Embedded Files
(Rain World, "Dandelions")
Topic Brainstorming
Topic Brainstorming
Over the summer before the start of my senior year, I began my search for a research topic. From the start, my ideas had environmental themes or were on the track of a literary analysis, but most of these ideas were way too broad and completely out of my reach as a high school student. I eventually came around to a video game study. While doing some preliminary research, though, I wasn't completely thrilled by the topic, so it didn't go too far. After this, I looked into research that has been done on one of my favorite book studies, but I found that previous studies were already extremely thorough.
At some point, I was browsing my video game library and Rain World caught my eye. I did some basic searches and didn't find many academic studies on the game itself, but I did come across the promising field of ecocriticism. When I purchased the game years ago, I only played a few hours before giving up. Although, that short playtime was enough for me to understand that the game placed a huge focus on the environment. So, I continued researching and quickly found a passion for the topic: my love of gaming combined with my love of the environment.
The Gap
The Gap
Within the seven academic sources I found relating video games to ecocriticism or the environment, only two even mention Rain World, and that's among a handful of other games. But, only one of these papers, the one written by Joy Kumral who has a PhD in literature and cultural studies from the University of Iceland, provides a more thorough analysis of the game. However, her analysis only focused on the base game. The majority of my gap comes from the two major DLC expansions that have been created for Rain World in the past two years: Downpour and The Watcher.
At the time Kumral's paper was published, the Downpour expansion had been released, but she explicitly dismissed it because it didn't significantly contribute to her analysis of the game. Despite this, Kumral developed a very strong set of criteria for ecocritical games that judge gameplay, visuals, audio, game mechanics, and story. I have adapted these criteria into my own tally categories which I will use to perform an observational, quantitative analysis of Rain World. With this system, I hope to come up with a more accurate evaluation of the game that considers more of the game's elements and mechanics than Kumral's holistic conclusion.
(Videocult, "Rain World Downpour")
(Videocult, "Watcher")
Criteria
Criteria
Here is a look at Kumral's criteria and their corresponding tally categories that I will be using to analyze Rain World. The following list will begin with the original criteria from Kumral's paper followed by my interpretation and adaptation. I will not be providing my justification for these because you won't read that; read my paper instead!
The nonhuman environment should be engaged with audio-visually, discursively, and ludically and the nonhuman environment should either through gameplay or story show that the player’s actions are implicated in the nonhuman environment” (Kumral 20).
Natural interaction with the environment is shown to cause change.
Natural interaction with the environment is not shown to cause change.
Interaction with the environment is not a part of gameplay.
“The three modes of engagement (audio-visually, discursively, ludically) with ecological topics either create friction within the game or act harmoniously with each other” (Kumral 21).
Gameplay and interaction is in harmony with ecological topics, and the player-environment relationship is helpful.
... the player-environment relationship is neutral.
... the player-environment relationship is antagonistic.
Gameplay and interaction with ecological topics is jarring, and the player-environment relationship is helpful.
... the player-environment relationship is neutral
... the player-environment relationship is antagonistic.
There is no gameplay or interaction relating to the environment.
“The treatment of ecological topics is either explicit and central or implicit and peripheral” (Kumral 21).
The treatment of ecological topics is explicit and central.
The treatment of ecological topics is implicit and peripheral.
The treatment of ecological topics is nonexistent.
“The game does not actively misrepresent real-world ‘nature’” (Kumral 21).
The game accurately represents real-world nature.
The game actively misrepresents real-world nature.
The game portrays fictional nature with accurate real-world elements or behaviors.
The game does not portray real-world nature at all, or depicts nature that is completely fictional.
“Either through the game’s fiction or the game mechanics the non-human environment is shown to be dynamic and changing” (Kumral 22).
The game shows the non-human environment to be dynamic and changing.
The game does not show the non-human environment to be dynamic and changing.
The game does not depict the natural environment at all.
“The player is held accountable for changes in the environment” (Kumral 22).
The player is held accountable for changes in the environment.
The player is not held accountable for changes in the environment.
The player does not interact with the environment at all.
“The treatment of ecological topics is either affirmative, critical, or ironical” (Kumral 22).
Ecological topics are treated affirmatively.
Ecological topics are treated critically.
Ecological topics are treated ironically.
Ecological topics are not present in the game.
(Rain World, "Squidcada Play")
(Rain World, "Precycle Rain")
Significance
Significance
Many academic sources agree that video games are unique in their level of reader (player) interactivity with the medium. This allows for important themes and messages to be conveyed through experimental gameplay that promotes discovery. For example, in an ecosystem simulation game, a player might deforest large amounts of land and learn how deforestation impacts the aesthetic and functional elements of the entire ecosystem through a hands-on experience.
While Rain World doesn't explicitly focus on ecological themes, its environmental immersion is unmatched. Playing as the Slugcat forces players to assume the role of a prey animal that is unable to master, as in enforcing control over or creating predictable systems in, the brutal ecosystem. On top of that, the simulations of other creatures feel extremely realistic and natural; from their procedurally-generated bodies to the complex AI that controls their movements, they seem unpredictable. Because of this, Rain World shifts the player's perspective to the environment and its survival through increasingly intense weather.
At the greatest scale, video game developers have added a high degree of environmental themes to their games in recent decades as graphics have advanced, processing power has increased, and our understanding of climate change has grown. This certainly applies to Rain World and, in my opinion, it is one of the best examples in this group of an ecocritical game.
Works Cited
Kumral, Joy. Adapt and Die: Ecocriticism and the Lovecraftian Sublime in Rainworld, Outer Wilds, Frostpunk, and Factorio. Oct. 2024, pp. 1–70, skemman.is/bitstream/1946/48543/4/Adapt%20and%20Die%20-%20Joy%20Kumral%20BÞV.pdf. Accessed 30 July 2025.
Rain World. “Nonlethal Precycle Rain.” Rain World Wiki, Online image, 7 Sept. 2023, rainworld.miraheze.org/wiki/File:Precyclerainnonlethal.gif. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
---. “Sky Islands Dandelions.” Giphy, Online image, 17 Mar. 2017, giphy.com/gifs/adult-swim-games-cute-trash-xUPGcuNgea1yjbIqYw. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
---. “Squidcada Play.” Rain World Wiki, Online image, 29 Apr. 2024, rainworld.miraheze.org/wiki/Squidcada#/media/File:Squidcada_play.gif. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
---. "Survivor intro scene 13 (alone)" Rain World Wiki, Online image, 14 Jan. 2023, https://rainworld.miraheze.org/wiki/File:Survivor_intro_scene_13_(alone).png. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.
Videocult. “Rain World Downpour Console Release Trailer Thumbnail.” Rain World Wiki, Online image, 5 Oct. 2023, rainworld.miraheze.org/wiki/File:Console_Release_Trailer_Thumbnail.png. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
---. “Watcher Steam News Banner.” Rain World Wiki, Online image, 6 June 2025, rainworld.miraheze.org/wiki/File:Watchersteamnewsbanner.png. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Page updated
Report abuse