10 years of ‘archaeogaming’: an Italian perspective

Archaeogaming is a term coined in 2013 by Andrew Reinhard. It emerged from a grassroots movement in digital archaeology aimed at exploring the use of gaming technologies for studying the past and archaeological representation through video games’ narrative and interactive potential. This research explores the reception of archaeogaming theory in Italy over the 2013-2023, stressing the positive impact of public archaeology in addressing academic misconceptions towards gaming. The shift in perspective led to more projects mixing archaeology and video games and an organic collaboration between academic archaeology and other disciplines. Although archaeogaming is a new area of research in Italy, some trends have already emerged. These reveal both successful elements and missed opportunities. Acknowledging both aspects seems crucial to calibrate future projects on original archaeogaming theory, including co-creating, exploring, and promoting knowledge in the digital space.