university of aberdeen - divinity & religious studies
A video game based on the work of University of Aberdeen historians has been
nominated for the 2022 BAFTA Scotland Awards, the biggest celebration of
Scottish film, games and television talent. Strange Sickness, led by Dr Jackson
Armstrong and Dr William Hepburn, is a digital narrative game which brings
people face-to-face with life in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is based on
and inspired by the events, descriptions and people recorded in Aberdeen’s
UNESCO-recognised Burgh Records, which University historians have spent the past
decade painstakingly transcribing. The records contain unique details about how
the town of Aberdeen dealt with the threat of the plague and the researchers
used this as the basis for the game of interactive fiction. It is one of three
nominations in the ‘Games’ category of the 2022 BAFTA Scotland Awards and will
compete for the award against Hercule Poirot: The First Cases and The Longest
Walk. BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - is a
world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film,
games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative
talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and
year-round programme of learning events and initiatives, BAFTA identifies and
celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables
learning and creative collaboration. Strange Sickness was funded by a
Kickstarter campaign which attracted global backing, and development of the game
was headed by Dr Hepburn, who created the concept for the game and wrote the
story. The game’s mechanics were designed by game developer Katharine Neil while
the game’s visuals were created by artist Alana Bell. Dr Jackson Armstrong led
the Burgh records research on which the game is based and was also directly
involved in the making of the game. He said they were ‘surprised and thrilled’
to learn that Strange Sickness had been nominated. “The BAFTA Scotland Awards
celebrate and reward the highest achievements in Scottish film, television and
games talent and we are beyond delighted to see Strange Sickness shortlisted
alongside such prestigious talent. “Games are an amazing tool to help people
imagine the past and the Burgh Records are an outstanding resource to help us
understand life in the Middle Ages. To see a game using historical records
recognised in this way is a real boost for our collaborative research efforts
with the Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives.” Dr Hepburn added: “The game
allows players to immerse themselves in Aberdeen’s history, interact with
characters from medieval society and make decisions which will shape their own
story. “Katharine Neil and Alana Bell did an amazing job of bringing our
research and ideas to life and the feedback we have received from players has
been fantastic.”
