The Royal Game of Ur
This project explores the potential of immersive virtual reality to transform engagement with ancient gameplay through a reimagining of the Royal Game of Ur. Participants initially encounter the game within a realistic digital twin environment before the surrounding architecture gradually dissolves into a reconstructed Sumerian landscape enriched with dynamic soundscapes, environmental effects, and atmospheric storytelling.
The transition from a contemporary digital space to an ancient Mesopotamian setting investigates how environmental presence and contextual immersion influence player experience, engagement, and flow during gameplay. The project combines archaeogaming, immersive storytelling, and XR design to examine whether placing players within a multisensory historical environment enhances emotional connection, concentration, and experiential immersion while interacting with one of the world’s oldest known board games.
The project also explores the relationship between spatial storytelling, embodiment, and play, positioning VR not simply as a visualisation tool but as an active medium for experiential and affective engagement with the ancient past.
The transition from a contemporary digital space to an ancient Mesopotamian setting investigates how environmental presence and contextual immersion influence player experience, engagement, and flow during gameplay. The project combines archaeogaming, immersive storytelling, and XR design to examine whether placing players within a multisensory historical environment enhances emotional connection, concentration, and experiential immersion while interacting with one of the world’s oldest known board games.
The project also explores the relationship between spatial storytelling, embodiment, and play, positioning VR not simply as a visualisation tool but as an active medium for experiential and affective engagement with the ancient past.
Royal Game of Ur - XR Handtrack Testing
Conceived and designed by Despoina Sampatakou, built in VR by Aurélien Léchappé.
Royal Game of Ur - XR Environment Testing
Conceived and designed by Despoina Sampatakou, built in VR by Aurélien Léchappé.