Many game developers use real-world locations as the foundation for their games to make them feel more realistic and believable, giving players a stronger sense of authenticity. Some developers only draw loose inspiration from these places, while others meticulously recreate them with complete accuracy.
Sometimes, it’s easy to tell where a game is set in the real world – the Spider-Man games and New York City are a good example. Other times, the connection isn’t so clear, particularly if the real-world location isn’t famous. It can be really surprising to discover that a game you thought was made up is actually based on a real place, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time playing it.
Alan Wake 2
Exploring the Pacific Northwest Through A Surreal, Terrifying Lens
- Location: Astoria, Oregon and North Bend, Washington
Alan Wake 2 takes place in a fictionalized version of the Pacific Northwest, specifically the towns of Bright Falls, Cauldron Lake, and Watery. The developers at Remedy drew a lot of inspiration for Bright Falls from Astoria, Oregon, a real port city with a significant Finnish-American population. For example, a building called Suomi Hall in the game is based on an actual Suomi Hall in Astoria, which was established in 1886 and is located near the Megler Bridge.
Bright Falls, the central location in the game, closely resembles North Bend, Washington – the same town that inspired the setting for the TV show Twin Peaks. Several specific locations in Alan Wake 2 are based on real places in Washington State, including Bright Falls Light & Power (inspired by the Gorge Powerhouse), Bright Falls Dam (based on the Diablo Dam), Cauldron Lake (modeled after Crater Lake), and Cauldron Lake Lodge (which resembles the Lake Quinault Lodge).
Where Winds Meet
A Wuxia Epic Set in One of China’s Oldest Capital Cities
- Location: Kaifeng, China
Where Winds Meet is an open-world action-adventure MMO set in the fictional world of Qinghe and the ancient city of Kaifeng. While the game’s locations seem fantastical, Kaifeng is a real city in China known today as a popular tourist destination celebrating traditional Chinese culture. The game impressively recreates the historical city of Kaifeng with such accuracy that local authorities have acknowledged its authenticity.
Kaifeng, a city in China’s Henan province, is one of the country’s eight ancient capitals. It was the actual capital city during the Northern Song dynasty, almost a thousand years ago. While Kaifeng has become modern, many historical sites featured in the show Where Winds Meet – including the Iron Pagoda, Daliang City Gate, and Dragon Pavilion – are still standing today.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Medieval Bohemia’s Real Villages and Castles, Revived for Modern RPG Fans
- Location: Czech Republic (Bohemia)
Similar to the first game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 immerses players in medieval Bohemia, letting them experience the world as someone who actually lived there. Interestingly, the locations in KCD2 aren’t made up – they’re based on real places that exist in history.
The major city at the heart of the game’s story, Kuttenberg, is now known as Kutná Hora and is located in the Czech Republic. Trosky Castle is also a real landmark, found in the beautiful Bohemian Paradise region of the country. Many other recognizable locations from Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, such as Nebakov Fortress, the Italian Court, and the Sedlec Ossuary, are authentic places you can visit. Even smaller towns within the game, like Semine, Tachov, and Troskowitz (also known as Troskovice), have real-world counterparts with similar names, all located northeast of Prague in the modern Czech Republic.
Official reports show that the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 greatly boosted tourism in the Czech Republic. The towns of Kutna Hora, Trosky, and Suchdol saw a noticeable increase in visitors after the game came out.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
A Fictional Valley Crafted From Real Polish Landscapes
- Location: Pilchowice, Poland
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a first-person mystery game set in the made-up town of Red Creek Valley, Wisconsin. Although not a perfect copy, the game’s map and locations are largely inspired by the real Polish town of Pilchowice, located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
The first bridge players cross to reach Red Creek Valley was modeled after a real, aging bridge called Most na Bobrze in Pilchowice. The game’s central dam is based on the Pilchowice Dam, which is the second-oldest hydroelectric dam in Poland. The train station and the town itself were also inspired by places in the surrounding area.
The creators of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter are a small, independent development team from Warsaw, Poland. Because of this, the game draws more heavily on Polish influences than American ones, despite being set in the USA.
