Summary
Video games aren’t always pure escapism. There are plenty that take place in the real world, using authentic or alternative history as their setting. Even if these games have stories that embellish or even change past events, they often still use realistic geography.
Some games that use real-world geography as part of their setting are designed to be educational. Even though not all of them are created with that intention in mind, players will have to learn some real geographical facts and figures to get an edge in the following games.
A grand strategy game in the best tradition of the genre,Europa Universalis 4uses real historical maps and geographyalong with authentic ancientand modern cultures. Players begin by choosing to represent a variety of nations that are arranged in alphabetical order and include almost every ethnic and national group in human history.
The list of available nationsstarts with Aachen, an old region of Central Europe that still exists as a city in Western Germany, and goes all the way to the indigenous Zuni people of the southwestern United States. The game ends when the player’s nation is either annexed, destroyed, takes over the world, or when the in-game year reaches 1821.
Conflict of Nations: World War 3starts its timeline in roughly the present era, in the late 20th or early 21st Century, and as the title says, the plot hinges on an alternate reality of a planet in the midst of a third global war. Players choose a nation to represent, like many other games, but instead of starting at the dawn of human history, they choose a modern nation with advanced military capabilities.
It’s not just borders and politics that players learn while playing this game, but also more nuanced geographic information. The units inConflict of Nations: World War 3move in real-time according to their capability, resources, and the terrain they have to cross.
One of the best and few examples of games that are fun but also designed with education in mind,Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?was a point-and-click game that launched back in the 1990s and has always retained a solid fan base. Players not only had to educate themselves on maps, butalso history, landmarks, and famous peopleto find and capture the infamous titular character.
The franchise has branched out into TV shows, merchandise, and several other modernversions that use Google Earthor other apps to increase their educational value. The classic version of the game is still available, revamped, and remastered, and can be played on virtually any device.
This is the fifth title in what’s become a very popular grand-strategy franchise, but the design and gameplay of this game include some interesting differences. Instead of working through centuries of history or fighting battles on a rigid modern timeline,Supreme Ruler Ultimateincludes an impressive list of historic 20th-century battles that players can experience instead.
The list of modern wars and conflicts starts with real events from 1914 on, and continues into an alternative reality of the present. It uses American or European countries as starting options and also goes into some political strategy with a variety of cabinet departments that are in charge of supply, strategy, and when required or available, diplomacy.
For those who like some history to go with their geography,Crusader Kings 3is an ideal choice. The game takes place duringthe time of the European Crusadesto the Holy Land, and players can choose to start in either 867 or 1066 as a real historical figure of the period. Since these are real people, they have a limited life span, and once they pass on, the player then takes on the role of an heir.
Each country has a variety of government types and religion also plays a part in motivating troops, vassals, and citizens. The game ends in the year 1453, regardless of how poorly or well the various campaigns have progressed, which is also in keeping with the history of the Crusades. The customization options for the main characters lend some creative RPG elements to what’s mainly an RTS title.
Sid Meier’sCivilizationseries started in the 1990s and has always used real history and geography as its setting. This wasone of the more modern titlesin a franchise that started as a point-and-click CD ROM game, and since those early days, it’s become more realistic and history-centered, making it even more of a handy learning tool.
Civilization 6has many of the same features as its predecessors, such as the start in early pre-history that extends well into humanity’s many possible futures.World leaders are now connectedto their respective civilizations and have special military units or cultural advantages related to their real-world influence.
