Virtual worlds: games, play and geography
Through the critical study of games, play, and virtual worlds, this course examines the importance of geographical concepts to historical and current gaming contexts. Our media consumption practices are part of an increasingly ‘ludic’ culture centred on play, digital gaming, and interactive media. As video games become increasingly mainstream, how can we best contextualize the significance of play in relation geographical concepts like landscape, power, space and place, and environment and ecology? How can the geographical study of cities, architecture, worlding and identity – through games and play – help students understand more about their own digital experiences, and the centrality of geography to everyday digital life?
Topics
- Students completing Virtual worlds: games, play and geography will: 1. Develop an understanding of key terms and concepts for the geographically-informed study of video games, play, virtual worlds, digital interactive media, mobile media, and ludic cultures in a range of contexts (both digital and material, including design practices) 2. Be able to link theoretical material from geography to game studies theories of narrative, ludology, design, and play in distinctive and innovative ways 3. Identify and discuss debates across interdisciplinary studies of games and ludic cultures, including place and space, landscape, worlding, identity, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, meaning making, design, and labour 4. Develop the ability to critically assess their own experiences of games and playful media, and also make an informed analysis of others’ playful experiences and interpretations as they pertain to geographical themes and concepts
- As part of the assessable activities on this course, students will: 1. Complete essays and exams requiring close analysis of the landscapes and environments of games and virtual worlds, demonstrating skills in close reading and research 2. Appropriately apply critical theoretical frameworks to multiple aspects of games and play, including the analysis of design, representation, interface and hardware, digital space and place, landscape, code and game mechanics, and digital cultures and online communities 3. Develop detailed and well-considered playful designs that show strong awareness of the conventions of video game aesthetics and the production and encoding of place and meaning, especially through geographical modes including map-making, landscape analysis, and creative world building
Official catalogue course objectives and student learning outcomes
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027