Account, accuracy, and authenticity: a framework for analysing historical narrative in games

This chapter presents the ‘3A Framework’ (3AF), a theoretical and conceptual model for analysing games-as-text from the perspective of historical narrative. It presents discourse that games are cultural artefacts that communicate historical narrative through its content and the context in which the game has been produced. The game’s production - time and place, authorship, and purpose, among other considerations - plays a significant role in forming the historical narrative. The 3AF seeks to encourage practitioners engaged in historical narrative - historians, educators, game developers, media analysts - to approach game-based reflections of history through the lens of players. This considers the way in which game aesthetics and simulations inform players’ understanding of historical narratives: particularly, where the player’s initial understanding of history is limited, and the consequential impact this has on their perspective of history.