Attentat 1942

Publisher: Charles Games · Studio: Université Charles, Académie tchèque des sciences · Creator: Vít Šisler, Lukáš Kolek

🔗Official site

Anecdote

Created by the Czech collective Charles Games in partnership with the Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles University in Prague, Attentat 1942 was released in October 2017 and offers a singular narrative experience blending interactive fiction, historical archives and documentary interviews. The player embodies the grandchild of a Gestapo prisoner arrested in Prague in May 1942, shortly after the assassination attempt against Reinhard Heydrich orchestrated by the Czechoslovak commandos Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš. Through conversations with his grandmother, uncles and neighbours, the player gradually reconstructs the family history and learns what their ancestor truly experienced during the Nazi reprisals, notably during the massacre at Lidice and the complete destruction of the village of Ležáky. Director Vít Šisler, a professor of media studies at Charles University, co-wrote the script with historians Jaroslav Švelch and Cyril Brom, drawing on authentic interviews from the Institute of Contemporary History in Prague. The game combines rotoscoped animated sequences inspired by the films of Aleš Lamr, escape mini-games in comic-book form, and nearly one hour of documentary video footage featuring actual Czech survivors testifying on camera. A full playthrough lasts between four and six hours, structured in chapters corresponding to the different generations who remember. The soundtrack by composer Jakub Kudláč blends chamber music with Czech folk songs. The title is integrated into the history curriculum of several Czech secondary schools and has been internationally recognised for its balance between academic rigour and emotional resonance. It spawned a sequel, Svoboda 1945: Liberation, and established the studio's reputation as a pioneer of European memorial educational gaming.

Popularity & reception

Awards — Games for Change – Best in Show (2018) · A MAZE. Award – Most Amazing Game nominated (2018) · Central and Eastern European Game Awards – Best Game (2018)

CZ🇩🇪 Germany