Description

From “Royal Game of Ur” (2500+ BCE) to “Monopoly” (1933) , “Pac-Man” (1980), “Magic: the Gathering” (1993), and “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” (2011), tabletop games have been a constant form of entertainment, enlightenment, and cultural propaganda in human history. The forms of games, their experiential qualities, and their cultural significance have varied enormously from era to era and place to place. This class will examine particular games and game genres in their historical context using a case study format. We will focus on “board” and “video” games—those of chance and skill as opposed to physical games and sports.