Sacred Quests: Why Religion and Mythology in Video Games

Video games and religion are connected more closely than they might seem: in games, we fight the gods, build shrines, and unravel the mysteries of ancient beliefs. This book offers a look at how mythological plots become game mechanics, and how gaming journeys help reveal hidden meanings that shape who we become.

Video games and religion are two spaces intertwined much more deeply than what’s visible on the surface. On the screen, we encounter monsters known from sacred texts and old myths, save gods, tempt them or challenge them—and sometimes take their place ourselves. We create magnificent virtual temples, wage holy wars, reconcile rival communities of believers, uncover the secrets of forbidden cults, and restore lost religious texts.

This book is an invitation to step into a mysterious, multilayered world of the sacred in games and to understand how and why myths and religion shape story and gameplay—above all, how through virtual quests deep meanings emerge, forming us ourselves.

Leonid Moizhes is a lecturer in the Game Design program at the Moscow Institute of Business and Design.