It’s the new year, and it’s time for another Historically Accurate Game Jam! This year, the theme is the Industrial Revolution. We came up with dozens of great ideas, but in the end, we chose to focus on one of the biggest aspects of the revolution: social change and workers’ rights.
Talking Revolution is set in the 1830s. It’s all about the struggles of coal miners fighting for increased wages and lowered food prices. Players must manage important stats, react to events, and make decisions as they face the same dilemmas that workers in this time period did. The ultimate goal is to incite a rebellion against the authorities and mine owners.
As the game designer and writer, I was responsible for creating the mechanics and storyline, as well as writing the dialogue and character interactions. The story may be fiction but real events such as the Merthyr Rising of 1831 inspire the game. My goal was to create a game that not only entertained, but also made players think about the struggles of the past (relevant both historically and in the present day).
One of my main challenges was to create an authentic and believable experience for players. I researched the historical context and incorporated accurate details about the conditions and struggles of coal miners in the 1830s.
Creating this game was an exciting and challenging experience. I was thrilled to be able to craft a compelling narrative that engaged players and sparked their interest in history. I also enjoyed the challenge of balancing the mechanics and the story to create an enjoyable and thought-provoking experience.
Want to play the game? Find it here on itch.io! or if you want to see more of my work, click the link to my portfolio below. There’s another game jam just around the corner, so watch this space as I take part in the Global game jam. I get to work with some very talented game devs!
Good luck!