Video games are one of the best ways to immerse yourself in fictional worlds and see events that cannot be realized in any other way. However, developers also regularly use interactive entertainment to demonstrate very real epochs and take a look at history. Not necessarily straight from the textbooks, but definitely with a recognizable flavor.
At the same time, the issue of historical accuracy in video games regularly causes large-scale discussions and heated dialogues. So to help you out a bit in this matter, we've put together a selection of games that are regularly praised for their truthfulness in depicting facts from history. However, you will not find strategies in the text, as these are too obvious options and a topic for a separate discussion.
11-11: Memories Retold
Platforms PlayStation 4/5, Windows, Xbox One/ Series X|S
Genre adventure
Year 2018
This relatively small adventure game tells the story of the First World War from the perspective of a Canadian photographer and a German engineer. 11-11: Memories Retold immediately attracts with its visual style. The developers were inspired by the style of the Impressionists, so it's hard to remember anything similar in this interactive format.
In this third-person adventure, DigixArt Studio explores the motivations that made people go to war, and looks at the First World War from the perspective of opposing sides. In modern geopolitics, this approach does not necessarily lead to anything good, but in the case of 11-11: Memories Retold, we got a really touching story, which is also based on real historical documents, and in the production the authors were advised by historians Robin Schaefer and Peter Doyle, who devoted their book Fritz and Tommy: Across the Barbed Wire.
Assassin's Creed
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 3/4/5/Vita/PSP, Xbox 360/One/Series X|S, Nintendo 3DS/DS/Wii U/Switch, iOS, Android
Genre action/adventure
Year 2007–present
I can already sense that at this point you're going to write all your thoughts about the story in Assassin's Creed in the comments, so let's get something straight. Yes, in the latest installments, Ubisoft has begun to flirt more actively with fantasy elements, which, to be sure, have always been central to the series. However, it is the opportunity to find yourself in the middle of a specific historical era that is called a big plus even in the weakest parts of Assassin's Creed.
In the latest role-playing trilogy, there is a separate large Discovery Tour mode, where you can learn many interesting facts about Ancient Egypt and Greece, as well as about the Viking culture. The developers have always worked closely with historians to ensure that the alternative history of the games resonates with reality. By the way, the historical vector of the series' development was greatly helped by the setting of the first part: there are not many well-known names from the Crusades in popular culture, which somewhat freed the scriptwriters' hands. But in the subsequent parts, they had to study historical sources as thoroughly as possible to connect all the dates and facts to the fictional scenario.
Ghost of Tsushima
Platforms PlayStation 4/5, Windows
Genre action/adventure
Year 2020
Ghost of Tsushima was one of the last PlayStation 4 exclusives - and it got even better with the release of the PlayStation 5 and Windows versions. Sucker Punch Productions has created a pretentious and thoughtful story about ideals that are destroyed by circumstances. Additionally, the developers have turned an interesting setting of the Mongol invasion of Japan into an interactive format.
Ghost of Tsushima doesn't flirt with fantasy elements once again, except in the online mode of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, and adequately recreates the chosen era, while remaining primarily an interesting action game. Sucker Punch Productions actively consulted with Japan Studio and its contacts to make the game historically accurate. The development team even spent two weeks on the island of Tsushima itself. The result did not disappoint anyone, and the game's main developers Nate Fox and Jason Connell even became ambassadors of the real Tsushima for their contribution to the popularization of Japanese culture.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Platforms PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Windows
Genre role play
Year 2018
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has already been released and turned out to be a great game. But this does not mean that the first part has lost its relevance. The dream project of Daniel Varva, the developer and writer of Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven and Mafia II, turned out to be a good discovery for all fans of historical games and just good RPGs.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is gameplay-wise similar to The Elder Scrolls series. Here you also need to level up your character, communicate with NPCs, and perform various tasks, often at your own discretion. However, instead of magic and fantastic creatures, you will find in the game only the most realistic depiction of the Middle Ages (as far as games are concerned). There is nothing like it in the industry, so pay attention.
