Games Research Association of Poland
Organization2 reports
2 reports, presentations and talks by Games Research Association of Poland in the Game Industry Library, the newest “Historical Consultants in the CEE Video Game Industry: Part 1” (2025).
Documents
Whitepaper30 pages
Historical Consultants in the CEE Video Game Industry: Part 1
This study, published in Homo Ludens by Mochocki and Kot in 2024, examines how historical consultants shape video game development in Central and Eastern Europe.
- Historical consultancy in Central and Eastern European game development has matured into a distinct professional specialisation, and its value depends on clearly defined roles, early and continuous collaboration, and a deliberate balance between historical authenticity and gameplay.
- The study is based on an online survey of 16 professionals working as historical consultants or alongside them at studios in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Serbia, and it was published in Homo Ludens by Mochocki and Kot in 2024.
- Consultants are typically academics or enthusiasts hired temporarily per project, and their core duties include supplying reference material, teaching research methods to teams, and validating scripts, visuals, and mechanics for accuracy, often alongside productive writing or design work.
Homo LudensJan 2025
Whitepaper24 pages
Historical Consulting for Digital Games: From General Reflections to CEE Game Industries
Historical consulting for digital games, the practice of engaging historians and other subject experts to inform game development, has moved from an informal and often decorative role toward a more established professional field.
- Historical consulting for digital games has evolved from an informal, often decorative role, especially in the 2010s when it was frequently used for marketing value, into a more established professional field by the 2020s, with consultants more visible in credits and academic-industry partnerships growing.
- Prominent examples such as Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series and Warhorse Studios' Kingdom Come: Deliverance show expert involvement becoming a central selling point, though the overall job market for historical consultants remains modest.
- Case studies of Warhorse Studios, Wargaming, Creative Assembly, Ubisoft Montpellier, and Charles Games found that academic historians are the most common consultants, while Wargaming favors military-technical specialists.
Games Research Association of PolandJan 2025