Archaeologists use AI to create prehistoric video game

ARCHAEOLOGY Archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Bergen have used AI and free digital tools to create a dynamic and educational video game about the Stone Age. According to the researchers, the new technology, which does not require strong technical skills, has...
Screenshot from the game: University of Copenhagen

Historians and archaeologists are constantly looking for new ways to bring the past to life. And in museums, audiovisual and digital solutions have long been a part of the presentation of cultural heritage.

However, until now, developing immersive digital content about the past has been very expensive and has required specialized labour. At the same time, it has been difficult to update the content if needed.

For this reason, only large commercial game developers have been successful in making (pre-)history-based video games. Popular examples are Assassin's Creed and Civilisation, which are great, but don't always place a high value on historical accuracy.

But in a new research paper, archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen show that by using AI, the free tool Unreal Engine and tutorials on YouTube, they have been able to create an educational dynamic 3D computer game - in a short time and for very little money.

“We believe that these free tools that are now available to everyone have the potential to revolutionize digital cultural heritage communication. And with the research article about our game, we give other professionals the recipe for how to get started with digital storytelling without spending huge resources on it," says archaeologist Mikkel Nørtoft from the University of Copenhagen.

Small talk with a Stone Age woman

The 3D game developed by the researchers is based on the Deep Histories of Migration research project about the Neolithic period in Northern Europe. The game is centred around the archaeologists' own video recordings of two well-preserved long dolmens from Lindeskov Hestehave on Funen.

About the game

The researchers have used the following tools to create their game:

- Unreal Engine software (free)
- Convai cloud solution to run the AI responses (monthly subscription, free trial subscription)
- MetaHuman Creator (free) for the two characters in the first level of the game
- Only hardware requirement is a standard gaming GPU due to the 3D graphics

The entire game project can be downloaded and played in the Unreal Engine Editor: https://zenodo.org/records/15383656

“The aim of the game is to learn more about the Neolithic Age and the burial monuments that were built back then in a dramatised universe. You do this by exploring the site, and talking to two AI-driven characters, an archaeologist and a Stone Age woman, whom we have prompted with background stories,” explains Mikkel Nørtoft and continues:

 "In other words, we haven't had to write detailed manuscripts because the characters speak using generative AI and can therefore express themselves - optionally in several different languages - based on our prompts and our own compiled archaeological knowledge banks.”

This also means that researchers can continuously change the back stories as they gain new knowledge. In this way, they can ensure that the communication always stands on solid academic ground, while at the same time appearing immediate and natural to the players.

“Our game is primarily an example of what is technically possible for beginners, so we recommend that museums and other interested parties build their own scenarios with their expert knowledge. With a little help, most people will be able to learn how to build a simple scenario with characters within a few days and start experimenting with this type of dissemination.”

For Mikkel Nørtoft and his colleagues, their attempt to create a computer game shows that archaeologists and historians no longer have to depend on expensive commercial developers. They can now take control of the communication of their subject and create their own research-based digital version of prehistory.

See a demonstration of the archaeologists' game on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h4KqFgoPv4.

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