Exploring Roman History through Video Game and Text: Effects of Format and Instructional Framing

Background: Digital games are promising tools for supporting knowledge acquisition, situational interest, and academic emotions in digital learning environments. However, evidence remains mixed regarding whether video games lead to stronger learning outcomes than text-based formats, and little is known about how instructional framing shapes learners’ engagement with such environments. Objectives: This study investigated the effects of content format and instructional framing on factual knowledge, situational interest, and academic emotions. It compared a historically accurate video game (Limes) with a structurally aligned interactive text application; each paired with instructions to focus on either learning or fun. Methods: In a 2 (format: game versus text) × 2 (instruction: learning versus fun) between-subjects design, 143 university students engaged with either the video game or the interactive text application. Both formats presented the same content through main narratives, optional missions, and supplemental information in the form of Codex entries. Outcomes included knowledge acquisition, situational interest, enjoyment, and boredom. Additional analyses examined behavioural data on Codex engagement.Results and Conclusions: Participants in the game condition reported higher enjoyment and greater triggered situational interest, whereas knowledge scores were higher in the text condition. No statistically significant effects emerged for instructional framing or for the interaction between format and framing; however, text participants engaged more extensively with Codex entries, and Codex engagement strongly predicted knowledge outcomes across both formats. These findings suggest that games can enhance positive affective experiences, but learning outcomes may depend less on the format itself than on how supplemental learning materials are integrated.