Architecture and Game Design: The Invisible Grammar of Video Game Spaces

Claudia Manenti, a visual development artist who worked for nine years at Rockstar Games, explains the intricate process of designing video game environments. The creation of spaces in complex games like GTA involves a multidisciplinary ecosystem blending architecture, set design, visual perception, and game design. The visual development artist imagines and structures spaces before they are modeled. The process begins with a minimal phase called blockout, where only essential volumes and surfaces are used to test path width, camera freedom, circulation readability, and rhythm. Measurements are never arbitrary: exploration areas require airy volumes, combat zones need wider corridors and free diagonal lines, while narrative sequences rely on narrow passages and framed views. A crucial element is the choke point, a micro-architectural feature that modulates experience rhythm—such as a narrower doorway or slight change in level that forces the player to slow down. Lines of sight guide without being perceived, and volumetric silhouettes help read space functions. The final phase is dressing, where materials, textures, colors, objects, lighting, and sounds are added to tell the implicit story of the place. Manenti emphasizes that when an environment is well designed, the player moves naturally without noticing the underlying work. The article is published on Artribune.