Death Stranding
A Harsh New World Inspired by One of Earth’s Most Alien Landscapes
- Location: Iceland
Although Death Stranding appears to show a post-apocalyptic United States, the game’s environments are actually heavily inspired by Iceland. The beautiful scenery Sam Porter travels through closely mirrors Iceland’s dramatic and unique landscapes.
Hideo Kojima, the creator of Death Stranding, found inspiration for the game’s unique environments during a trip to Garður, Iceland in August 2014. This was several years before he even began developing the game while still at Konami. If you compare photos of Iceland’s natural landscapes to those in Death Stranding, the resemblance is striking.
Dying Light
A Parkour Playground Inspired by a Real Turkish City
- Location: Istanbul, Turkiye
The city of Harran in Dying Light is heavily inspired by Istanbul, Turkey, and the surrounding area. The game’s buildings, crowded streets, and overall atmosphere draw heavily from the former capital city. Players have also noticed similarities between the game’s old town and the real Turkish city of Mardin, which is located near the Tigris River.
There’s more evidence suggesting the city of Harran in Dying Light is inspired by Istanbul: many of the in-game signs and location names appear to be deliberately misspelled versions of actual Istanbul districts. For example, names like Ancyrra, Siyrran, and Chaldekoy seem to be based on real places – Ankara, Sariyer, and Chalcedon – all of which are located in modern-day Istanbul.
It’s fascinating to learn that Harran is a real town in Turkey with a rich history. However, the Harran featured in the game Dying Light is completely different. This has led some to speculate that the game developers, Techland, might not have been aware of the real-world town when they created the game.
The Last of Us Part 2
A Real American City Rebuilt With Uncanny Accuracy
- Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Most players are aware that The Last of Us Part 2 is set in Seattle and based on real places in the city. However, many don’t realize just how meticulously Naughty Dog recreated those locations, ensuring the in-game environments are incredibly accurate to their real-world counterparts.
The creators of The Last of Us Part 2 carefully rebuilt famous Seattle landmarks – including the Seattle Central Library, Space Needle, Lumen Field (called WLF Stadium in the game), and the Seattle Great Wheel – to make the game world feel as realistic as possible.
Even minor locations in the game, like roadside cafes, parking garages, and rundown buildings that Ellie can’t enter, closely resemble real places in modern Seattle – the similarities are surprisingly precise.
Firewatch
A Solo Adventure Set in an Authentic American Forest
- Location: Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, USA
Firewatch is a mystery adventure game where you play as a park ranger working alone in a lookout tower within Wyoming’s Shoshone National Forest. Many players might not know that this forest is a real place you can visit, and it’s actually located near the well-known Yellowstone National Park.
The Shoshone National Forest in the game Firewatch isn’t a perfect copy of the real forest. The developers, Campo Santo, changed the layout and moved some landmarks to create a more interesting experience for players. However, you can still find some real places accurately recreated within the game.
Days Gone
A Post-Apocalyptic Ride Through the Real Trails of Oregon
- Location: Oregon, USA
Days Gone stands out for its use of real-world locations, though many players don’t realize it. The game’s map is almost entirely based on places you can actually visit in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Oregon.
The game Days Gone features many recognizable real-world locations, including Mount Thielsen, Crater Lake, and Mount Bachelor. Other landmarks like Rainbow Falls, Three Fingered Jack, and Diamond Lake also appear, as well as stretches of Highway 97. Even smaller details, like a convenience store modeled after the real-life Burger Mart (named Burger Stop in the game), are based on actual places.
Bend Studios, the team that created Days Gone, is located in Bend, Oregon. This likely explains why the game’s open-world setting draws so much inspiration from the natural landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.
The Division 2
A Hyper-Accurate Washington Turned Into a War-Torn Playground
- Location: Washington, D.C.
In Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, players step into a Washington, D.C. struggling to recover after a deadly virus outbreak. The game developers at Ubisoft worked hard to recreate the city with incredible accuracy, from its famous landmarks to the smallest details, making the in-game world feel truly realistic.
Buildings like the Ronald Reagan Building, the International Trade Center, the Department of Commerce, federal credit unions, the Lincoln Memorial, the Treasury Department, and the Washington Monument have all been faithfully recreated as exact copies of their real-world counterparts.
The game’s roads, intersections, and parks closely resemble real locations in Washington D.C., creating a remarkably immersive experience.
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2025-12-17 11:37