Jeremiah McCall (he/him)
@gamingthepast.bsky.social
PhD Ancient History; Gaming the Past (2022), Musings, research, & pedagogies of history, education, games, game design & intersections; High school history teacher; Game Designer; fan of Buddhist compassion; jmc.hst@gmail.com
https://gamingthepast.net
https://gamingthepast.net
Finally!!! When you really think the HPS framework is key to analyzing historical games (and designing academic games), you get very excited by citational landmarks
November 18, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Finally!!! When you really think the HPS framework is key to analyzing historical games (and designing academic games), you get very excited by citational landmarks
Here it is, the epitome of a purposeful play moment as one of my ninth grader's hands takes notes about 7 Wonders Architects as they play, in preparation for an essay comparing and contrasting 7 Wonders: Architects and Roll through the Ages: The Bronze Age as models of ancient civilizations.
November 11, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Here it is, the epitome of a purposeful play moment as one of my ninth grader's hands takes notes about 7 Wonders Architects as they play, in preparation for an essay comparing and contrasting 7 Wonders: Architects and Roll through the Ages: The Bronze Age as models of ancient civilizations.
Aww cool; I'm on CCDS FB page for my playtests of my Dawn of Cities prototype.
October 30, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Aww cool; I'm on CCDS FB page for my playtests of my Dawn of Cities prototype.
Talk went well for @archleblanc.bsky.social and her colleagues and students at UNC Greensboro Ancient Mediterranean Studies & Archaeology Dept and I had fun restricting most of my examples to ancient history games!
(Lit and Lang and other educators, please keep reading) 🧵 1/
(Lit and Lang and other educators, please keep reading) 🧵 1/
October 19, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Talk went well for @archleblanc.bsky.social and her colleagues and students at UNC Greensboro Ancient Mediterranean Studies & Archaeology Dept and I had fun restricting most of my examples to ancient history games!
(Lit and Lang and other educators, please keep reading) 🧵 1/
(Lit and Lang and other educators, please keep reading) 🧵 1/
Presenting at UNC Greensboro History and Classics for my new colleague-friend @archleblanc.bsky.social this Friday
(Board)Gaming the Past: BOARDGAMES AS HISTORY IN THE CLASSROOM: Pedagogies, Designs, and unleashing student excellence
Excited to give the content from the upcoming book a spin!
(Board)Gaming the Past: BOARDGAMES AS HISTORY IN THE CLASSROOM: Pedagogies, Designs, and unleashing student excellence
Excited to give the content from the upcoming book a spin!
October 13, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Presenting at UNC Greensboro History and Classics for my new colleague-friend @archleblanc.bsky.social this Friday
(Board)Gaming the Past: BOARDGAMES AS HISTORY IN THE CLASSROOM: Pedagogies, Designs, and unleashing student excellence
Excited to give the content from the upcoming book a spin!
(Board)Gaming the Past: BOARDGAMES AS HISTORY IN THE CLASSROOM: Pedagogies, Designs, and unleashing student excellence
Excited to give the content from the upcoming book a spin!
Delighted one of last year's Honors 10s, now an 11th grader, felt safe and bold and witty enough to write this on my board while I started a round of RTTA: Bronze Age with this years 10s
(note: I'm DMac, and I clearly taught her my vision of what history is quite well! I'm proud!)
(note: I'm DMac, and I clearly taught her my vision of what history is quite well! I'm proud!)
October 3, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Delighted one of last year's Honors 10s, now an 11th grader, felt safe and bold and witty enough to write this on my board while I started a round of RTTA: Bronze Age with this years 10s
(note: I'm DMac, and I clearly taught her my vision of what history is quite well! I'm proud!)
(note: I'm DMac, and I clearly taught her my vision of what history is quite well! I'm proud!)
All right my friends. Dawn of Cities entry # whatever. Getting close to the first use in class (which is still ultimately an early prototype playtest). More nervous about this one for some reason. Perhaps because it's a bit more complex. 1/
#AncientBlueSky #gamingthepast 🗃️
#AncientBlueSky #gamingthepast 🗃️
August 19, 2025 at 9:44 PM
All right my friends. Dawn of Cities entry # whatever. Getting close to the first use in class (which is still ultimately an early prototype playtest). More nervous about this one for some reason. Perhaps because it's a bit more complex. 1/
#AncientBlueSky #gamingthepast 🗃️
#AncientBlueSky #gamingthepast 🗃️
Good self playtest & rules + prototype revision for #DawnofCities. Made player sheet 1 page to give more information (designed for classrooms).
I often find self playtesting is a great initial form of design because I see &craft practical solutions that I did not foresee as I go (i.e. make it up) 1/
I often find self playtesting is a great initial form of design because I see &craft practical solutions that I did not foresee as I go (i.e. make it up) 1/
August 5, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Good self playtest & rules + prototype revision for #DawnofCities. Made player sheet 1 page to give more information (designed for classrooms).
