Fun Labor Is Still Labor
Archaeological Consulting in the Games Industry
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21242091 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Emma Yasui (0000-0002-3264-9010, York University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-9 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-18 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Advances in Archaeological Practice (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2326-3768 • E-ISSN: 2326-3768 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/aap.2026.10159 |
| OpenAlex | W7165206524 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 13 |
Overview Games have the potential to engage a wider public with archaeology, but popular products also continue to perpetuate misconceptions about the past. One potential solution is for archaeologists, heritage professionals, and historians to act as consultants in the process of game design. However, there has been little published about what consultation involves, particularly with the understanding that games with archaeological themes often rely heavily on colonial narratives, as well as stereotypes that affect descendant communities. In this digital review, I draw on my experiences as an archaeologist and cultural consultant within the tabletop games industry to highlight how representation, expertise, and positionality are considerations for any scholar who is solicited for consultation on a commercial product. I also address the unpaid, underpaid, and emotional labor that lurks within an industry reliant on personal passions and work characterized as fun. I conclude with recommendations that focus on reducing harm in the present while playing with the past
Affect (linguistics) · Colonialism · Harm · Passions · Process (computing) · Work (physics) · Archaeological Research and Protection · Digital Games and Media · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
Game Devs and Others
Not All Fun and Games
Videogames and Postcolonialism
Digital Games as History
Settlement Selection and Inequality in Video Games through an Anthropological Lens
Field Notes and Fictional Realms
Readers of the Lost Artifacts
But that’s not accurate
Have Video Games Evolved Enough to Teach Human Origins
Assassin’s Creed Origins Discovery Tour
Archaeogaming
Might, Culture, and Archaeology in Sid Meier's Civilization
Beyond Tomb and Relic
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |