Jeremiah McCall (he/him)
@gamingthepast.bsky.social
PhD Ancient History; Gaming the Past (2022), Musings, research, & pedagogies of history, education, games, game design & intersections; High school history teacher; Game Designer; fan of Buddhist compassion; [email protected]
https://gamingthepast.net
https://gamingthepast.net
Absolutely dominant theme. Have you seen Xavier Rubio Campillo's excellent recent article on this?
Yes!! we can make games beyond war and empire. They would still, in my experience, fit the framework, but different action-choice names w/ different ethical weights might be used (dwell; harvest etc.)
Yes!! we can make games beyond war and empire. They would still, in my experience, fit the framework, but different action-choice names w/ different ethical weights might be used (dwell; harvest etc.)
What History are we playing today? An analysis over 50 years of historical board games
The past is a primary source of inspiration for the flourishing cultural industry of board games as game designers are inspired by a variety of periods and historical events to craft unique visions...
www.tandfonline.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Absolutely dominant theme. Have you seen Xavier Rubio Campillo's excellent recent article on this?
Yes!! we can make games beyond war and empire. They would still, in my experience, fit the framework, but different action-choice names w/ different ethical weights might be used (dwell; harvest etc.)
Yes!! we can make games beyond war and empire. They would still, in my experience, fit the framework, but different action-choice names w/ different ethical weights might be used (dwell; harvest etc.)
Okay @bramderidder.bsky.social , here's my response to that point you made yesterday. Your thoughts are most welcome!
November 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Okay @bramderidder.bsky.social , here's my response to that point you made yesterday. Your thoughts are most welcome!
As always, would love to know what you think!!!! These are all theories meant to inform and guide practice, i.e. be practical. Your thoughts and questions and critiques are all super helpful for me doing that, so I'm grateful if you want to respond to something/10
November 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
As always, would love to know what you think!!!! These are all theories meant to inform and guide practice, i.e. be practical. Your thoughts and questions and critiques are all super helpful for me doing that, so I'm grateful if you want to respond to something/10
I also think an APS might? Be very helpful for teachers in other disciplines than history, not least of all lit & lang (but any subject that purports to represent the world: science, social science, etc.) As an approach to how they & their students could design world-based games in their areas.? 9/
November 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I also think an APS might? Be very helpful for teachers in other disciplines than history, not least of all lit & lang (but any subject that purports to represent the world: science, social science, etc.) As an approach to how they & their students could design world-based games in their areas.? 9/
Because then an Agential Problem Space can help with terms and tools for seeing how a game medium shapes literature and lore and perceptions of the world into a game, which basically means a medium that is structurally like an historical game ? 8/
November 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Because then an Agential Problem Space can help with terms and tools for seeing how a game medium shapes literature and lore and perceptions of the world into a game, which basically means a medium that is structurally like an historical game ? 8/
So since HPS is also a theory for how games shape historical content maybe? for literature based game studies interested in how game designer present a world in their game that is
1) based on a literary / text lore corpus
2) purporting to be the "real world" or a "real historical world" /7
1) based on a literary / text lore corpus
2) purporting to be the "real world" or a "real historical world" /7
November 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
So since HPS is also a theory for how games shape historical content maybe? for literature based game studies interested in how game designer present a world in their game that is
1) based on a literary / text lore corpus
2) purporting to be the "real world" or a "real historical world" /7
1) based on a literary / text lore corpus
2) purporting to be the "real world" or a "real historical world" /7
I do NOT have ANY substantial grounding in (post Roman) literature or literary theory. So when I speculate next, why seeing games as agential problem spaces might be useful, it is based on my perspective in all those things listed in #5. /6
November 28, 2025 at 3:03 PM
I do NOT have ANY substantial grounding in (post Roman) literature or literary theory. So when I speculate next, why seeing games as agential problem spaces might be useful, it is based on my perspective in all those things listed in #5. /6
I'll work up an Agential Problem Space chart if that feels useful (does it) derived from the HPS chart I've been showing the past week or so.
Now, I'm a historian and a history teacher and a historical game designer and a historical game studies academic 5/
Now, I'm a historian and a history teacher and a historical game designer and a historical game studies academic 5/
November 28, 2025 at 3:03 PM
I'll work up an Agential Problem Space chart if that feels useful (does it) derived from the HPS chart I've been showing the past week or so.
Now, I'm a historian and a history teacher and a historical game designer and a historical game studies academic 5/
Now, I'm a historian and a history teacher and a historical game designer and a historical game studies academic 5/
So any game with a world (and inhabitants if that's not understood) can be analyzed using something like the Historical Problem Space framework.
I really have not had time to explore this, but I'm going to start referring to it, for consistency and connection to HPS, as an Agential Problem Space. 4/
I really have not had time to explore this, but I'm going to start referring to it, for consistency and connection to HPS, as an Agential Problem Space. 4/
November 28, 2025 at 3:03 PM
So any game with a world (and inhabitants if that's not understood) can be analyzed using something like the Historical Problem Space framework.