I often find self playtesting is a great initial form of design because I see &craft practical solutions that I did not foresee as I go (i.e. make it up) 1/
I often find self playtesting is a great initial form of design because I see &craft practical solutions that I did not foresee as I go (i.e. make it up) 1/
Working in another early test of Dawn of Cities. Still need to pare down for 9th graders and better balance community functions vs individual elite household functions
#gamingthepast
#AncientBluesky
#gamingthepast
#AncientBluesky
August 5, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Working in another early test of Dawn of Cities. Still need to pare down for 9th graders and better balance community functions vs individual elite household functions
#gamingthepast
#AncientBluesky
#gamingthepast
#AncientBluesky
Ugggghhh finally sucking it up and actually playtesting pre prototype of Dawn of Cities for first time
July 19, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Ugggghhh finally sucking it up and actually playtesting pre prototype of Dawn of Cities for first time
This will be fun! Giving a (remote) talk on Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Hegemony: Wars of Ancient Greece for a student summer seminar on ancient history in Ukraine next Tuesday. Get to help out others and talk about my most recent article at the same time!!!
July 18, 2025 at 11:24 AM
This will be fun! Giving a (remote) talk on Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Hegemony: Wars of Ancient Greece for a student summer seminar on ancient history in Ukraine next Tuesday. Get to help out others and talk about my most recent article at the same time!!!
My peasants with clubs were not able to convert the money-throwing merchants of Spoleto, so I've now lost twice in a row at the very start of Becoming a Saint
June 13, 2025 at 8:36 PM
My peasants with clubs were not able to convert the money-throwing merchants of Spoleto, so I've now lost twice in a row at the very start of Becoming a Saint
SO apparently one still can't paste into BSky chat -- so I'll post here @curiousdynamics.bsky.social . Here's the specs. I think that's all the relevant ones but happy to send other details as needed.
June 11, 2025 at 6:36 PM
SO apparently one still can't paste into BSky chat -- so I'll post here @curiousdynamics.bsky.social . Here's the specs. I think that's all the relevant ones but happy to send other details as needed.
I'm a serious advocate for less complex history games getting into classroom, and this may not be it. But this is all record keeping so it may not be too bad since the actual decisions are pretty straightforward, and not shown on the board. Anyone want me to talk more abt it or have questions? 2/
June 6, 2025 at 11:08 AM
I'm a serious advocate for less complex history games getting into classroom, and this may not be it. But this is all record keeping so it may not be too bad since the actual decisions are pretty straightforward, and not shown on the board. Anyone want me to talk more abt it or have questions? 2/
Okay here's the first, actual print out and use as a prototype pass for Dawn of Cities, the game I'm designing for 9th grade Ancient World History on the first cities in Mesopotamia (Tell Brak and Uruk).
Phew --- so complicated. I think it lends itself to a roll and write. 1/
Phew --- so complicated. I think it lends itself to a roll and write. 1/
June 6, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Okay here's the first, actual print out and use as a prototype pass for Dawn of Cities, the game I'm designing for 9th grade Ancient World History on the first cities in Mesopotamia (Tell Brak and Uruk).
Phew --- so complicated. I think it lends itself to a roll and write. 1/
Phew --- so complicated. I think it lends itself to a roll and write. 1/
Always loved this particular doodle for history-making -- been in a lot of presentations; now it will go in the Designing Historical Games for Classrooms book.
May 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Always loved this particular doodle for history-making -- been in a lot of presentations; now it will go in the Designing Historical Games for Classrooms book.
This year's sticker for my ninth and tenth graders
May 15, 2025 at 5:25 PM
This year's sticker for my ninth and tenth graders
I have really really really nice kids. Even with my birthday on the weekend and off the radar, I still received handmade cards (my favorite) and gifts. I am very fortunate indeed
(PS I use the term "duckling" for my students, hence the theme)
(PS I use the term "duckling" for my students, hence the theme)
April 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM
I have really really really nice kids. Even with my birthday on the weekend and off the radar, I still received handmade cards (my favorite) and gifts. I am very fortunate indeed
(PS I use the term "duckling" for my students, hence the theme)
(PS I use the term "duckling" for my students, hence the theme)
And then go through all the steps of the design process and how to support and assist and assess as the students do this. Here's the current process diagram again, if you're interested. 3/
April 12, 2025 at 12:51 PM
And then go through all the steps of the design process and how to support and assist and assess as the students do this. Here's the current process diagram again, if you're interested. 3/
Can you feel it in the air @writegameread.bsky.social !!!
Unwrapping and playing this myself to learn this week, then with my students in a couple of weeks. I'm really excited to try this!
Unwrapping and playing this myself to learn this week, then with my students in a couple of weeks. I'm really excited to try this!
March 31, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Can you feel it in the air @writegameread.bsky.social !!!
Unwrapping and playing this myself to learn this week, then with my students in a couple of weeks. I'm really excited to try this!
Unwrapping and playing this myself to learn this week, then with my students in a couple of weeks. I'm really excited to try this!
Going to stay focused on skeeting about historical games studies and education, but here's an exception, just because maybe it'll do your heart some good.
This is Zuzu.
This is Zuzu.
March 29, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Going to stay focused on skeeting about historical games studies and education, but here's an exception, just because maybe it'll do your heart some good.
This is Zuzu.
This is Zuzu.
The latest refinement of the process designing a historical game using the Historical Problem Space framework. So these are the steps I guide my students through as they design and this is the process I'm breaking down and explaining in _Designing Historical Games for Classrooms_ Thoughts?
March 25, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The latest refinement of the process designing a historical game using the Historical Problem Space framework. So these are the steps I guide my students through as they design and this is the process I'm breaking down and explaining in _Designing Historical Games for Classrooms_ Thoughts?
Essay Prompt rough draft:
February 10, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Essay Prompt rough draft: