Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Crusades and crusading in modern games / Robert Houghton -- A sacred task, no cross required : the image of crusading in computer gaming-related non-Christian science fiction universes / Roland Wenskus -- 'I'm not responsible for the man you are!' Crusading and masculinities in Dante's inferno / Katherine J. Lewis -- 'Show this fool knight what it is to have no fear' : freedom and oppression in Assassin's creed (2007) / Oana-Alexandra Chirilă -- Crusader kings too? (Mis)representations of the crusades in strategy games / Robert Houghton -- Learning to think historically : some theoretical challenges when playing the crusades / Andreas Körber, Johannes Meyer-Hamme, and Robert Houghton.

"This volume considers the appearance and use of the crusades in modern games; demonstrating that popular memory of the crusades is intrinsically and mutually linked with the design and play of these games. The essays engage with uses of crusading rhetoric and imagery within a range of genres - including roleplaying, action, strategy, and casual games - and from a variety of theoretical perspectives drawing on gender and race studies, game design and theory, and broader discussions on medievalism. Playing the Crusades is invaluable for scholars and students interested in the crusades, popular representations of the crusades, historical games, and collective memory"--