How do we balance gameplay and historical accuracy in our games

At Culture Games, we have an ambitious mission: to create fun board games that also convey the richness of Spanish cultural heritage. But there's a question we ask ourselves with every project:

How do you tell a true story without sacrificing gameplay?

Designing historically-based games is a creative challenge that constantly balances two forces: fidelity to facts (although we sometimes take creative liberties to mark the beginning of the story) and the need for the game to be dynamic, exciting, and playable for all audiences.

Here's how we do it.

We start with real history (and talk to those who live it)

It all begins with a rigorous documentation phase.
We research archives, local sources, oral traditions, historical articles, and graphic materials. But we don't stop there: we also talk to the people who live that culture. Brotherhood members, reenactors, local historians, elderly neighbors... They all provide details, emotions, and nuances that aren't in books.

This approach allows us to have a solid and respectful foundation. In TRAICIÓN – El Último Voto, for example, the background of the conquest of Calatayud in 1120 was built with the support of sources and voices that have experienced—and re-experienced—the Alfonsadas.

Then comes the playful filter

Once we have the context, the key part arrives: turning it into a game experience.

Here, questions arise such as:

- What kind of mechanic best represents this story?

- Do we want players to cooperate, compete, or face dilemmas?

- What pace does the game need to maintain interest without distorting reality?

For example, El Santo Encuentro is a cooperative game because it reflects the joint effort of the brotherhoods to coordinate a procession.
In contrast, TRAICIÓN is a narrative escape with increasing tension, because it fits a story of medieval conspiracy.

History inspires, it doesn't constrain

A key to balancing playability and rigor is to remember that the game is not a literal reproduction, but a reinterpretation that must function as a playful experience.

This means that we sometimes adjust dates, characters, or details to make the game flow better.
But always with a clear principle: the spirit of what we want to tell is never betrayed.

If a player finishes the game and wants to know more about the real story… then we’ve succeeded.

We design with respect, not solemnity.

At Culture Games, we treat culture with respect, but not with fear.
We don't believe that heritage has to be locked in display cases or surrounded by solemnity. It can also be touched, played with, and reinterpreted without losing its value.

That's why our games are accessible, agile, and exciting, while still being culturally significant.

And we always listen

Every time we release a game, we receive messages from people telling us:
"This is just how I remember it,"
"Thank you for turning it into something I can share with my children,"
or even "You should make one about my town's festival!"

This conversation with the community is what allows us to continue refining that delicate balance between rigor and playability.

Because for us, history is not a burden to drag along:
it's the starting point for creating something that excites, teaches, and entertains.