Why are so many people fascinated by video games? How did it all begin and how has storytelling in video games evolved over time? A new course at ý explores the history of narratives in video games, with the help of a one-of-a-kind historic video games archive.
Video games are more and more prevalent in popular culture, and the games industry keeps growing each year. More than three billion people – and four out of five Swedes – play some kind of digital game. This rapid development means that it is increasingly necessary to preserve video game history in a good way.
– The preservation of video games and video game history is getting more attention these days, says Joakim Kilman, lecturer in English and one of the teachers on the course. So far, we could have done a better job at recognising the impact and cultural heritage of video games. This has led to more and more people, including famous industry veterans, speaking out more about the importance of preserving the history of video games. Video games have a sprawling history which is difficult to neatly summarise, but placing the games and their evolution in a historical context can provide a deeper understanding of their role in popular culture. A good way of accomplishing this is to examine the development of video game narratives – which is what we do in this course.
A unique way of telling stories
– Video games offer a unique form of narrative where the gamers often are active participants in the telling of the stories, says Joakim Kilman. Throughout the course, students get to examine various aspects of storytelling in games, and visiting the Embracer Games Archive here in ý is part of this. The goal of this archive is to preserve and make available video game history by building an extensive archive of physical game releases, hardware, and other gaming-related objects. By visiting the archive, students have the opportunity to examine how box art, manuals, and similar material frame and contribute to the world-building and narratives of the games.
Who is this course aimed at?
– The course is aimed at everyone with an interest in video game narratives and how they have evolved throughout the decades. Anyone who is curious about interactive storytelling and wants to know more about video game history can benefit from this course – regardless of whether your interest in games is academic, professional or more on a hobby level. Since this is an entry-level course, anyone can apply. We hope that the course will be intellectually stimulating and that it might even inspire, for example, further studies, game-related projects or something else.
The course “Narrative in video games: A historical overview” provides an opportunity to dig into the history of this huge pop-cultural phenomenon called video games. Students get to examine both classic games as well as more obscure ones, from the dawn of the medium up until the present day. The course is in English and focuses mostly on English-language games. The aim is to examine how video games tell stories and convey ideas, themes, and messages.
Application for the spring semester 2025 is open – read more here, and apply before the application deadline on 15 October:
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