Ancient Egypt in Video Games

Jennifer Cromwell

• Publisher: De Gruyter Oldenbourg
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9783111534213
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Ancient History

This volume is the first to focus on the presentation of Ancient Egypt in video games. The contributions examine diverse topics concerning how Egyptian history, culture, monuments, and the land itself are portrayed across a diverse range of game genres. Over forty years of video games are analysed, including those from well-known franchises (Assassin's Creed; Tomb Raider), as well as those from independent developers. The games studied employ Ancient Egypt in different ways, as the main historical setting of the game, as the inspiration for the game's world, or as a point of reference for specific aspects of the game. Contributions by game designers from Oneiric Studios also reveal the motivations for using Egypt as the source for their game design and narrative (Path of Ra). The number of games discussed in this volume and their diversity demonstrates the important role that games play in shaping the popular imagination of Ancient Egypt.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Frontmatter
• Contents
• List of Contributors
• Chronology of Ancient Egypt
• Glossary of Game Genres (compiled by Kate Minniti and Jennifer Cromwell)
• 1 Ancient Egypt in Video Games
• 2 “It’s not accurate, but it usually feels authentic”: Accuracy, Authenticity and Verisimilitude in Assassin’s Creed Origins
• 3 Accidental Architecture or the Reception of Millennia? How Technological Limitations Shaped the Image of Ancient Egypt in Early Video and Computer Games
• 4 “Path of Ra”: A Collaboration Between Developers, Graphic designers and Egyptologists in the Creation of a “Book of the Dead” Video Game
• 5 Pharaohs, Labourers and Wonder Builders: Illustrating Ancient Egypt with Game Mechanics in Strategy Games
• 6 Ancient Egypt and Human-Environment Interactions in Strategy Games
• 7 The Roles and Characteristics of Egyptian Deities in Video Games
• 8 Jackal Warriors and Laser Crocodiles: Egyptian Monsters in Video Games A Preliminary Report
• 9 Decontextualisation and Inauthenticity: The (Mis-)Representation of Hermopolis and Elephantine in Assassin’s Creed Origins
• 10 The Death of Osiris: A Mythical Murder Case as Narrative Background for the Adventures of Lara Croft
• 11 Petrie, Golden Masks and Let’s Plays: Death Stranding’s Integration of Ancient Egyptian Mythology and Culture
• 12 The Horror of the Egyptian Tomb: The Example of Forewarned (2021)
• 13 Sekhmet’s Turn: The Uses of Ancient Egypt in the 2D Fighting Game Skullgirls
• 14 Egypt: Safe House or Slave House? How Christian Games Depict Biblical Egypt
• Index