Among the many incredible places that video games take us, it is some of the virtual landscapes, gardens, and natural environments that are the best. From rigorously designed palace gardens, to expansive natural lands, and from alien planets with weird and wonderful plants, to terrains imbued with meaning and symbolism, an expansive range of landscapes can be explored, traversed, and enjoyed in games.
Much like the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century tradition of undertaking a european grand tour to visit cultural landmarks, gardens, and cities, in Genius Loci writer and award-winning landscape designer Rob Dwiar, will guide readers on a journey across video game histories, geographies, and stories, offering detailed appreciation and analysis along the way. Visiting games such as the Dishonored series, Dragon Age Inquisition, the Elder Scrolls and Assassin’s Creed, this grand tour will be an evocative journey for fans of video games and landscapes alike.
The landscapes, gardens, and horticulture found within video games have come on such leaps and bounds in the past few decades, that there is much to talk about, look at, and get lost in. Real-life garden design features and approaches now feature in game design; accurate portrayal, use, and combination of plants finish landscapes to a beautiful degree of detail, environment design has deeper levels of meaning and narrative importance than ever, and even the most prominent and high-profile games can see players engage in horticulture. Genius Loci will see all of this, and more, explored through dozens of places and games – some which feature more than one beautiful landscape or garden.
Genius Loci
Rob Dwiar
Signed Hardback£35.0069 PledgesSigned copy of the first edition hardback and the name of your choice printed in the subscribers’ list at the back of the book.
69 Pledges- Choose a landscape£300.001 Pledges
Suggest a game landscape, garden or environment to be included in the book, and chat with Rob via video call to discuss your suggestion. *Limited to 4
1 Pledges - Extra material£20.002 Pledges
A newly-collated, digital copy of some of Rob’s video game landscape and garden essays, as published on Eurogamer. The essays would be newly edited and include new content.
2 Pledges - Hardback£25.00220 Pledges
First edition hardback and the name of your choice printed in the subscribers’ list at the back of the book.
220 Pledges - Hangout with Rob£95.001 Pledges
A video call (Google Hangout or similar) to talk about virtual landscapes and real-world garden design.
1 Pledges 
Tote£15.009 PledgesSpecially designed tote bag.
9 Pledges
Mug£15.008 PledgesA specially designed mug.
8 Pledges
T-Shirt£25.007 PledgesA specially designed t-shirt.
7 Pledges
Enamel Badge£10.009 PledgesA specially designed enamel badge.
9 Pledges
Ebook£10.00306 PledgesThe ebook and the name of your choice printed in the subscribers’ list at the back of the book.
306 Pledges
Patron£200.000 PledgesYour name listed as a Patron at the start of the book.
0 Pledges
Among the many incredible places that video games take us, it is some of the virtual landscapes, gardens, and natural environments that are the best. From rigorously designed palace gardens, to expansive natural lands, and from alien planets with weird and wonderful plants, to terrains imbued with meaning and symbolism, an expansive range of landscapes can be explored, traversed, and enjoyed in games.
Much like the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century tradition of undertaking a european grand tour to visit cultural landmarks, gardens, and cities, in Genius Loci writer and award-winning landscape designer Rob Dwiar, will guide readers on a journey across video game histories, geographies, and stories, offering detailed appreciation and analysis along the way. Visiting games such as the Dishonored series, Dragon Age Inquisition, the Elder Scrolls and Assassin’s Creed, this grand tour will be an evocative journey for fans of video games and landscapes alike.
The landscapes, gardens, and horticulture found within video games have come on such leaps and bounds in the past few decades, that there is much to talk about, look at, and get lost in. Real-life garden design features and approaches now feature in game design; accurate portrayal, use, and combination of plants finish landscapes to a beautiful degree of detail, environment design has deeper levels of meaning and narrative importance than ever, and even the most prominent and high-profile games can see players engage in horticulture. Genius Loci will see all of this, and more, explored through dozens of places and games – some which feature more than one beautiful landscape or garden.
Genius Loci (phrase); Popularised by 18th century poet Alexander Pope, used to describe the sense of place or distinctive character of a landscape.
About the author
Updates
Hello everyone! It’s been a little while; belated happy new year to you - and we’re getting toward spring already! This is just a short update to point you in the direction of an interview about Geniu...
16.02.2024
