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10 Greatest Historical Video Games of All Time
Collider has published a ranked list of the ten greatest historical video games of all time, arguing that while few such games are fully historically accurate, the best ones offer immersive, authentic portrayals of major world events and eras. The list spans settings from ancient Rome and medieval Europe to the two World Wars, highlighting titles that blend entertainment with a genuine sense of time and place.
Games featured include: – Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (2008) — a WWII first-person shooter following a paratrooper through Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands – Pentiment (2022) — a narrative RPG set in 16th-century Bavaria, following a travelling painter solving a murder mystery, winner of a Peabody Award – Verdun (2015) — a squad-based WWI shooter praised for its grounded, strategic depiction of trench warfare
In short
- Collider ranks the ten greatest historical video games ever made
- List spans Roman, medieval and WWI/WWII settings
- Pentiment (2022) won a Peabody Award for its historical authenticity
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The list makes a reasonable case that historical games can bring the texture of past eras to life through setting, character and play, even when they take creative liberties. Ranking titles such as Pentiment and Verdun highlights how different genres can prompt curiosity about history and make distant events feel immediate.
The case against
Calling these the “greatest” historical games is necessarily subjective, and immersive atmosphere does not guarantee an accurate or balanced account of the past. A ranked list may also give too little weight to the limits of games as historical representations, or to strong titles and perspectives left off the list.
Explained simply
Video games set in historical periods have become an increasingly popular form of interactive entertainment, offering players immersive experiences of real events, locations and eras. Although few such games are completely historically accurate, the most accomplished ones create an authentic sense of time and place that brings past events to life.
Ranking and evaluating historical games has become common practice amongst critics and publications, as these titles are recognised for their ability to entertain whilst offering educational value. The range and quality of such games has grown significantly, prompting curators to identify which ones best balance historical authenticity with engaging gameplay.
Historical games cover a vast range of periods and narratives, from ancient Rome and medieval Europe to the First and Second World Wars. Some focus on large-scale military conflicts and strategy, whilst others explore smaller personal stories set within significant historical moments.
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