Witch Hunt 1649 | Making History: A Game Double Feature
Games That Remember: Two Tabletop Experiences from CMich Press
What do a tumultuous campus breakup and a 17th-century witch trial have in common? More than you might think.
Published by Central Michigan University Press, Making History and Witch Hunt 1649 are two card games that probe the slippery nature of truth and memory through gameplay. Launching on BackerKit July 8, this tabletop combo will excite gamers, historians, and educators.
Making History, created by Dr. Nicolas W. Proctor, transforms rumor into research. Players act as amateur historians trying to reconstruct the drama of Briar and Skye’s failed campus romance. Using fragments from friends, rivals, and social media, players collaborate, compete, and concoct their own theories of what happened based on the same scattered evidence. The game shows how interpretation and storytelling can shape the historical record. No two games end the same!
Meanwhile, Witch Hunt 1649, created by Dr. Martha McGill, transports players to a fictional Scottish town during a time of panic. As tensions rise and whispers of witchcraft take root, players must make difficult decisions to protect their communities without falling prey to fear or their neighbors’ suspicion. Each move is shadowed by the threat of accusation, inviting players to reflect on justice and tread carefully.
Both games are grounded in research and designed for classrooms or casual play. They require minimal setup but leave a lasting impact, prompting player conversation about how bias and memory interact with historical storytelling. Together, Making History and Witch Hunt 1649 immerse players in the moral ambiguity of how history is made.
Because sometimes the past isn’t just behind us; it’s still unfolding on the table.
