Videogame Architecture: Building Virtual Spaces

The long-awaited follow-up to Videogame Atlas, this fascinating look at the art of virtual world-building delves into the evocative architectural spaces of some of the most iconic videogames of the last three decades.

Videogame Architecture presents an exhilarating journey through twelve popular videogame worlds via detailed architectural plans, maps, 3D renderings and exploded diagrams. Following on from the success of Videogame Atlas, this book provides a more in-depth look at some of the most beloved virtual worlds using the practices and academic rigour that underpin real-world architectural theory.

Titles such as Disco Elysium, Elden Ring, Yakuza Kiwami, Grim Fandango and The Sims 4 are explored in exhaustive detail through comprehensive architectural plans and intricate illustrations, each with supporting technical information and commentary. Building a real-narrative of moving through these spaces, the book evokes both the game experience itself while offering new perspectives on these iconic places. A vibrant inspiration for gamers, creatives, and architects of both real world and virtual spaces, Videogame Architecture takes influence from experimental architectural monographs and videogame guides of the 1990s.

Written by leading experts in the field, Sandra Youkhana and Luke Caspar Pearson, Videogame Architecture offers a unique insight into some of the most distinctive built environments of the videogame world.

About the Author

Sandra Youkhana and Luke Caspar Pearson are architectural designers who run their own studio, You + Pea. They founded the Videogame Urbanism studio at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, which promotes the use of game technologies in architectural education. Their work explores the integration of videogame technologies into architectural design, leading conversations on how games can engage new participants in the design of cities.