2.1 O’ Fortuna: can you survive Early Modern Europe?

There are many different ways to learn online. One of these ways may be through games or simulations. For example, the O’ Fortuna game has been developed by The Open University and is based on one of the most volatile periods of European history, from 1500 to 1700.

The game challenges you to take on the identity of a person of the time and make decisions about marriage, trade or religion, and see whether you will prosper and gain riches, or fail miserably in these turbulent times. The term ‘O Fortuna’ comes from a medieval poem written in Latin early in the thirteenth century, and is a complaint about fate and Fortuna, the personification of luck in Roman mythology.

Access the game here: ‘O’ Fortuna: Can you survive Early Modern Europe?’.

There are four characters to choose from, and a single run through of the game for each character should last 3–4 minutes. You can, of course, choose more than one character or make different decisions for the same character.