Religion from Scholarly Worlds to Digital Games: The Case of Risen

A content analysis of the fantasy role-playing game Risen is conducted. Methodically, the case study shows that the ludological concept of hit points may be taken as a starting point for the investigation of the religious repertoire. In addition, the comparison with the original German work of Dutch phenomenologist Gerardus van der Leeuw suggests that Risen’s ludological-narrative complex of hit points (“life energy”) enacts a 20th century essentialistic and phenomenological conception of religion that has made its way into, and was specifically framed by, the new medium of digital games.