‘Dialogues I - Computer Games’ brings together academics, heritage professionals and a games designer to explore debates regarding interactivity and playability in Holocaust memory.
This series culminated in a live debate held at the Connective Holocaust Commemoration Expo 2025, at University of Sussex, 24-26 June which was also livestreamed. A recording of the discussion is found on this page, which ties together the themes of this inaugural Dialogue.
Articles in Dialogue 1: Computer Games
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Provocation: Can the Holocaust Be Made Playable?
By: Prof. Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden
For some time, games seemed to remain the last taboo of Holocaust representation, yet recent years have seen an increasing foray into the computer game format. However, our provocation asks, have game designers and heritage organisations fully explored the potential of this medium for Holocaust memory yet?
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Response I: How Much Have We Really Moved On From Those Earlier Days When Holocaust Computer Games Were Forbidden?
By: Jörg Friedrich
Holocaust games have evolved from controversial to crucial. The evolution of Holocaust representation in games has been remarkable since 2017.
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Response II: How Can We Understand the Possibility of Interactivity in Game Contexts?
By: Dr Tabea Widmann
Interactivity in games can make us aware of, and bring to the forefront, our post-agency in cultures of remembrance. This activation, however, occurs most strongly in the moments beyond the immediate game setting. Ultimately, where game cultures and memory cultures meet dialogically in a shared space.
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Response III: Simulations, Puzzles, and 'History Detectives': How Can Games Immerse Players while Balancing Authenticity, Memorialisation, and Learning?
By: Silvina Fernandez-Duque, David Klevan, Russ Sitka
Computer games are technically well-suited for placing visitors into simulations of historical scenarios, as well as in post-Holocaust situations where their role is to be memory or history investigators. But are both scenarios pedagogically sound?
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Response IV: How Much Have We Learnt So Far About Holocaust History and Computer Games, and Why Do We Often Feel the Need to Legitimate Games About Holocaust History?
By: Dr Alina Bothe
#LastSeen, for which I was Project Director, could be described as a Holocaust game – or better: an innovative form of historical storytelling.
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Computer Games and Holocaust Memory, live roundtable
Filmed at the Connective Holocaust Commemoration Expo 2025, University of Sussex on 25 June 2025