Dates, Carpets, and Pearl Necklaces: The Case of Anno 1404s Exotic Orientalism

Abstract

Since a few decades, digital games have become an area deemed worthy of studying for academics of multifarious fields. Numerous articles and books are being written on the topic of games and culture. Anno 1404 is an economic simulation with a medieval setting that deploys various Orientalist stereotypes. Some scholars, leaning on Said's seminal work Orientalism, have analyzed Orientalist aspects in various digital games. The scope of this article consists of such an analysis of Anno 1404. The game's setting, religious context, view of Muslims, mechanism, narrative, characters, representations, gamescape, geopolitics, and stereotypes are pertinent to this analysis. Anno 1404 proves to carry the characteristics of colonialism, imperialism, and exotic Orientalism.