Looking for Cosy in All the Wrong Places. Cosiness and Tamed Sublime of "No Man’s Sky"

In this article, I argue that some games may elicit cosy sentiments even if they are centred on a premise not usually associated with cosiness – for example the infinity of the universe. They do so not by a fluke, and cosy spaces in these games do not only appear as designated spaces apart. Evoking a cosy feeling is done by specific game mechanics or design choices, “taming” the sublime premise of the game discussed. The architecture and mechanics of this unexpected cosiness may offer a new look at the fringe cases of cosy aesthetics, perhaps broadening the understanding of this phenomenon.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Replay The Polish Journal of Game Studies
Published
2024-08-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18778/2391-8551.12.03
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Narrative Theory and Analysis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
7.82
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Looking for Cosy in All the Wrong Places. Cosiness and Tamed Sublime of "No Man’s Sky"

Tomasz Gnat
2 citations
Replay The Polish Journal of Game Studies
Narrative Theory and Analysis
7.82
article

Looking for Cosy in All the Wrong Places. Cosiness and Tamed Sublime of "No Man’s Sky"

Tomasz Gnat
article en
2 citations

Abstract

In this article, I argue that some games may elicit cosy sentiments even if they are centred on a premise not usually associated with cosiness – for example the infinity of the universe. They do so not by a fluke, and cosy spaces in these games do not only appear as designated spaces apart. Evoking a cosy feeling is done by specific game mechanics or design choices, “taming” the sublime premise of the game discussed. The architecture and mechanics of this unexpected cosiness may offer a new look at the fringe cases of cosy aesthetics, perhaps broadening the understanding of this phenomenon.

Replay The Polish Journal of Game StudiesVol. 12(1)
University of Silesia in Katowice (PL)
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Narrative Theory and Analysis
7.82
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.