Core Game Design Concepts - Game Design Essentials - page 48

FiGuRe 3.1 Maps, like this one from Diablo 3 , can convey lore.

This map shows Sanctuary, a haven for like-minded angels and demons and
their offspring, the Nephalem, who wanted to live in peace. The area is infiltrated
by other angels and demons who sought to disrupt the peace and started The
Great Conflict, which essentially explains the basis for some of the lore that
runs through Diablo . The lore covers centuries of time, and the map reflects
that ancient look to help give weight to the stories.
The legend of the game—the lore—can be the basis not only for expanding
an existing game but also for creating new games (either sequels to the first
game or offshoots), topics, manga, movies, and so on. The game DOOM is a per-
fect example of this. The game, which debuted in 1993, spawned several sequels,
topics, comics, and a movie starring Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson, which
was released in 2005.
The Star Wars franchise is a terrific example of how immersive and deep lore
can be. The legends that George Lucas wrote about the Sith lords and the Jedi
knights have carried through numerous films, games, comics, and TV shows (live

Maps, genealogy
charts, and personal
logs or diaries are
designed to match
the look and feel of
the worlds that are
written about in
the lore.