L.A. Noire
Platforms PlayStation 3/4/5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/360/Series X|S, Windows
Genre action/adventure
Year 2011
L.A. Noire was the first and only game by Team Bondi. The extremely ambitious project took too long to develop, and even help from Rockstar did not save the company from closure. At the same time, critics and players still love L.A. Noire because it is an outstanding detective game with a unique facial animation system. In 2025, the latter is not so impressive anymore, but it is still fun to play L.A. Noire.
In addition, the game perfectly recreates the atmosphere of the mid-20th century in Los Angeles. The city itself is recreated with almost manic fidelity to the era. This is even though there are no special additional activities in it. However, the mood still goes straight to the heart.
Mafia II
Platforms PlayStation 3/4/5, Windows, Xbox 360/OneSeries X|S, macOS
Genre action/adventure
Year 2010
Mafia has fallen victim to comparisons to Grand Theft Auro - as have almost all realistic open-world crime games - but the essence of the game is quite different. Each installment of Mafia tells an interesting and intense story of a criminal life that doesn't end well.
Let critics and more experienced players mostly praise Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven, which has also received a good remake, it is Mafia II that has become the "people's" game. Probably because it is based on more accessible and vital values that are severely tested by mafia laws. The Empire Bay in Mafia II is a fictional city, but it recreates postwar America perfectly.
Manor Lords
Platforms Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Genre urban planning strategy
Year 2024
Manor Lords is a fairly accessible citybuilder created by one person, Grzegorz Styczek. Although the game does not try to be an exact recreation of historical events, it still relies on many realities of the Middle Ages. The game mechanics, such as building castles, settlements, organizing trade, and interacting with different social strata, reflect life in the Middle Ages well. The recreation of landscapes, architecture, and even typical buildings looks plausible, while maintaining the general principles of the chosen period. In some shots, Manor Lords looks almost like Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but with a strategy.
However, it is important to note that Manor Lords is not an accurate historical simulation. Most of the game mechanics are based on generalized ideas and simplifications to provide a more understandable and accessible experience for players.
Ostriv
Platforms Windows
Genre urban planning strategy
Year 2020
The dream game of an anonymous developer from Kharkiv, Ostriv, became a kind of response to the outbreak of hostilities in eastern Ukraine. It has been in development for many years, with updates coming out not very often, but regularly. However, it is one of the best citybuilders in the entire genre, and it focuses on Ukrainian culture.
The game starts in 1721 and allows you to build your own Ukrainian settlement. All cultural, historical, and aesthetic elements are in place. It is not for nothing that the chief developer actively visited museums, villages and other historical sites, so the nuances of Ukrainian life are reproduced in the smallest detail.
Pentiment
Platforms Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Windows
Genre adventure
Year 2022
Pentiment is a role-playing adventure game developed by Obsidian Entertainment. The latter is known for its RPG projects, but Pentiment still stands out due to its strong emphasis on adventure elements. It also differs from most modern games in its unique art style. The authors were inspired by medieval manuscripts and illustrations. The game is set in the 16th-century Duchy of Bavaria, in a small monastic town, where the player takes on the role of an apprentice illustrator named Andreas Mahler, who finds himself at the center of a series of mysterious murders.
The game features famous historical figures and real events that influenced the development of culture and society. At the same time, the creators of the game consciously use elements of artistic interpretation, adapting some aspects of history to their own needs.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Platforms PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Windows
Genre action/adventure
Year 2018
Red Dead Redemption 2 needs no introduction. The greatest Rockstar Games game in terms of plot and atmosphere is still selling well and has recently crossed the 70 million copies sold mark. Yes, it is far from the fabulous money of Grand Theft Auto Online, but the game is attracted not primarily by the gameplay, which is noticeably slow and monotonous for some players, but by the story and setting.
Many stories have been told about the heyday of the Wild West, but Red Dead Redemption 2 tells the story of its death. Progress, capitalism, and control are gradually crushing freedom-loving people. Red Dead Redemption 2 demonstrates this decline in every detail - and after completing it, it will always remain in your memory.
