Players’ Exploration of the History Featured in Video Games Set in Historical Contexts

While research into video games set in historical contexts is growing, there remains a research gap concerning how players explore the history these games present. The Assassin’s Creed video game series was utilised as the research context to investigate this research gap. A qualitative online survey with 88 responses was analyzed using thematic analysis. The respondents enjoyed learning about the various historical contexts in the Assassin’s Creed games using factual sources of historical information such as documentaries and podcasts. Some even visited sites depicted in the games. Therefore, the historical setting and the characters of each Assassin’s Creed had a direct influence on how the game impacted upon players. The results also suggest that video games set in historical contexts can, due to their impact, influence how their players spend their leisure time, education, and tourism choices.