I really have not had time to explore this, but I'm going to start referring to it, for consistency and connection to HPS, as an Agential Problem Space. 4/
I really have not had time to explore this, but I'm going to start referring to it, for consistency and connection to HPS, as an Agential Problem Space. 4/
And that developed into a full framework that is still developing (even into current book project, Designing Historical Games for the Classroom). Bottom line, though, is that systemically functional nature of games about worlds--regardless of whether those worlds are fictional historical etc. 3/
Game Studies - The Historical Problem Space Framework: Games as a Historical Medium
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November 28, 2025 at 1:25 PM
And that developed into a full framework that is still developing (even into current book project, Designing Historical Games for the Classroom). Bottom line, though, is that systemically functional nature of games about worlds--regardless of whether those worlds are fictional historical etc. 3/
In origin, I proposed it to point out that the ways Historical games characterize any given part of their history content cannot be considered independently from that parts functional role in the game's historical problem space. 2/
Historical Simulations as Problem Spaces: Some Guidelines for Criticism
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November 28, 2025 at 1:25 PM
In origin, I proposed it to point out that the ways Historical games characterize any given part of their history content cannot be considered independently from that parts functional role in the game's historical problem space. 2/
Aww thanks! I thought it was clicking, but your confirmation is awesome!
November 27, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Aww thanks! I thought it was clicking, but your confirmation is awesome!
No worries and next week (or later) is fine. I forgot Philome.la and they are still there, but I'd still love to back up so I can more robustly cite in the book, if that's of interest. Good luck with the real life stuff!!!!
philome.la
Philome.la
November 27, 2025 at 4:15 PM
No worries and next week (or later) is fine. I forgot Philome.la and they are still there, but I'd still love to back up so I can more robustly cite in the book, if that's of interest. Good luck with the real life stuff!!!!
Great! That does sound like an advantage of 2.0. Thanks for the insights (and the typo!). If you get a chance to try it out, do let me know
November 27, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Great! That does sound like an advantage of 2.0. Thanks for the insights (and the typo!). If you get a chance to try it out, do let me know
That happens to us all and would happen no matter what to some extent becuase our histories are game histories not text histories. In my De Agricultura prototype, action choices abt what to plant etc are reasonable analogies to history, but the multiple dice rolls and locking in some is not.
November 27, 2025 at 3:22 PM
That happens to us all and would happen no matter what to some extent becuase our histories are game histories not text histories. In my De Agricultura prototype, action choices abt what to plant etc are reasonable analogies to history, but the multiple dice rolls and locking in some is not.
Yes!!!!!! Dog walk first, then I will respond on this! Thanks again, @bramderidder.bsky.social !
November 27, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Yes!!!!!! Dog walk first, then I will respond on this! Thanks again, @bramderidder.bsky.social !
Illuminations may not have been tools or resources in this way historically, but your game history presents them this way. And we all do similar things when we make historical games. We make historical problem spaces 🙂 2/
November 27, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Illuminations may not have been tools or resources in this way historically, but your game history presents them this way. And we all do similar things when we make historical games. We make historical problem spaces 🙂 2/
Yes!!! And I think/hope that helps remind us on both the design/play/ and just thinking about historical games sides, that all the features in the game (except pure aesthetics, which is less common) have functions, and those functions shape the history. 1/
November 27, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Yes!!! And I think/hope that helps remind us on both the design/play/ and just thinking about historical games sides, that all the features in the game (except pure aesthetics, which is less common) have functions, and those functions shape the history. 1/
and that function affects how that feature portrays the history the game shows. So hps is intended to be practical to it's core. Designer's like you taking time to explore, only helps that!!!
BTW if you or anyone else is interested in reading more: share.google/eZLM6SMC0bvV...
BTW if you or anyone else is interested in reading more: share.google/eZLM6SMC0bvV...
The Historical Problem Space Framework for Game Analysis and Design
This page is the new repository for my writing and materials on the Historical Problem Space framework including downloadable versions of various note taking and analysis charts. HPS is a media-sen…
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November 27, 2025 at 1:34 PM
and that function affects how that feature portrays the history the game shows. So hps is intended to be practical to it's core. Designer's like you taking time to explore, only helps that!!!
BTW if you or anyone else is interested in reading more: share.google/eZLM6SMC0bvV...
BTW if you or anyone else is interested in reading more: share.google/eZLM6SMC0bvV...
I'm delighted! Thank you for working with me!! The initial spark for HPS in 2012 was to remind historical game analysts that, if a feature of the game is NOT purely aesthetic (which would include any theme NOT in mechanics) it HAS a function 1/
November 27, 2025 at 1:34 PM
I'm delighted! Thank you for working with me!! The initial spark for HPS in 2012 was to remind historical game analysts that, if a feature of the game is NOT purely aesthetic (which would include any theme NOT in mechanics) it HAS a function 1/
So your illuminations seem to be both tools and resources individually. Matched, they are tools, I think. These terms help me think abt how, functionally, a game represents history.
Does this all sound crazy Bram ? I promise we'll still be friends if it sounds crazy. I want to know what U think! 4/
Does this all sound crazy Bram ? I promise we'll still be friends if it sounds crazy. I want to know what U think! 4/
November 27, 2025 at 1:11 PM
So your illuminations seem to be both tools and resources individually. Matched, they are tools, I think. These terms help me think abt how, functionally, a game represents history.
Does this all sound crazy Bram ? I promise we'll still be friends if it sounds crazy. I want to know what U think! 4/
Does this all sound crazy Bram ? I promise we'll still be friends if it sounds crazy. I want to know what U think! 4/