Status: In preparation
Expected publication: Winter 2026/2027
Authors: Florence Smith Nicholls
Abstract
Archaeogaming is the archaeological study of video games, at the intersection of archaeology, game studies, computer science and HCI. This entry will chart the history of archaeogaming as a field that emerged in the 2010s but which has much longer antecedents in the form of cyber archaeology. It will present a taxonomy of archaeogaming, including reception studies, serious games, archaeology of digital artefacts and field studies. Brief case studies demonstrating the breadth of archaeogaming research will be presented. The question of the future of archaeogaming and its contributions to games research will be explored, and a case will be made for the unique contributions of archaeogaming as distinct from historical games studies in terms of archaeology’s specialisation in the study of material culture. The potential applications of archaeogaming to level design and play preservation will be presented.
Keywords: archaeogaming, archaeology, game studies, HCI, play preservation, level design
Florence Smith Nicholls
is a video game archaeologist and designer. They are currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at IT University of Copenhagen. Prior to their doctoral studies, they worked for 7 years in the commercial archaeology sector, and also have experience in the games industry as a Story Tech for the indie studio Die Gute Fabrik.