32 episodes

Playing with the Past is a podcast that takes a look at the history in games.

Playing With The Past Samantha

    • History
    • 5.0 • 7 Ratings

Playing with the Past is a podcast that takes a look at the history in games.

    Papers Please: The Power at Checkpoint Charlie

    Papers Please: The Power at Checkpoint Charlie

    " One US soldier, who had been ordered to figure this out, actually hopped in a tank…."

     

    On today's episode, I am going discuss the game Papers Please and Checkpoint Charlie.

     
     
    Sources

    Checkpoint Charlie - Gate to Communism - U.S. Army in Cold War Berlin Video, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Tk9iYbZI4.

     

    MacGregor, Iain. Checkpoint Charlie: The Cold War, The Berlin Wall, and the Most Dangerous Place On Earth. New York: Scribner, 2019.

     

    Roos, Dave. “How Germany Was Divided After World War II.” HISTORY. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.history.com/news/germany-divided-world-war-ii.

    • 21 min
    A Few of my Favorite Things

    A Few of my Favorite Things

    In this episode, I do something a little different and talk about my top 5 favorite medievalisms in video games.

    • 17 min
    Dracula: Impaler or Vampire

    Dracula: Impaler or Vampire

    "One time he in 1462, he left thousands of impaled victims impaled on a field after retreating from a battle."

     

    In this episode, I discuss the actual Dracula who lived and two Dracula games.

     

    Sources mentioned in the episode.

     

    Florescu, Radu, and Raymond T. McNally. 1994. In Search Of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires. Subsequent edition. Boston: Mariner Books.

    • 15 min
    Zelda: The Art of Side Quests

    Zelda: The Art of Side Quests

    "Lacy also uses the example of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, if you haven't watched it, stop listening and go watch."
     
    In this episode, I will discuss side quests in two Zelda games and side quests in some of the medieval romances.
     
    Sources mentioned in the episode.
    Howard, Jeff. 2008. Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives. 1st edition. A K Peters/CRC Press.
     
    Lacy, Norris J. 2000. “From Medieval to Post-Modern: The Arthurian Quest in France.” South Atlantic Review 65 (2): 114–33. https://doi.org/10.2307/3201814.

    • 16 min
    Northgard: A Brief History of Viking Ships

    Northgard: A Brief History of Viking Ships

    These ships and their high speeds were a cornerstone of the Viking hit-and-run raiding technique.
     
    In this episode, I will discuss Viking ships and their use in the game Northgard.

    • 14 min
    Crusader King III: Becoming King of England

    Crusader King III: Becoming King of England

    "Things were not all sunshine and daisy, though."
     
    In this episode, I will discuss the game Crusader Kings III again, along with the formation of England as a nation during the middle ages.
     
    Sources mentioned in this episode:
     
    Magazine, Smithsonian, and Mary Rambaran-Olm Wade Erik. n.d. “The Many Myths of the Term ‘Anglo-Saxon.’” Smithsonian Magazine. Accessed September 1, 2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/many-myths-term-anglo-saxon-180978169/.
     
    Morris, Marc. 2021. The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 – 1066. Pegasus Books

    • 19 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
7 Ratings

7 Ratings

Dannyles ,

Scholarly but not boring

Who knew the many ways that dragons – or, at least, our concept of dragons – have evolved over time. Very interesting.

SassMo17 ,

Awesome Take

Samantha has such a fresh insight into a topic that could be so boring! It’s interesting, engaging and not to mention just awesome to listen to in general.

K Questlover ,

Dragon Insights

This podcast was a fresh take on dragons and how their perception in our culture has changed over centuries. I really liked the tie-in to video games; a thought-provoking approach!

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