The Semiotics of Architecture in Video Games

Video games are among the most popular media on the planet, and billions of people inhabit these virtual worlds on a daily basis. This book investigates the architecture of video games, the buildings, roads and cities in which gamers play out their roles. Examining both the aesthetic aspects and symbolic roles of video game architecture as they relate to gameplay, Gabriele Aroni tackles a number of questions, including:

- How digital architecture relates to real architecture
- Where the inspiration for digital gaming architecture comes from, and how it moves into new directions
- How the design of virtual architecture influences gameplay and storytelling.

Looking at how architecture in video games communicates and interacts with players, this book combines semiotics and architecture theory to display how architecture is used in a variety of situations, with different aims and results. Using case studies from NaissanceE, Assassin’s Creed II and Final Fantasy XV, The Semiotics of Architecture in Video Games discusses the techniques used to create successful virtual spaces and proposes a framework to analyse video game architecture, ultimately explaining how to employ architectural solutions in video games in a systematic and effective way.

Gabriele Aroni is an Assistant Professor in the School of Cultural Technology at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (Suzhou, China).