The enduring fascination with ancient myths from civilizations of yesteryear is astounding. Despite many of these legends being conceived over 1000 years ago, there are many people living today that could recite them as if they happened yesterday. This is thanks to their prevalence in popular culture and how they have been retold in different ways over the years.
One of the best places to find adaptations of myths and legends is gaming. No matter what genre you enjoy, there are titles based on classic tales.
Online Casino Games Draw Heavy Inspiration from Myths
From an abundant array of games based on stories from Ancient Greece and Egypt, along with a good dose of Norse mythology, the online casino sector has everything covered. Developers here even dive into lesser-known lore, with Pixies Paradise being a prime example of this. This is one of the newest slots on the market, and it is gaining a lot of attention for its unique theme, along with its progressive jackpot. It features multicolored pixies in the game, and when they appear on the reels, they have different effects on the outcome.
Pixies Paradise takes a lot of inspiration from British folklore, with the magical creatures regarded as commonplace in southern England for many years. Indeed, it’s believed that people in counties like Somerset were convinced of their existence until the mid-19th century.
The creatures were thought to be small and mischievous, often found dancing through the night. They have influenced popular culture significantly, and J. R. R. Tolkien may have used them as the foundation of his elves. They have also inspired fairies like Tinker Bell.
For fans of other areas of mythology, the iGaming sector has titles that will appeal to a vast range of people. One of the most popular game series in the slots market at the moment is Age of Gods, which focuses on different myths and legends in each of its unique titles. Ancient Egyptian themes are commonplace, with options like Wild Gods of Egypt and Legacy of Egypt. There are also plenty of titles that draw inspiration from the stories of Ancient Greece. One of the most famous tales from that legendary civilization was when Perseus killed the Gorgon Medusa. The terrifying creature has been immortalized on the reels in a variety of games, including Medusa Money and Medusa’s Golden Gaze.
Survival and Adventure Games Let You Experience the Myths
For anyone who lived in ancient times before the world became a more civilized place, it was often a struggle to survive in lawless societies or war-torn periods. That’s why developers often choose to travel back thousands of years when they create their titles. They aim to put players in the shoes of the people who lived in these times and give them a sense of what it was like. Games that do this usually tie in the myths and religions of the era in the game’s story.
The Stormfall series is a prime example of this, and the games from Plarium are open-world survival offerings inspired by medieval designs. They include knights but also involve magic. This fits with the beliefs of people from these ancient times, as many thought magic existed for centuries. The popularity of the first title in 2012, Stormfall: Age of War, led to others in the franchise. There are now newer options for players to choose from, including Stormfall: Saga of Survival and Stormfall: Rise of Balur.
Another interesting game to check out is Ark: Survival Evolved, a survival game about mythical dinosaurs. This title from Studio Wildcard puts players in the middle of a map filled with dinosaurs, fantasy monsters, and other beasts from ancient folklore. Players have to take control of their own prehistoric animal to get away from the various threats they’ll encounter.
The unique thing about this title is that it combines modern elements alongside aspects of mythology. For example, players can use high-tech guns and other weaponry to protect themselves against the vicious beasts that want them dead. Ark is one for more hardcore gamers, and it has been criticized for its “punishing difficulty”. However, it garnered some strong reviews and there are already a couple of planned sequels.
Other Types of Myth-Influenced Games
The influence of myths in the gaming industry can be found in almost any genre, and no matter what type of game you are into, you are likely to find something that has roots from thousands of years ago. One highly original game that will appeal to people in search of something different is Immortalis. This is a free-play mobile collectible card game from Aeria Games, known as Dragon Battles in Asian markets.
It’s a fantasy game and clearly takes a lot of ideas from mythology. There are monsters that resemble the foes that Heracles and other heroes came up against, along with godlike creatures that have a lot of similarities to Athena and Aphrodite.
Then there are arcade games like Oddmar, which has an impressive rating of 4.5 out of 5 in the Google Play Store. This is a cartoony game that’s inspired by Norse mythology. It has been lauded for being “richly drawn and beautifully animated,” but it also uses the 2D format of old-school games designed to fill players with nostalgia for games from decades ago. For a more light-hearted way to enjoy some serious myths, Oddmar is an excellent choice.
We’ve been telling each other stories since we developed language, and we’ve been interacting with these stories since we’ve been able to reply. Games are helping the classic stories of thousands of years ago live on and let us interact with them in new, exciting ways.