Platforms Windows, Linux, macOS
Genre шутер
Year 2006
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 is a tactical first-person shooter developed by Tripwire Interactive. The game takes players to the Eastern Front of the Second World War, in particular, to the USSR and Germany, where the battles between the Red Army and the Wehrmacht take place. The game features a realistic approach to recreating battles, including accurate modeling of weapons, vehicles, and combat situations. It is difficult to play, but it has its own army of loyal fans. The game has even grown into a whole series.
Historical authenticity in Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 is an important part of the game. It tries to convey the atmosphere of the war on the Eastern Front as accurately as possible. The game places great emphasis on the realism of the shot, movement and physics of combat. In addition, the maps on which the battles take place are based on real places, such as Stalingrad and the Kursk Bulge.
The Brothers In Arms
Platforms Xbox 360/One, Windows, PlayStation 2/3/Portable, Nintendo DS, N-Gage, Wii, OS X, iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Genre shooter, tactics
Year 2005–2014
Brothers in Arms is a series of first-person tactical shooters created by Gearbox Software, which has not yet gained fame and fortune thanks to Borderlands. The games in this series take place during the Second World War and focus on real historical events, including the participation of American paratroopers in the Normandy landings. The series is famous for its emphasis on tactical coordination and teamwork, where victory depends not only on shooting but also on competent planning and interaction with allies.
Brothers in Arms tries to convey the atmosphere and realities of the Second World War as accurately as possible. Game locations, weapons, equipment, and strategic operations are based on real historical events. At the same time, there is no unnecessary drama in the plot and atmosphere of the game.
The Oregon Trail
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/ Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Genre simulator
Year 2021
The Oregon Trail is not just a historically accurate game, but also an important milestone in the history of video games. Its first release took place back in 1971, and in fact, it is the longest game series in history. The main goal of the game was to tell schoolchildren about the life of immigrants on the Oregon Trail. In other words, it is literally a historical game, and the demonstration of real history is the main purpose of its existence.
At the same time, The Oregon Trail has been reprinted and adapted many times. This is because it is also a good textual adventurous game, as well as a kind of progenitor of the survival genre and role-playing games.
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
Platforms Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Windows, Linux, Xbox One/Series X|S, macOS, iOS
Genre adventure
Year 2017
The Pillars of the Earth is primarily a historical novel by Ken Follett, which has been repeatedly praised by critics and readers. It tells the story of the construction of a cathedral against the backdrop of the English Civil War, also known as Anarchy. The masters of the adventurous genre Daedalic Entertainment adapted the novel into a game and did an excellent job.
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth looks like a cartoon that has come to life. And the book basis allows the game to have an outstanding plot and realistically depict the era during which everything happens.
Valiant Hearts
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 3/4/5, Xbox 360/One/Series X|S, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
Genre adventure
Year 2014–2023
Valiant Hearts is one of the examples of Ubisoft games that demonstrate that the studio loves experimentation and can create unforgettable stories with relatively few resources. The plot focuses on the First World War - at one time this era was a trend among video game developers and other artists because of its centenary - and the characters who somehow found themselves in the middle of the fighting.
Even if the style of Valiant Hearts is deliberately cartoonish, the story in the game is serious and touching. Moreover, in the format of an interesting adventure, it demonstrates many of the harsh nuances of life during the First World War. And many people remember Valiant Hearts: The Great War, but forget about the second part - Valiant Hearts: Coming Home in 2023. So be sure to pay attention if you missed it.
Verdun
Platforms Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S
Genre shooter, tactics
Year 2015
Verdun is a tactical shooter that focuses on the battles of the First World War, in particular on the fierce clashes on the Western Front. The game immerses players in the atmosphere of trench warfare, which was a characteristic feature of this era, and gives them the opportunity to relive the experience of soldiers who took part in famous battles such as the Battle of Verdun. Verdun appeals to players with an emphasis on realistic combat, trench tactics, and interaction with other soldiers.
The places in the game, including Verdun itself, as well as other locations, are based on real combat zones of that war. Weapons, equipment, and even soldiers' uniforms also correspond to historical prototypes. The game accurately recreates trench warfare, with its specific tactics, problems, and conditions.
What historical games do you like? Or, on the contrary, which games have surprised you the most by treating real history lightly? Share your thoughts in the comments.