If you’re a fan of the original Star Trek and/or Twilight Zone series from the 1960s, then you’re already familiar with the power of allegory. On television back in those days, it wasn’t socially acceptable (nor allowed by media censors) to openly address sensitive topics. At the time those shows were airing on American televisions, the country was embroiled in a variety of social issues, from the Vietnam and Cold Wars to racial tensions and a rapid generational shift in values. While the creators of these programs wanted to address the issues of the day, they had to be extremely creative in wrapping those real-world issues in a more palatable allegory. As such, both of these series had many episodes that implicitly confronted racism, sexism, and the futility of war and mutually assured destruction; Star Trek even featured the first multiracial kiss ever seen on television.

The great majority of allegory is built upon some form of real-world inspiration, which is used as a starting point for crafting the intended idea that will be conveyed. This inspiration is typically related to a social movement, specific object, particular culture, historical event, or well-known location. During the creative process, the inspiration is transformed into something meaningful within the fictional world’s context.

The degree to which players perceive the intended allegory in a game’s world is entirely at the discretion of the creators; sometimes the narrative demands that the allegory be more obvious, and at other times it’s far more subtle. This is the process of explicitly determining what I call the “allegorical distance.” Allegorical distance refers to the amount of effort required for a player to perceive the real-world inspiration behind an allegory.

Short Allegorical Distance

If the allegorical distance is too “short,” this may cause players to see past the intended in-game meaning and instead focus on the original inspiration — leading to questions about why the game is focusing on specific, real-world cultures, events, or places. One example of this could be Horizon Zero Dawn. Set in the 31st century, the science-fiction world strove to create a unique environment of future Earth in which humans live in a tribal style similar to past Earth. This title received criticism from several indigenous groups, including for its visual portrayal of various tribes represented in the game, as well as for the use of words such as “savages,” “braves,” and “primal.” The portrayal of human civilization leaned heavily into a neo-indigenous look that leveraged many precise visual cues from real-world indigenous cultures, and thus there was insufficient allegorical distance between the inspiration and the final representation.

If allegorical distance is intentionally made short for satirical effect, however, players often respond positively. A good example is Grand Theft Auto V, which is set in the fictional city of Los Santos. When you see and experience the game’s world, it doesn’t take long to perceive that Los Santos is pretty much a replica of Los Angeles. It’s very close to the real place, but the creators took just a small step away from reality to create what is essentially a parody. This “hyperreal” world empowers them to effectively do whatever they want in the fictionalized LA. As a native Angelino, I can attest that the developers did an amazing job of capturing the overall feel of the city.

Medium Allegorical Distance

In the fantasy world of Thedas in the Dragon Age franchise, the Dalish Elves are outcasts — immigrant people who represent an antiquated culture. This has led many players and observers to make comparisons to indigenous peoples, the Jews, and/or the Roma people. Dragon Age’s lead narrative designers acknowledged that the real-world experience of those cultural groups did inspire the experience of the Dalish Elves. In this case, the allegorical distance was moderate because the intention behind the Dalish portrayal was more subtle and not obvious to many.