Archeology of Abandoned Human Settlements in No Man’s Sky: A New Approach to Recording and Preserving User-Generated Content in Digital Games

Abstract

This article presents the tools, methods, and findings of an archaeological survey, excavation, and ethnography of abandoned human settlements within a digital built environment. In 2016, Hello Games (Guildford, UK) released the game No Man’s Sky, set in a procedurally generated universe approximating the size of our own. Future game updates disrupted planetary climate and topography, forcing human players to abandon their homes and farms and relocate elsewhere. As an archaeologist, I was able to apply archaeological principles within a digital/human habitation while also investigating what became of the players and their constructions as well as their in-game community. This approach may well lend itself to efforts in the preservation of these digital environments, and especially for player-created content.