Boy, do I need to get a life. I just tried out my first ever archaeology-themed computer game and found myself whining about the archaeological content.
But, having said that, I kinda liked The Pini Society computer game.
The Pini Society is the name of an action/adventure game that has a story line based on the (mythical?) Pini Society, said to have been a group of Victorian gentlemen based in the UK that included amongst its members real archaeologist/explorers the likes of Austen Henry Layard, John Hanning Speke and the Maspero brothers.
The Game
The game is a Flash-based puzzle format, in that players advance by solving puzzles, placing tiles into mosaic patterns and seeking hidden jewels. Along the way, tidbits of information about the history of Victorian era exploration and archaeology take the user through an introduction to the adventurous ways of the history of archaeology. The game is non-violent and suitable for computer savvy kids (now there's a redundant phrase) as well as puzzled adults.
For this review, I took the free download trial for a spin. I was able to play the game for well over the reported hour test, in two separate sessions. I found the game enjoyable, and at $19.95 reasonably priced for its pretty graphics and sound quality. Further, I think it's an interesting way to give people a look at the Indiana-Jones-like past of archaeology, when Victorian gentlemen and a few women scoured the earth for relics and other cultural secrets of the lands taken over by the British Empire in its heyday.
The Storyline
However, I found myself a little concerned with the storyline as it is presented on the webpage. While in the old days, many of the real vainglorious members of the putative society did in fact go out into the odd corners of the earth to loot relics--er, do research, the society, if it exists outside of the game at all, has no intentions of doing that today, despite what it implies on the website. Thank goodness! I can't even imagine what that would take. Not to mention that the ethics of Victorian age 'archaeology' exercised today would be unconscionable.
The Real Dope (Might be Me)
So, in contrast to what the site currently implies, the Pini Society has no plans to seek and excavate sites, purchase sites for preservation, or publish scholarly reports. However, the manufacturer does plan on donating 1% of their total game proceeds from 2008 to already existing historical/cultural preservation efforts. I think that's admirable, and makes the $20 a bit more worth spending. I just wish they'd say so on the webpage and not confuse the Pini Society with, say, the Archaeological Conservancy.
In a burst of fair (or bloody, depending on how you look at it) mindedness, I sent my concerns about the misleading content along to the Pini Society's manufacturers. I don't know whether they'll listen to me, and I don't suppose it matters all that much. The Pini Society game is entertaining and fairly inexpensive and their aims are good, if to my mind too well hidden under a storyline hype.
- The Pini Society: The Remarkable Truth
- The Archaeological Conservancy, where you can get lots more bang for your preservation-minded buck
- The History of Archaeology, a bit more traditional way to learn about it, if not quite as entertaining
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