This game series takes us on a journey through history. The player takes charge of one of the great civilizations and his task is to develop it from a prehistoric tribe into a modern superpower. Along the way, we also meet a number of historical figures.

Every civilization has its leader, England has Queen Victoria, the USA has Roosevelt, Russia has Peter the Great, India has Gandhi, and so on. As well as leaders, there are scientists, artists, and explorers, so you do not have to worry about not learning anything.

While these are not academic articles, there is definitely some basic historical context, which is easy to understand if you know at least a little English.

This allows the player to find an interest in history, plus it helps him to get started with learning. The encyclopedia in the game is really extensive.

Most editions of the series can be accessed from the official website HERE or HERE on Steam.

Rise of Kingdoms is an online strategy game. It was originally released as a game for mobile phones but recently got a PC version as well. In this game, the player chooses a civilization for which he then builds his kingdom. We are helped by the commanders that we collect. These commanders are historical and literary figures, such as Joan of Arc, Caesar, or Sir Lancelot from Arthurian legends.

For each of them, we have a brief description of who they are. This allows the player to be introduced to some significant figures of history in an entertaining way. The disadvantages may be that the game is not in Czech and only has an online version. However, this can be used to teach English or learn about safety in the digital environment. The advantage is that the game is free to play, although it allows the player to pay for bonuses. However, if your goal is not to be the strongest leader in the game, it is not necessary.

The official website of the game can be found HERE. 

In this game, the player takes control of a medieval kingdom. We are not playing as one ruler but as an entire dynasty. Once a character dies, the heir to the throne follows. If the heirs run out, the game ends.

We start with a historical character and then move on to fictional and randomly generated ones. Despite this, it is an incredibly complex and sophisticated game that shows us what it might have been like in the Middle Ages and how the politics of the time worked from wars to propaganda and bribes, to conspiracies and similar behind-the-scenes shenanigans. 

Overall, this is a game that would not be amiss to recommend to high school students to get a glimpse behind the curtain of medieval politics. You just need to know English at a slightly more advanced level, roughly B1.

The game is accessible HERE from developers and HERE on Steam.

The game from the Czech studio Warhorse takes us to the year 1403 in Posázaví. We play as a young blacksmith who is thrown into the political turmoil in our lands. It is a long way to go but we will turn him into a knight.

Together we will learn about the society and architecture of the time. The game is very nicely done in this respect. This makes it easy for the player to immerse himself in history and learn something from it. In addition to this, the game has a very well-done combat system, which in many respects is close to real combat techniques.

All these things make it a great showcase of the time. The player gets a sense of what followed the death of Charles IV. The game itself devotes a two-minute intro to this, and the subsequent development is based on real events.

However, the game does have one problem, and that is that it contains explicit scenes. There are not many of them and they are not particularly explicit, but even so, I would use the game more at the end of my primary or secondary school studies. The game is also hardware intensive, which makes it a better material for home preparation and refreshing memory than as a teaching aid on school computers.

The game is accessible on Steam.

We get a glimpse of London in 1868 and its inhabitants during the Industrial Revolution. We will witness working conditions in factories, and child labor, then we will get involved in gang warfare and will even have a chance to earn some money in a „Fight Club".

We will also meet historically significant figures such as Graham Bell, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens, among many others.

Among the lesser known are scientists David Brewster and John Elliotson, and nurse Florence Nightingale.

We also gain an understanding of the political situation of the time through contact with important politicians such as, for example, the then Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.

The game is accessible HERE from developers and HERE on Steam.

This story-driven adventure game takes us into the trenches of First World War. It tells the stories of several characters from the front, loosely inspired by real events. One of the materials for inspiration were letters from soldiers at the front.

The game shows the brutality of the war and includes some historical facts. This allows players to "relive" some of the battles and key moments of the war and remember them more easily. In addition, there is a need to be as sly as a fox when solving various puzzles and removing obstacles. There are also situations requiring quick reflexes and strategic thinking.

This makes the game a great tool for teaching history, specifically World War I. It also teaches students creative problem-solving.

The game is accessible HERE from developers and HERE on Steam.

This strategy game developed by German studio Paintbucket Games will take us straight to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Berlin. Our main objective is to organize a resistance, which we need to keep running as well. We play as a fictional citizen of Berlin who will experience not just fictional scenarios, but we will also go through actual historical events. These events are always backed up with data and insight into the reactions and opinions of society from that time. Some of the historical events we go through are Hitler’s election as Chancellor, the Olympic games in Berlin, the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the beginning and end of the war, and much more.

Throughout the game we can feel the oppressive atmosphere of Hitler’s regime, which then helps us experience the key moments of his leadership, and memorize them better. Besides that, we still need to be cautious with every move we make because the game doesn’t give us anything for free, and we will always be at a disadvantage. For social interactions we have plenty of options for our reactions to choose from, and the game always gives us an adequate response.

The game is good for teaching about Holocaust and Second World War, as it is an ideal demonstration of the scenarios. It is also good as mnemonic device for essential historical dates.

You can access the game HERE from developers, and HERE on Steam.

In this game we play as a college student of 1939, in occupied Czechoslovakia, and have to decide whether we will try to resist the oppression, or if we will submit to the regime.

The atmosphere is dark again, and the graphic style is like a comic book. This accompanied by the background music replicates the atmosphere of that time really well.

The game itself is based on stories and memories of contemporary witnesses, which is typical for the developer Charles games. Thanks to good optimalisation for mobile phones, the game is easy to access, and it is easy to use for the purpose of education, without the need of a computer. Thanks to its partnerships with multiple organizations for preservation of the memories of past regimes’ victims, the game is free of charge, making it a perfect study device for lessons.

The game is accessible HERE from developers.

Attentat 1942 is an adventurous history game, that introduces us to the lives of occupied Czechoslovakians in 1942, through the eyes of witnesses. It is set in the period of the so-called Heydrichiad that followed the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the Reich Protector.

You are a witness of a revenge of the nazi regime to the assassination mentioned, which raises a question. Do you start a resistance, or do you collaborate with the occupying forces, as you can see the benefits and risks to both?

The game was intended as a studying device and can be bought with small manual with instructions for the teacher. Thanks to this game, students can learn important dates from the period of occupation. Game also includes virtual museum where player collects articles about history as while playing game.

The game is accessible HERE from developers and HERE on Steam.

This very dark game from the Czech developer Charles Games takes us back in time to a period shortly after the end of the war, near the Czech-German border. The game successfully adds to the information taught in school.

We can see how people reacted to the political changes, and their behavior. Pressing topics such as the expulsion of Germans are also discussed. The game gives us questions on how we would react in the same situation, what the line between justice and revenge is, and more.

The game is intended as a studying device and can be bought with small manual with instructions for the teacher. Game also includes virtual museum where player collects articles about history as while playing game.

The game is accessible HERE from developers and HERE on Steam.