CREAMARE

At its core, CREAMARE sought to create a cross-border, cross-disciplinary network that fosters co-creation between Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) and heritage stakeholders. This collaborative framework was tested through the co-design and development of a Serious Game aimed at promoting UCH in the Mediterranean and raising awareness of environmental threats to marine heritage.

UCH is a fundamental part of Europe’s cultural identity, yet it remains largely undervalued. Through submerged settlements, archaeological remains, and historic shipwrecks, UCH provides a unique and irreplaceable resource that warrants greater recognition and responsible management to ensure its continued contribution to knowledge and cultural value [Pap19]. However, UCH faces two major threats: environmental degradation and widespread public unawareness.

CREAMARE – The Game is a first-person SG built around two central themes: UCH and Ocean Health. Players explore nine real-world submerged archaeological sites, each recreated in high-fidelity 3D, and face specific ecological threats symbolized by a monstrous creature from the future. This entity represents the consequences of environmental degradation and cultural neglect.

Each UCH site features detailed 3D models, blending coastal and underwater elements. Below is the list of UCH sites integrated into the SG:

• Torre Santa Sabina Shipwreck (Italy): A late Roman shipwreck (late 3rd – early 4th century AD).
• Christoforos Shipwreck (Greece): A mid-20th century cargo vessel (built 1949, sunk 1983).
• Letavica Shipwreck (Croatia): A 1st-century BC Roman merchant ship near Pag Island.
• Urdoviza Shipwreck (Bulgaria): A 19th-century Ottoman merchant ship.
• Pharos of Alexandria (Egypt): The iconic lighthouse, active from the 3rd century BC to the 14th century AD, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Sebastos Harbour (Israel): The ancient Herodian harbour of Caesarea (1st century BC – 5th/6th centuries AD).
• Lombardo Shipwreck (Italy): A paddle steamer launched in 1841 and sunk in 1864 near San Domino Island.
• La Cañonera (Spain): An 18th-century cannon-boat discovered in the Bay of Gibraltar.
• Tihany Shipwreck (Montenegro): A steamship launched in 1908 and sunk in 1917 near Mamula Island.

Each mission immerses players in richly detailed underwater environments, tasking them with resolving site-specific ecological challenges. Gameplay includes mechanics such as freeing entangled marine life, eliminating invasive species, containing oil spills, and neutralizing thermal pollution. These tasks are paired with scientific and cultural insights delivered via in-game narration, enriching players’ understanding of both environmental threats and historical contexts. In addition to solving environmental problems, players scan and analyse marine species and artifacts, contributing to the unfolding narrative and revealing the origins of the monstrous entity.

CREAMARE – The Game is available for free on Steam Store and Epic Games Store.