Keywords
worldbuilding tools
historical authenticity
worldbuilding objectivity
worldbuilding subjectivity
How to Cite
Abstract
This paper examines the strategies employed in the medieval role-playing game (RPG) Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) to deliver and contextualise lore, or historical & background knowledge, to the player. These strategies are compared to the approach employed in other RPGs, in particular the faux-medieval fantasy The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011). It is argued Kingdom Come actively seeks to highlight the historical status of its content, projecting an impression of historical clarity, only occasionally highlighting uncertainty. By contrast, Skyrim conveys its lore in a nuanced and playful way that seems to acknowledge the limitations of the historical process.
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