I enjoy reading Architizer so I was delighted to find a post on how video games use architecture. In it, the author breaks down the basics of how games utilize architecture to convey meaning into four ways.
1. Realistic Backgrounds
2. Labyrinth
3. Worldbuilding
4. Surrealist Mindbending
It is an oversimplification, but a good starting point nonetheless. Here’s a snippet on the labyrinth:
Labyrinth/Parking Garage Typology:
Games like Doom, or even Super Mario Brothers, on the other hand, take place in worlds that are both realistic and insanely fantastical. Here, architecture takes on the role of the Minotaur’s labyrinth or, taking inspiration from the Doom franchise, the infinite parking garage. The built form remains the scaffolding for the story, with players wandering around and through a seemingly infinite series of similar spaces.