History and Games Lab - University of Edinburgh

The History and Games Lab (H&GL) is a research centre of the University of Edinburgh that explores how the past (taken in the broadest sense) is represented and CAN be represented in games (both analog and digital). Our mission is to foster creative collaborations between academic research, game design, and the heritage sector.

The H&GL is based at the School of History, Classics, and Archaeology (HCA) but is an interdisciplinary research centre including staff and students (both undergraduates and postgraduates) from across the university, and with strong links to the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI).

All our events and activities are open to academics, students, alumni, practitioners in the games and heritage sectors, and the general public, both within and without Edinburgh, and in and beyond the UK.

We host in-person, online, and hybrid events such as regular seminars, podcasts, workshops, and game nights/jams. Our events usually take place in the Main Library and the Old College, which, like HCA and EFI, are within walking distance from Edinburgh’s Old Town. We also take part in heritage and gaming events and conventions.

We offer consultancy services to game designer and heritage bodies, and publish our own games too.

Last but not least, the H&GL welcomes visiting students, academics, and practitioners in the games and heritage sectors, and its members offer courses specifically dedicated to history and games design.

For queries please contact: gianluca.raccagni@ed.ac.uk