The Great War as a Theme of Video Games: Challenges for Edutainment in Valiant Hearts and Battlefield 1

Video games set during the Great War have grown into a distinct thematic category, and this paper examines their potential as educational tools through a comparative analysis of Valiant Hearts and Battlefield 1. The study situates both titles within a broader genre landscape spanning strategy, flight and naval simulation, first-person shooters, and adventure games. Renewed interest in the subject accompanied the 2014–2016 centenary releases, and the analysis frames edutainment as the combination of engagement and learning, distinguishing purpose-built serious games from mainstream commercial titles. Its stated benefits include intrinsic motivation and engagement, while its limits include the risk of entertainment overshadowing instruction and the need for teachers and primary sources to accompany play.

Within this framework, Valiant Hearts emerges as the stronger educational vehicle. Its emotionally resonant, diverse narratives and accessibility to a broad audience are widely praised, and it situates military events within social, economic, and cultural context. Critics, however, identify a Franco-centric perspective and a negative portrayal of German characters. Battlefield 1 is judged to have a convincing historical setting but weaker educational value. Its informative content is tied to tasks requiring violence, its multiplayer mode emphasizes stylized combat, and it departs from historical realism in service of gameplay.

The analysis concludes that effective Great War games must address three interrelated challenges: the morally ambiguous nature of the conflict, the tension between ludic entertainment and serious historical representation, and the difficulty of depicting the war's many global perspectives. The Polish perspective is notably absent from mainstream titles, a gap that signals broader representational limits in the genre. The study's scope centers on these two commercial games and the edutainment debate surrounding them.