The purpose of this thesis is to contextualise Hindsight, a sustainability-focused historically based city-simulation and resource management game built by the author. The game and game engine were coded from scratch using the C# programming language and the Unity game development suite of tools. The game focuses on the management of the city of London in two time periods, London from 1850 and the other set in 2050. Both versions of the city are divided into 21 zones, each of which can be managed by the player through the construction, upgrading, or destruction of various buildings within the zone. The player must manage both the city’s resources and the resources of the environment upon which the city depends in order to bring about a more sustainable future and bring the 2050-era version of the city back from the brink of environmental devastation. Along the way, the player must address the cultural views of the society they are managing to ensure their reforms will be accepted and can also see those views slowly change over time. The goal of the game is to provide an interactive learning experience for both the historical element of London and the importance of making sustainable choices.

This thesis is an exploration of my imaginary world through a short narrative with a focus on placemaking in fiction. The narrative follows Dengar, a civil servant estranged from the central government, as he investigates disappearances occurring in the edges of the empire, uncovering secrets related to the empire’s past and the past of the conquered people of Thron. He must navigate a bitter, cold landscape and a dangerous resistance group as he learns more about the real reason behind why he was sent there. Schemes are uncovered and foiled as he makes his way into the core base of the resistance, a towering mountain called Diran. Following the narrative, I explain my inspirations and analyze my narrative from the perspective of placemaking, referring to placemaking scholars such as Basso and Whitridge.

The world of Tloren stands not alone. Tales from history and the lore of fictional settings alike have shaped a fantasy world as immersive as it is fantastical. This thesis catalogues the totality of inspirations behind seven of the major locations depicted in Tloren, the setting of the author’s own fantasy novel. Itself inspired by sensationalist archeological accounts from before the twentieth century, the following is a dissection of each place in exacting detail, weaving together narrative and academic discussion. Ultimately, the totality of inspirations behind Tloren will never be fully explored, yet it is the hope of the author that this thesis both stands alone as an account and guide for other aspiring worldbuilders as well as an appendix within the novel to further contextualize the locations therein.