UK’s Channel 4 Education and developer Preloaded have launched a new online Flash game that re-creates the events leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar.
Play It Now!
(You can also play it at the Channel 4 website if your captain has screwed up the popup.)
England, two hundred years ago, was a dangerous and volatile place to live. In those days, escaping into a bottle of grog might have seemed like a good idea, but thanks to men like Andrew Miller, the Royal Navy’s most notorious press-ganger, you were all too likely to awake from your stupor and find yourself at sea aboard a Royal Navy Ship-of-the-Line with the full force of the combined French and Spanish Navies bearing down on you.
On the plus side, assuming you manage to avoid being blown to bits, hacked to pieces by the ship surgeon (Stephen would never!) or lost at sea) there’s always the chance you might live to capture a prize galleon and become rich beyond your wildest dreams…
Trafalgar Origins looks to capture “the danger and exhilaration” of the moments leading up to the battle, while also highlighting the important role foreigners in the British Navy played in the country’s victory.
The game has players creating a customizable character, navigating their ship, shooting down enemy ships, earning gold, and staffing their crew with ex-slaves from the West Indies and convicts from America. The social game also uses Facebook Connect, allowing users to post scores/achievements/progress and invite their friends to join.
“We’ve created an educationally robust, casual game that combines the energy and drama of 19th Century naval warfare with the social context and human history that underpins the Channel 4 season,” says Preloaded’s creative director Phil Stuart. “The history has provided a backdrop for a rich and dramatic gaming experience which will resonate strongly with the target audience.”
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Fun AND educational, what could be better?! I especially like the Facebook aspect, because more of my friends should appreciate the awesomeness that is the Napoleonic Era, and god knows they spend enough time playing useless games on FB. They might as well play this one and learn something for a change 
Courtesy of Game, Set, Watch and Channel 4.
Image: Screenshot courtesy of Preloaded.
Dr. Maturin suggests further reading:
“I especially like the Facebook aspect, because more of my friends should appreciate the awesomeness that is the Napoleonic Era, and god knows they spend enough time playing useless games on FB.”
Thank you! You and I evidently have myriad mutual friends!
Thanks for the heads up on the game too; great stuff and very timely.
I spent way too much time playing this game yesterday.