Caio Tulio Olimpio Pereira da Costa
ABSTRACT:
The paper explores the complex interactions between public spaces and digital games, highlighting how these environments both influence and are influenced by each other on real and virtual worlds. Drawing on Johan Huizinga’s concept of Homo ludens, the study underscores the importance of play as a fundamental aspect of human culture and its extension into contemporary digital interfaces. In addition, the paper argues that the feedback loop between game and reality reshapes our understanding of public spaces and games, exploring mini-cases as potential examples for the discussion. The analysis also considers Dewey’s notion of experience and Janet Murray’s concept of immersion, positioning the player as a critical mediator who navigates the thin line between virtual and real worlds. As a methodological approach, this study employs qualitative and bibliographic research to offer a theoretical perspective on how digital games and architectural dynamics intertwine, as well as using SimCity as a primary case study of public spaces in digital games. As result, the paper states that public spaces and their intertwining with digital games behave in the modern era as a projection of the user’s experience, with their cultural, social, and aesthetic values represented by instances that transit between the real and virtual, even narrowing the ties between these two fields.
KEY WORDS:
digital games, public spaces, urban and architectural dynamics, virtual environments.
DOI:
10.34135/actaludologica.2025-8-1.4-15
View full article
