The Witcher's Natural Heritage Representation

This thesis focuses on how Polish players perceive the natural representation in the video game The Witcher. The research is based on the question: How do Polish players perceive the representation of Polish natural cultural heritage in the video game “The Witcher”?. The study addresses a significant gap in the literature concerning in particular how this natural heritage is represented and perceived by Polish players, recognizing how the digital portrayal of Polish natural elements relates to the concepts of national identity, identity and emotional connection to these natural factors. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were employed in this research with ten Polish players passionate of The Witcher. This approach allowed the in-depth exploration of the players’ personal experiences, perceptions and emotions, providing variations of the understanding on how the game’s natural elements resonate with their cultural heritage. The ten interviewees were selected first by country of origin that must have been Poland, and then by the knowledge and passion to The Witcher. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, from which six key themes were derived, giving a more detailed picture of the experiences and perceptions of the participants. The themes that were found are: 1. Natural elements fostering nostalgia and melancholia; 2. Natural elements fostering childhood memories; 3. Natural elements fostering a sense of familiarity; 4. Natural elements fostering a sense of connection to Polish culture; 5. Nature experience depending on the season or the moment of the day; 6. Herbs and flowers in traditional and modern medicine. From the first four themes it was revealed that specific natural elements in the game evoke a range of different emotions in the players. These emotions are mostly rooted in players personal experiences and memories, especially the ones connected to their own childhood. The final two themes emphasize the strong connection between cultural background and nature, highlighting the recognition of spiritual, traditional, and biodiversity values in natural environments. Future research should expand the size and diversity along with the exploration more in depth of the differences of the origin part of Poland the interviewees are from.