A CENTURIES-old Coventry heritage attraction and its iconic centrepiece have arrived in the digital age as the stars of two new immersive video games.
St Mary’s Guildhall, which dates back to 1342 and is home to the world-renowned Coventry Tapestry, has partnered with city company Craftlight Creatives to launch a pair of heritage interpretation games designed to bring 700 years of history to life.
Games designers Mark Pocock and Paul Jennings have used their decades of games industry experience – which includes developing interactive digital experiences for NASA and National Geographic – to help visitors uncover the mysteries behind the saints featured in the tapestry, and to teach young people about Jacobean trade, cooking and Coventry’s historic place in the global spice route.
The two games – Saint Who? and The King’s Spices – are now available to play at the Bayley Lane venue, and have been designed with accessibility and education in mind.
The project is Craftlight Creatives’ first official commission and marks a significant step for the Coventry-based startup, which now aims to grow and collaborate on more heritage, education and creative digital experiences.
Mark said: “As a student training to be a games artist, I used to go to the Guildhall to draw. It’s one of Coventry’s hidden beauty spots and was always a place of inspiration for me.
“To now have the chance to create something for it – and to do that as our debut project – has been amazing.
“These games combine my love of Coventry, my passion for education, and everything Paul and I have learned working in the games industry. It’s a brilliant platform to build from and we’re so grateful to the Guildhall team for backing us as a local creative studio with a fresh approach.”
Saint Who? challenges visitors to get to grips with the mysterious historical figures celebrated in the tapestry by finding their missing items and weaving them back in.
The puzzle-style game rewards attention to detail and encourages deeper engagement with one of the Guildhall’s most iconic features.
Meanwhile, The King’s Spices is a global quest aboard the Red Dragon ship, with players joining Bayley the mascot and a colourful crew of animals to race across the globe collecting ingredients for a royal feast.
Based on the Guildhall’s links to the spice trade, and packed with historical moments such as the visit of King James I in 1617, the game teaches players about Jacobean ingredients, geography and the perils of global trade – including scurvy, pirates and rival merchants.
Accessibility features across both games include intuitive controls, adjustable and legible text sizing and speed, colour contrasts and easy-read focus settings.
Soft-fail mechanisms also encourage and provide users with a safe environment where errors are seen as part of the journey and play experience.
The project was commissioned by St Mary’s Guildhall to reimagine how visitors engage with the building’s history and to broaden access to the Coventry Tapestry, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Abi Moore, Heritage and Venue Manager at No Ordinary Hospitality, which operates St Mary’s Guildhall, said: “We’re always looking for new ways to help visitors connect with the stories that make St Mary’s Guildhall so special.
“These games are fun, clever and full of character – and they’re rooted in the real history of this incredible building.
“Digital interpretation like this helps open up heritage to a wider audience, especially families and younger visitors. It’s also a great example of supporting local creative talent – and we’re thrilled to have worked with Mark and Paul to make it happen.”
The games are now available for all visitors to play as part of standard visitor entry during opening hours.
Visit www.stmarysguildhall.co.uk for more information.
