[abstract for Critical Archaeological Gaming -Workshop, UCLA, LA USA, 25-26.01.2018]

The Sin of Completeness versus the Lure of Fantasy in Contested Possibility-Spaces

“..virtual archaeology was not only about ‘what was’ and ‘what is’, or just about developing digital tools… It included a licence to imagine ‘what ifs’ and ‘what might come to be’.”1

In contrast to virtual archaeology, I will outline but question how the fantasy elements of computer games’ pretend completeness enrich ritual, player choice and reward. Could archaeology-focused games leverage fantasy (imagination) for not just engagement but also for critical reflection?

Reference

[1] Beale, G. and Reilly, P. 2017 After Virtual Archaeology: Rethinking Archaeological Approaches to the Adoption of Digital Technology, Internet Archaeology 44. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.44.1 [Section 2].