The sound of the roman empire: effects of playing a history video game with and without sound

Background: Sound is a core component of digital games, and its integration is assumed to support learning,
motivation, and positive emotions. However, empirical evidence on the role of sound in educational video games
remains limited, particularly in narrative-driven educational adventure games such as digital history games.
Methods: In a laboratory experiment, university students (N = 111) either played an educational history video
game without sound or with additional sound features (ambient audio, character voices, and narrated codex
entries providing additional historical information). Post-test measures assessed factual knowledge, triggered
and maintained situational interest, and academic emotions (enjoyment and boredom). Engagement with
optional supplemental historical information provided through in-game codex entries was measured using
behavioral log data. We analyzed differences between the two conditions while controlling for relevant pre-test
variables.
Results: Participants in the add-on sound condition did not score significantly higher on the knowledge test than
those in the no-sound condition. Likewise, no statistically significant differences emerged in situational interest,
enjoyment, boredom, or codex engagement between conditions. Additional analyses indicated that participants’
interactions with codex entries positively predicted knowledge test performance, indicating that voluntary
engagement with supplemental content contributed to learning.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the presence of sound alone may not enhance academic outcomes in a
narrative-driven educational video game. Additionally, our findings indicate that learning outcomes depended
strongly on learners’ engagement with in-game codex entries. Overall, our results on the inclusion of sound
highlight the importance of examining specific design features within educational history video games.