A DARK chapter from Ireland’s history has been brought back to life through a video game that blends historical accuracy with interactive storytelling.
1711 Ireland: A Witch’s Fate, developed by Ulster University and launched at Northern Ireland’s new Studio Ulster, offers players a journey through the infamous Islandmagee witch trials.
The game is a landmark release: the first video game based on a real Irish witch trial.
It marks a major milestone for Studio Ulster, a state-of-the-art virtual production facility launched in partnership with Ulster University, Belfast Harbour, and NI Screen.
Set in early 18th-century County Antrim, the game casts players as investigators navigating a society steeped in superstition and religious conflict.
The Islandmagee witch trial of 1711 saw eight Presbyterian women accused and convicted of bewitching a young woman named Mary Dunbar.
Tried under the 1586 Irish Witchcraft Act, the women were sentenced to imprisonment and public humiliation in the pillory.
One man, William Sellor, was believed to have been executed.
Ulster University historian Dr Andrew Sneddon, who has spent over a decade researching Ireland’s witch trials, led the project alongside Dr Victoria McCollum, Senior Lecturer in Cinematic Arts.
Together with game design experts Brian Coyle and Sabrina Minter, they turned archival records into an emotionally resonant, immersive experience.
“You don’t want just a slab of history,” said Dr Sneddon, according to Business Eye.
“It has to work as a game. We’ve created something that both educates and deeply engages.”
Dr Sneddon even voices a character in the game, a stern Scottish preacher, bringing a personal touch to the project.
Designed as a first-person, choice-driven narrative, 1711 Ireland: A Witch’s Fate allows players to shape the outcome of events through moral decisions and shifting beliefs.
A unique “Believability Meter” tracks the player’s perceptions and determines multiple possible endings.
The game’s detailed environments are historically authentic, from architecture and costumes to dialogue informed by real trial transcripts.
“A chilling blend of fact and fiction, this is horror storytelling with a conscience,” said Dr McCollum.
“It challenges players to confront belief, justice, and power in a deeply personal way.”
The game has already been showcased at Carrickfergus Museum and is heading for a global release on October 31 on the Steam gaming platform.
A special event is also scheduled in Salem, Massachusetts, home to the world’s most infamous witch trials, symbolising the game’s global resonance.
Ulster University sees the game as more than entertainment.
It’s part of a broader mission to innovate how we engage with history and cultural heritage.
With around 200 students now enrolled in game design courses the university is positioning itself at the intersection of academic research and creative technology.
“This was a labour of love,” said game design lecturer Brian Coyle, according to the BBC.
“But it’s just the beginning. We’re already in talks about future developments.”