1 You don’t play, you volunteer. The Construction of Historical Culture through Video Games [An incomplete research proposal] Premise Historical culture is increasingly being shaped by the dissemination and use of new communication and entertainment technologies. Previous studies have shown that online communities, mobile telephony and virtual reality have largely replaced traditional learning environments. The young in particular learn and discuss history in forums and social networking sites, namely in digital worlds defined by possibilities for interaction and freedom of choice for the user, as opposed to institutional forms of history learning, such as the school and university, which are characterized by unilateral input, control and hierarchy. Central to this process of digitisation and diffusion of historical culture among the young community is a factor that has not yet been adequately examined: video games. The proposed study aims to analyse popular video games with historical content, as well as their impact on the acquisition of historical knowledge and understanding. The terŵ ǀideo gaŵes ǁith historiĐal ĐoŶteŶt refers to softǁare eŶǀiroŶŵeŶts Đreated exclusively for recreational and commercial purposes, which are built upon representations of the past. This definition is under debate as studies have shown that even video games based on mythology or fantasy literature are seen as historical games ďy soŵe players, depeŶdiŶg oŶ Đriteria suĐh as the ĐharaĐters apparel aŶd arŵaŵeŶt and the natural and architectural environment, in which they are set. Thus, video games with historical content not only reflect the historical culture of the young, but also shape understanding of the concept of the past itself. This is due to the specific character of this particular digital medium.