There aren’t enough educational games out there. Now, I’m not saying this in a preachy way or anything, but we all know how good educational games can be, and if I’m going to plop my non-existent children down in front of a video game (which, I mean c’mon, it’s going to happen), I want them to learn something, and I’d rather listen to a kid talk about dinosaurs than Call of Duty. Or Vikings. I really like Vikings, actually, and my mom’s family tree implies heavily that I’m directly descended from Vikings; and Benedict Arnold.
Playing History: Vikings is not about Benedict Arnold. Instead, the game takes the idea that if you don’t know your history, you’re bound to repeat it, and allows you to have an actually fun educational adventure. Learning about the Viking’s culture, traditions, and history by actually being a Viking in a historically accurate setting is an extremely cool idea, and wrapping educational value in a package that makes it so you don’t even realize you’re learning is an idea I’ve been waiting for games to embrace, and Serious Games Interactive may really be on to something here. The game looks like it’s going to be more fun than a barrel of Vikings.
Playing History: Vikings is currently seeking funding, and backers can expect things like art books and digital copies of the game, but their stretch goals are things like game-changing gameplay facets. I’m talking sailing, mobile versions of the game, and more, so if we see this reach its bigger stretch goals, we can expect this to branch out quite a bit. For anyone who wants a quality, Viking-steeped educational game that’s actually a game, check out Playing History: Vikings.
