Alexander Vandewalle is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Ghent University, where he investigates the reception of Greco-Roman antiquity in contemporary entertainment and technology, particularly in the realm of video games. He holds a PhD in Film Studies and Visual Culture from the University of Antwerp and a PhD in Literary Studies from Ghent University, both obtained in 2024. His dissertation was titled Play the Hero, or Play God: Characterization of Greco-Roman Mythological Characters in Video Games. His current project, Independent Antiquities, investigates whether indie video games can be considered as a form of counter-hegemonic reception of Greek mythology.
He has previously published and presented on characterization in video games, game analysis methodology, players’ experiences of historical video games, various topics related to the reception of the ancient world in games (e.g., mythology, aesthetics, intertextuality, epigraphy, pedagogy, haptic feedback), the Greek game industry, and broader media franchises (Star Wars, Marvel Cinematic Universe). His work has appeared in Games and Culture, Game Studies, International Journal of the Classical Tradition, and more. He is also the creator of Paizomen (www.paizomen.com), a work-in-progress database of video games set in classical antiquity, and the co-editor of the forthcoming volume Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Marvel Cinematic Universe, together with Rowan Daneels.
