Since the earliest eras of video gaming, developers have drawn influence from actual historic events. Modern-day realistic survival and strategy games allow players to immerse themselves in different time periods. There is a range of alternate history action games on the market that allow fans to fight their way through different historical events and stories; for instance, God of War and Assassin’s Creed. Still, while there have been history-inspired releases for decades, there are still countless untouched areas that would make for interesting games.
It would be a fair suggestion to say that, given the vast improvement and meticulous detail of modern-day survival games, any historical period might make for a good experience. But, in terms of shaping a narrative and gameplay around a specific event or incident, some history stands out as potential material for a game.
7 The Luddite Movement
In the early 1800s, as the Industrial Revolution was picking up steam across Britain, a radical movement was born. In the hope of slowing down the progress of industry that was threatening the livelihood of many a shop owner, this secretive group called the Luddites set about sabotaging mills and machinery.
There is a gaming allure to traipsing the hills of nineteenth-century Yorkshire, in Luddite strongholds such as Huddersfield and Leeds, looking to collect resources and forge machinery destroying equipment such as the famous Enoch’s Hammer.
6 Crazy Horse
Within the history of Native Americans and their numerous tribes, there are many prominent leaders whose exploits deserve immortalizing. One imposing and near-legendary figure who was a member of the Lakota tribe and may translate to an intriguing game character is Tȟašúŋke Witkó, or Crazy Horse.
Born in 1840, this enigmatic leader spent his entire adult life defending his decreasing land. Involved in notable conflicts such as The Black Hill Wars, Fetterman Fight, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, Crazy Horse was also a recognized statesman who was none negotiable in his demands.
5 The Creation Of Hip-Hop
Rap music, one of the four elements of hip-hop, is arguably among the most popular genres of music this millennium. The origin of this great art form and wider culture can be traced back to 1970s New York City. During house parties, most notably in the Bronx, DJs were creating a unique sound with turntables, while MCs were delivering new rhythmic lyrics and dancers were busting fresh moves. It’s time gamers should have an experience of this.
In an effort to bring together the four elements of hip-hop – DJing, MCing, break dancing, and graffiti – players could make their way through the Bronx helping to organize and collect the necessary gear for a house party. Meeting notable figures such as Kool Herc along the way, players could help create that original sound.
4 The Franz Ferdinand Assassination
Believe it or not, Franz Ferdinand is not just a Scottish Rock Band. The Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand ruled over the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1896 and 1914 when the course of the twentieth century was forever altered when he was assassinated.
While the Duke was an interesting figure himself, perhaps deserving of a survival game of his own, it is the events that followed his death that might provide a narrative for a timeline traveling cause and effects game. Players may find themselves negotiating the initially botched and subsequently successful assassination of Ferdinand before getting involved in some of the Earth-altering events that followed: The Great War, World War II, and The Cold War.
3 Mansa Musa
King of the West African Mali Empire between 1312 and 1337, Mansa Musa has long earned himself the moniker, The Wealthiest Person in History. Mansa ruled over a span of land that included parts of modern-day Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, and Mali, amassing a fortune that is legendary today.
Mansa’s story offers a unique Fourteenth Century West African environment for game developers to tap into. They could create an open world of visual splendor revolving around amassing a fortune and controlling an empire. The game could follow Mansa Musa on his journeys to Egypt and see players attempting to spend his immense fortune on useful services and frivolous fancies.
2 Toledan Tables
In 1080, a group of Arabic astronomers came together in Toledo, Spain, and completed one of the most influential collections of astronomical calculations of its day, the Toledan Tables or Tables of Toledan. An amalgamation of hundreds of mathematic tables and diagrams that record and predict the movements of celestial bodies, calendar dates and various aspects of the cosmos.
Players may find themselves beginning as the 1100 Arabic-Latin translator and mathematical chronicler, Gerard of Cremona, as he delves into the origins of the tables and solves astronomical puzzles along the way.
1 The Munster Rebellion
A story that is ripe for a sadistic splatterfest, and one that is full of fascinating events and larger-than-life historic characters, is the 1534 Munster Rebellion. Shortly after Martin Luther’s Reformation, one of the more radical sects of the Protestants seized the City of Munster and held it for sixteen months.
Initiated by the prophetic Anabaptist visionary Melchior Hoffman, a man who claimed to get literal messages from God, the seizure of Munster in a game could take players on a gory road of redemption. Under the leadership of another charismatic Anabaptist prophet, Mayor Bernhard Knipperdolling, players may have to survive the brutalities of life as they prepare for the town’s rebellion and final siege against these oppressive leaders.