'Ancient Egypt in Video Games': Call for Papers for Edited Volume

Horce and Albus from Skullsgirls 2nd Encore (Image: Modified Playstation 4 screenshare by J. Cromwell)

Submissions are invited for a volume on Ancient Egypt in Video Games edited by Jennifer Cromwell.

Recent years have seen the publication of several volumes on the ancient world in video games, with particular focus on Greek and Roman antiquity. With the exception of 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins, set in late Ptolemaic Egypt, video games that are set in or adopt aspects of ancient Egyptian history are an understudied area of research. The proposed volume will address this gap in the field and contribute to both Reception Studies and Video Game Studies.

The volume aims to address diverse subject matter and approaches, as well as games and game genres. Proposed submissions are invited on topics such as:

  • Historical figures and events;

  • World-building (e.g., landscape, towns and villages, population/NPCs);

  • Presentation of gender, race, culture;

  • Egyptian mythology and gods;

  • The use of Egyptian monuments or artefacts in non-historical games;

  • The type of stories video games tell about ancient Egypt.

People interested in contributing to the volume are asked to submit a 500-word abstract and selective bibliography. If your abstract is accepted, you will be invited to submit a full paper that will be subjected to peer review. Abstracts and any questions should be sent to Dr Jennifer Cromwell. The full projected timeline for submissions is as follows:

  • Deadline for submission of abstracts: Friday 30th September 2022.

  • Applicants informed of outcome: Friday 21st October 2022.

  • Deadline for submission of first draft chapters: Friday 27th January 2023.

  • Peer-reviewed chapters returned with feedback/recommendations for revisions: late Spring 2023.

  • Deadline for submission of revised chapters: Autumn 2023.

  • The volume will then be submitted to the series ‘Video Games and the Humanities’ by De Gruyter.

Contact: For more information, or to submit an abstract, please email Dr Jennifer Cromwell at j.cromwell@mmu.ac.uk.

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