Playing the Past: How to write a historical video game

This talk will give a behind-the-scenes look into the writing and narrative design of a historical video game, including initial research, character design, level design, cinematic storyboarding, script writing, and voice actor casting and direction. We'll explore how video games can create uniquely engaging narrative experiences through interactivity and player choice; how to balance historical authenticity with the needs of narrative and gameplay; how to create distinctive characters, and how to work with voice actors to bring them to life. Get a peek into the writers' room, the recording booth, and the squalid dungeon where we keep the level designers. Ben Angell is the Narrative Lead at CaptureAge, working on the Chronicles series for Age of Empires, as well as other projects within the Age franchise and beyond. Previously, he was a writer on the Anno franchise at Ubisoft. Prior to that, he gained a DPhil in Ancient History from the University of Oxford, and has taught extensively at both the university and the Ashmolean Museum.