Video games have evolved far beyond simple entertainment into powerful storytelling mediums that can transport players through time and space. While fantasy worlds offer endless creativity, there’s something uniquely compelling about games that draw inspiration from real historical events. These carefully crafted experiences allow players to engage with history in an interactive way that books or documentaries simply cannot match.
The most impressive historically-inspired games don’t just use history as window dressing—they thoughtfully weave real events, authentic settings, and genuine human stories into their gameplay. Through these digital experiences, players gain a deeper understanding of significant moments in human history while actively participating in engaging narratives.
Let’s explore five exceptional video games that masterfully bring historical events to life through compelling gameplay and storytelling.
1. Valiant Hearts: The Great War: A Touching Tribute to Humanity
Why It’s Revolutionary
Valiant Hearts stands apart from typical war games by focusing not on combat glory but on the human cost of conflict. This puzzle-adventure game uses a distinctive artistic style reminiscent of hand-drawn animation to tell a profoundly moving story set during World War I.
Historical Connection
Ubisoft Montpellier extensively researched The Great War, incorporating actual letters, photographs, and artifacts from 1914-1918 into the gameplay. The game follows four characters whose lives intertwine during the war, with each chapter based on specific historical battles and events including the Battle of the Marne, the Second Battle of Ypres, and the infamous Battle of Verdun.
How It Plays
Rather than emphasizing shooting mechanics, Valiant Hearts centers on puzzle-solving and storytelling. Players navigate trenches, battlefields, and war-torn villages while collecting historical items that provide authentic educational context through brief informational texts. The game balances emotional narrative beats with accessible gameplay that focuses more on problem-solving than combat.
Where to Find It
Valiant Hearts: The Great War is available on multiple platforms including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices, making it one of the most accessible history-based games.
2. This War of Mine: Surviving Civilian Hardship
Groundbreaking Perspective
While most war games put players in the boots of soldiers, This War of Mine boldly shifts the perspective to civilian survivors trapped in a war-torn city. This survival simulation doesn’t glorify combat—it reveals the devastating impact of conflict on everyday people.
Real-World Inspiration
Developer 11 bit studios drew heavy inspiration from the 1992-1996 Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. The team conducted extensive interviews with war survivors to authentically portray the difficult choices, moral dilemmas, and psychological toll that civilians face during urban warfare. Every aspect of the game—from resource scarcity to the constant threat of snipers—reflects documented civilian experiences.
Gameplay Experience
Players manage a group of civilians sheltering in a partially destroyed building, making difficult decisions about resource allocation, crafting, and survival. During daylight, snipers prevent outdoor movement, so players focus on maintaining their shelter, crafting tools, and caring for their group’s physical and mental health. At night, they must decide who ventures out to scavenge for crucial supplies, potentially encountering other survivors—some friendly, many desperate or dangerous.
Availability
This War of Mine is available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms. The “Final Cut” and “Complete Edition” versions include all DLC content, including “The Little Ones” expansion that addresses how children experience war.
3. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30: Authentic Squad Tactics
Military Precision
Unlike many WWII shooters that prioritize action over accuracy, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 emphasizes authentic squad tactics, realistic combat, and historical fidelity. The game revolutionized the tactical shooter genre by focusing on squad command rather than lone-wolf heroics.
Historical Foundation
The game meticulously recreates the experiences of the U.S. 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during the D-Day operations in Normandy. Developer Gearbox Software worked closely with military historians and veterans, even using actual Army field manuals, aerial reconnaissance photos, and battle reports to ensure authenticity. Many missions recreate specific historical engagements, and the game’s environments were modeled using thousands of photos taken by the development team in Normandy.
Gameplay Mechanics
Players take on the role of Sergeant Matt Baker, commanding a small squad through historically accurate missions. The core gameplay revolves around the “Find, Fix, Flank, Finish” military tactic—suppressing enemy positions with one fire team while maneuvering another to attack from the flank. This approach creates a more thoughtful, strategic experience than typical run-and-gun shooters.
Where to Experience It
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is available on PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. While graphically dated by modern standards, its tactical depth and historical authenticity still make it worth playing for history enthusiasts.
4. Hearts of Iron IV: Grand Strategy Across World War II
Strategic Depth
For those interested in the broader geopolitical, economic, and military aspects of World War II, Hearts of Iron IV offers unparalleled depth. This grand strategy game allows players to take control of any nation during the WWII era and guide them through diplomatic negotiations, economic development, technological research, and military operations.
Historical Accuracy
The game features meticulously researched historical elements including accurate national borders, military formations, technologies, and political situations of the 1936-1948 period. Real historical figures appear as leaders, generals, and advisors with traits and abilities reflecting their actual strengths and weaknesses. The game’s event system recreates major historical moments like the Anschluss, Munich Agreement, and Operation Barbarossa.
How to Play
Unlike action-oriented war games, Hearts of Iron IV unfolds on a detailed world map where players manage resources, production lines, research, and military deployments. Success requires balancing industrial development, technological advancement, diplomatic relations, and military strategy. Players can follow historical paths or create alternate history scenarios—perhaps preventing WWII entirely through diplomacy or seeing how history might have unfolded if certain countries had made different choices.
Availability
Hearts of Iron IV is available exclusively on PC through Steam and other digital platforms. The base game is regularly expanded through downloadable content that adds more detailed mechanics for specific regions or aspects of the war.
5. Kingdom Come: Deliverance: Medieval Life Without Fantasy
Remarkable Realism
In a genre dominated by dragons and magic, Kingdom Come: Deliverance stands apart by offering a ruthlessly realistic medieval experience. This open-world RPG eschews fantasy elements entirely to present life in early 15th century Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic) with unprecedented historical accuracy.
Historical Setting
Set in 1403 during a succession crisis in the Holy Roman Empire, the game recreates the Kingdom of Bohemia with painstaking detail. Developer Warhorse Studios collaborated with historians and archaeologists to ensure everything from architecture and clothing to weapons and social structures authentically represents the period. The main storyline revolves around actual historical events during the war between Sigismund of Hungary and Wenceslaus IV.
Gameplay Experience
Players step into the shoes of Henry, a blacksmith’s son whose village is destroyed during a raid, launching him into the complex political conflict engulfing Bohemia. The game features deep systems for combat, dialogue, reputation, and skills—all designed to reflect medieval realities. The combat system particularly stands out, using historical European martial arts techniques that require practice and skill to master.
Where to Find It
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The Royal Edition includes all downloadable content, expanding the already substantial game world with additional quests and features.
Why These Games Matter
The marriage of gaming and history creates uniquely powerful experiences that can foster genuine understanding of the past. While books and documentaries certainly have educational value, games allow players to actively engage with historical scenarios, making decisions and experiencing consequences in ways that create lasting impressions.
The best historically-inspired games don’t simply use history as a backdrop but genuinely attempt to help players understand the complexities, challenges, and human elements of past events. They remind us that history wasn’t experienced as a series of dates and facts, but as lived reality by people not so different from ourselves.
