History and Games This Week

Welcome to the week in history and games, a short collection of links to stories and news that we hope you find interesting.

This past Friday was Lunar New Year, the most important time of year for millions across the world. Ubisoft have decided to celebrate by making Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China free, but only until February 15th... wait, that's today!

For those who may not remember clearly, this was one of a short series of "Chronicles" games that Ubisoft released in 2015 and 2016 (other titles focused on India and Russia). John and Bob gave the Chinese iteration a go, and it was a fun dip into Chinese imperial history. Worth a look, even if you do miss the freebie.

February is also Black History Month here in the United States. Microsoft are seeking to elevate Black voices by promoting games curated by Black communities at the company. This includes games by Black creators, which leads to a recommendation for Afterparty, the latest from Night School. Basically anything by Night School is worth a look honestly. Check them out.

Keeping with the theme, University of Wisconsin-Stout student Eleanore Falck has created a video game that facilitates player engagement with Ojibwe practices and tradition. Her game, Growing Up Ojibwe: The Game is available to play on Android or in your web browser.

2021 might end up being a year of academic engagement with Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, at least over at Interactive Pasts. Check out their latest essay on the game.

Finally, Bob was working on a panel this week titled "Taking Video Games Seriously", in preparation for the 2021 Organization of American Historians Annual Meeting. Academic discussion of games and history like this is a big part of the reason History Respawned exists. You can find out more about the panel here.