To celebrate the launch of Humankind, SEGA commissioned to have cave art painted in Buckinghamshire’s Hellfire Caves depicting historical events.
Illustrator Emmy Smith is responsible for the creation of the Hellfire Cave paintings. To ensure the stylistic authenticity of the art, Smith worked with archaeologist Professor Paul Pettitt. Their goal was to emulate the visual design of cave art from over 30,000 years ago to depict modern history.
SEGA also commissioned a poll conducted by researchers to decide which modern historical moments should be immortalized in stone. More than 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom received the poll to determine which events from politics, sports, technology and pop-culture were the most important to have painted.
Some events included in the cave art are the Covid-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and Brexit. Other events selected include Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008 and the Live Aid concert in 1985.
The poll also asked respondents who they think would be the best person to lead modern civilization. Some of the top answers include Sir David Attenborough, Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth. Other fun questions asked whether respondents believe they would be a good leader and what policies they would find important if in charge.
The studio head of Amplitude Studios Romain de Waubert explained the decision to market Humankind through one of the most ancient forms of communication.
Cave art is such a rich way of recording history, and the game itself is geared towards letting people tell their own unique stories through the decisions they make and the empire they create. We loved seeing some of the most iconic moments from our lifetime translated into modern cave art to celebrate the launch of Humankind.
Romain de Waubert
About Humankind
Humankind released on PC yesterday and has already received generally favorable reviews from critics. The 4X Strategy game allows players to take control of a unique civilization and merge a variety of historical cultures to create one that is wholly unique. The game is avalilable for purchase on Steam and the Epic Games Store. It is also available on PC through Xbox Game Pass.
Via The Sun
