History and Games Lab

The History and Games Lab (H&GL) explores games as a medium for historical research, teaching and public understanding of history, including fostering practical collaborations between historians, game designers, and other practitioners who engage with games.

History and Games Lab (H&GL) aims to support events and projects that span historical research, game design, knowledge exchange, impact, and teaching.

We strive to explore those themes in a collaborative and interdisciplinary way. While based at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, H&GL welcomes students and colleagues from across the College of Art, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the University of Edinburgh as a whole, bringing them together with gamers, game designers, and anyone who uses games to represent history (such as heritage bodies, for example).  

H&GL also fosters collaborations between historians, the games industry, gamers, and any environment that uses games to represent history (such as heritage bodies, for example).  

You can find out more about the Group on its website.

HCA aspects of engaging with history through games

The group runs a series of formal and informal events that span from regular seminars to podcasts, workshops, playtests, game jams, and participation at gaming events.

You can find further information on the Facebook page.


H&GL supports academic projects as well as game design ones, and public history projects that involve games. The projects below have received funding from bodies such as the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Scottish Funding Council.

Research Projects

Replay America. This is current research project that explore the representation of American history in video games with Dr David Silkenat. 

Game Design Projects

  • Gaming the Crusades
  • Ventura: The Fall of Kings

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