Games for Culture
MEMENTOES brings together museum experts and game developers to create immersive, accessible games that bring the history of specific sites to the fingertips of a global audience. Read on to learn more about the museums and game developers involved in the project, and for updates about their work.
Those From Below by Causa Creations and Le Bois Du Cazier
Those From Below, produced by Causa Creations in cooperation with Le Bois Du Cazier Museum and Michele Cicora, son of a miner who died in the 1956 Marcinelle mining disaster, is a VR game which blends historical documentation, personal stories, and artistic representation to honour the lives of the 262 men who perished in the mines and reflect on themes such as migrant labour and resource extraction.
Through the voice of Michele, who only knew his father through letters, players are invited to experience the miners’ world, their working conditions, and the far-reaching impact of the tragedy, which still resonates in Europe’s labour history today.
Le Bois Du Cazier, a former coal mine and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Belgium, is best known for the 1956 disaster which killed 262 migrant workers and highlights the dangers faced by labourers in profit-driven extractive industries. Today, its museum exhibits serve as a site for reflection on industrial failures and worker exploitation. Similarly committed to raising awareness, Vienna-based game developer Causa Creations creates award-winning games that explore contemporary issues including migration, civil war, and precarious labour, using diverse storytelling and technology to engage players with contemporary global issues.
The game will be released in late 2025. You can find a Those From Below presskit here: https://causacreations.net/presskit/thosefrombelow/index.html
The images below are works-in-progress and may change by the time the game is complete.
We Grew Up in War by Charles Games and War Childhood Museum
We Grew Up in War is a PC and mobile game developed by Charles Games in collaboration with the War Childhood Museum. The game explores the experience of childhood in conflict, inspired by the testimonies of children who grew up during wars in Bosnia, Syria, and Ukraine in the past thirty years. Through a series of vignettes, the game explores how the effects of war creep into the characters’ lives and home cities, depicting moments of fear and grief alongside more mundane realities, such as boredom and finding supplies, that characterise the wartime experience.
The War Childhood Museum was initially inspired by the experiences of children who survived the Bosnian war, collecting personal stories and artefacts from people who grew up in the conflict. Since its creation, it has expanded to include stories and objects from Syria and Ukraine, as well as campaigns focused on child refugees and wartime trauma, creating a digital archive that amplifies survivor voices and educates visitors about the human cost of war. Similarly, Prague-based Charles Games develops award-winning serious games that immerse players in the lives of ordinary people during historical conflicts, using personal narratives and archival material to explore justice, morality, and reconciliation through the eyes of survivors.
The game will be available in Q1 2026. For now, you can wishlist We Grew Up in War on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3254380/We_Grew_Up_in_War/
You can find a We Grew Up in War presskit here: https://e.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=kZqFWlZqbUjzJ1XECQ0gUfzgRyCEHL6qSuy
Learn more about the game at Charles Games’ website: https://www.charlesgames.net/we-grew-up-in-war
The images below are works-in-progress and may change by the time the game is complete.
Gulag Diaries by ICS-FORTH and Gulag.cz
Gulag Diaries is a PC game developed by ICS-FORTH in collaboration with Gulag.cz, which explores the experiences of prisoners in Soviet Gulag camps. Based on a real-life expedition to the ruins of a gulag by the team at Gulag.cz, the game places players in the shoes of an archaeologist as they uncover artefacts that reveal the experiences of former prisoners. Combining historical research, expert consultations, and immersive storytelling, the game aims to connect players with the experiences of victims of the Gulags while respecting the gravity of its subject matter.
Gulag.cz is an association dedicated to preserving the memory of Soviet gulag victims through expeditions, archival research, and an accessible online museum featuring open databases, interactive archives, and immersive games. Their work uncovers lost histories and brings remote gulag sites to life. Similarly, the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory of ICS-FORTH in Greece develops innovative, user-friendly technologies to support museums and historical education, including virtual guides, digitised sites, and accessible tools. Both organisations share a commitment to using technology to preserve cultural memory and promote social justice.
Gulag Diaries will be used in educational activities facilitated by Gulag.cz, and will not be commercially available to the public. The images below are works-in-progress and may change by the time the game is complete.
