Britannica combines gaming with history - Education Matters Magazine
Technology

Britannica combines gaming with history

Encyclopaedia Britannica has released a new interactive, voice-activated game that allows students to learn about the past through an engaging time-travel adventure and save history from the forces that threaten it.

Free to use on all supporting devices, Guardians of History is one of the first voice-driven games that combines premium audio, choice-driven gameplay, and educational content.

The first episode, The Olympia Obstacles, is a fun, choice-driven experience where the player travels back in time to the ancient city of Olympia, Greece.

The game’s setting, content, characters, story, and imagery were carefully developed by award-winning writers and expert editors who drew from Britannica’s historical archives to ensure that the game’s fictional narrative is historically accurate.

The result is a 40-minute audio experience that teaches the player about Ancient Greece through dialogue, sound, and meaningful choices. Its eight different endings also stoke curiosity and make the game replayable.

“This is a new frontier of learning, where children enjoy fun-filled dynamic adventures, learn about past civilisations and interact with characters to develop social-emotional skills,” said Karthik Krishnan, global CEO of the Britannica Group.

“Voice experiences and games are two of the ways that technology, used effectively, can help enhance learning inside and outside classrooms. Britannica is excited to blend modern-day technology and science fiction concepts to continue to inspire curiosity and the joy of learning in new and engaging formats.”

Guardians of History is available on all Alexa and Google Assistant voice-enabled devices, including the Amazon Echo family of products, Google’s Home line of products, and third-party voice devices like the Sonos lines.

The game can also be played on any smartphone, either through the Alexa app or the Google Assistant app.

The second episode of Guardians of History is currently in production and due for release later in the year. For more information, please click here.

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