From Museum to Game: Preserving War Childhood Stories

 

We Grew Up in War is an interactive game developed as part of the Mementoes project, funded by the European Union. Created in close collaboration with the award-winning Prague-based game studio Charles Games, the game explores the experiences of children growing up in conflict zones, with a focus on Bosnia, Syria, and Ukraine.

Drawing on our collection, the game features over 20 immersive vignettes that bring these stories to life, fostering empathy and awareness among players. Each vignette captures key moments from children’s lives, highlighting the experiences that shaped them and offering players a unique insight into the realities of war for children.

The game is scheduled for release on mobile and PC in early 2026.

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We Grew Up in War
We Grew Up in War gifPlay Video

Innovative Tools to Reach New Audiences

 

We Grew Up in War is another innovative approach by WCM to presenting its unique collection. The game will be released as a free educational version, accompanied by tailor-made, ready-to-use activity plans for different age groups, covering various topics explored in the game. In addition, a commercial version will be published on leading platforms to reach new audiences and support further development.

 

Projects like this ensure that the European museum sector remains at the forefront of global innovation. For WCM, this game holds multi-layered significance. First, it will empower our growing network of hundreds of educators who use our resources to teach about war childhood. They will now have an innovative digital tool and the necessary guidance to integrate it into their classrooms. Second, the game will reach thousands of players worldwide—many of whom might never have the opportunity to visit our exhibitions or engage with our collection in other ways. And third, this project has expanded our knowledge and understanding of the ethical considerations involved in using unconventional digital tools to present a sensitive collection.

Jasminko Halilovic, Director-General, War Childhood Museum

We Grew Up in War
We Grew Up in War

Gamifying the Past to Understand the Present

 

We Grew Up in War is being developed as part of MEMENTOES, an EU-funded initiative uniting museum professionals, video game developers, and research institutes. The project seeks to merge the educational and empathy-building strengths of historical museums with the global accessibility and engaging nature of video games.

Launched in September 2022, this three-year project aims to produce three digital games (based on the collections of three European museums) that educate players about historical injustices, promote critical thinking, and draw connections between the past and present. Additionally, the project will establish best practices, develop innovative technological tools, and publish an accessibility toolkit to foster future partnerships between the tech industry and the cultural heritage sector.

As part of MEMENTOES, WCM is leading the testing of the game in several European countries. This process will contribute to a research study exploring the potential of video games to foster empathy, teach historical events, and promote critical thinking.

We Grew Up in War
We Grew Up in War

 

 

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

European Union, War Childhood Museum, MEMENTOES