Lecture
Architecture is not only a building made of brick and concrete, but also a form of organizing space. In this sense, the virtual worlds of computer games are also architecture. Although architecture in games and material architecture (real) are based on similar principles, their goals, methods, and contexts are often radically different. Architecture in video games and in the real world is based on similar principles - form, space, light, scale, rhythm - but serves different purposes and is subject to different laws.
While material architecture shapes the physical environment, ensuring stability, functionality, and safety, game architecture is a virtual construct focused on perception, emotion, and interactivity. Virtual spaces do not have to obey gravity, building codes, or the laws of physics; they can be illogical, surreal, infinite, or intentionally empty. This makes game architecture a powerful tool for creating atmosphere, directing player attention, and constructing narrative.
Thus, despite the shared visual and conceptual language, video game architecture is more an emotional script than an engineering project. It creates an experience, not a structure.
Materiality: uses real materials (concrete, glass, wood), subject to physical laws.
Functionality: must comply with building codes, ergonomics and the needs of real users.
Context: interacts with the real environment - climate, terrain, urban landscape.
Experience: perceived by all senses - touch, smell, temperature and sound.
Static: in most cases the building is stationary; changes require costs and time.
Effect of time: subject to wear and tear, aging, seasonal fluctuations.
Material architecture is a physical environment built from real materials such as concrete, glass or wood. It is subject to the laws of physics and its construction requires strict adherence to building codes, ergonomics and functional feasibility. Unlike virtual spaces, material architecture is closely linked to the context: climate conditions, terrain features and the surrounding urban environment influence its form, orientation and performance.
This architecture is fully perceived by all the senses - it can be touched, heard, smelled, felt, and its acoustic properties experienced. It is static: buildings are usually motionless, and any changes require significant resources and time. In addition, material architecture is subject to the influence of time - it ages, wears out, changes under the influence of natural factors and seasonal cycles, becoming a living witness of eras and cultural transformations.
Real architecture is subject to the laws of physics, engineering, climate, gravity and materials.
Real buildings are designed for specific purposes: housing, offices, museums, etc. Their architecture is linked to the requirements of comfort, safety and operation.
Real architecture is the result of a long process of design, approval and construction.
Immersive: Designed to be experienced through a screen or VR; relies on visual and audio effects.
Freedom from physics: gravity, space, and logic can be broken for the sake of narrative or gameplay.
Dynamism: can change in real time (transformations, procedural generation).
Navigation: the player is not just an observer, but an active participant interacting with the space.
Goal setting: subject to mechanics and narrative – architecture can “tell” the story.
Symbolism and emotion: expressiveness prevails – buildings can express fear, mystery, victory.
Game architecture is a virtual environment created not for the sake of stability or physical reality, but for the sake of immersion, emotion, and interaction. Its immersion is achieved through a screen or virtual reality technology, where visual and sound effects work as key tools of perception. There is no need to obey the laws of physics here — space can bend, gravity can disappear, and the logic of architectural forms can be violated for the sake of narrative, gameplay tasks, or stylistic decisions.
This architecture is dynamic: it can transform in real time, adapt to the player’s actions, change thanks to procedural generation or scripts. The player becomes an active participant in the environment, not just a spectator, but a navigator, explorer, and creator. The virtual space reacts to him, directs, surprises, hides, and reveals. The architectural form in a game is often subordinated to a purpose: it helps tell a story, create a mood, or support game mechanics. Through form and structure, it can convey fear, triumph, loneliness, or mystery—expressing not so much a function as an emotion.
Game architecture is a script for experience, a symbolic language where each building or room can be a metaphor, a hint or a challenge. In this environment, the space becomes the storyteller and the player its co-author.
Architecture in games, on the other hand, can ignore these limitations: buildings can float, change in real time, be built from impossible materials. Game architecture serves not a physical function, but a gameplay one.
In games, buildings most often serve a symbolic or narrative role: as a backdrop, an obstacle, a puzzle, or a marker. The function is not to live in, but to interact.
Virtual architecture can change before our eyes: it can be destroyed, rebuilt, disappear, appear. This makes it dynamic and mobile. Unlike the stability and constancy of real buildings, architecture in games can be momentary, adapting to the plot or the player's actions.
In games, architecture is created by environment artists, level designers, and 3D modelers, often in large teams. Their goal is not only aesthetics, but also a balance between visual expressiveness and technical optimization.
Space planning: both types of architecture create movement trajectories, zoning, and compositional connections.
Aesthetics and style, Emotional impact Affectivity: both types can evoke an emotional response - awe, comfort, anxiety.
Representation of identity: architecture (both physical and virtual) can reflect cultural codes or utopian ideas.
Video game architecture and material architecture, despite their differences in environment and purpose, have a number of fundamental intersections that allow them to speak the same spatial and aesthetic language. First of all, both disciplines shape and organize space, be it physical reality or the virtual world. Zoning, circulation routes, accents, and compositional connections are all tools that architects use to create movement scenarios, indicate directions, and structure perception. These approaches are equally important for navigating a building and for completing a level in a game.
Both architectures aim to evoke an emotional response in the user. Spaces can be grand and overwhelming, evoking awe; cozy, immersing in comfort; unsettling, with dark corridors and odd proportions that disrupt the sense of safety. The emotions triggered by architecture serve as a powerful channel of influence, creating a memorable experience whether a person is holding a gamepad or entering a physical building.
Architecture in games is often inspired by historical or modern styles - Gothic, Baroque, Modernism. It uses recognizable elements (columns, arches, facades) to evoke certain associations in the player. It is also a way to convey cultural context and atmosphere.
Like real buildings, virtual spaces evoke feelings: anxiety in narrow corridors, delight in huge halls, coziness in small interiors. Architecture in games is a tool of emotional design that shapes mood and perception.
Game architecture is a digital projection of architectural thinking. It uses the same principles of perception and composition as material architecture, but in a completely different context. Its main goal is not to live, but to experience: to explore, to react, to play. This makes it an independent form of architectural creativity - not a copy of reality, but its interpretation.
Comments
To leave a comment
Video game architecture
Terms: Video game architecture