the subject matter through world building and decision-making, games—both analog (or tabletop) games and digital (or video) games—can provide a tool for modeling and experiencing events in fantastic, modern, or historical settings. This introductory essay describes the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of the “Re-Rolling the Past” conference, arguing that games can serve as important avenues for communicating information about the ancient world while also advocating for an informed, critical, and deliberative approach to games based on real-world places, times, and people.