University for Continuing Education Krems How much apocalypse in the apocalypse? On the revelational aspect of apocalyptic concepts in (post-)apocalyptic games In popular fiction, "apocalypse" is typically associated with destruction, doomsday, death, or annihilation. This notion extends to post-apocalyptic settings, which often focus on survival or rebuilding life in a devastated world. Notable examples in games include the Fallout or Diablo series. However, to view the apocalypse solely as a destructive event and the subsequent survival phase as "post-apocalyptic" is to oversimplify the concept. Originally, the term "apocalypse" (from the Greek ἀποκάλυψις, meaning "revelation") refers to an event that reveals the true nature of something. In religious contexts, it describes a deity revealing himself to humanity, often leading to a transition to a new, perfect world, the process usually accompanied by significant trials, severe battles and suffering. The apocalyptic concept thus encompasses both destruction and revelation. However, this processual nature of the apocalyptic event, as well as its revelatory nature, is often completely ignored in games labelled as (post-)apocalyptic. In my paper, I will explore how (post-)apocalyptic games either embrace or overlook this broader understanding of apocalypse, and where the revelatory nature of apocalypse takes a more nuanced and differentiated form. en TEXT book part Buchkapitel Capitolo di libro Text Buchkapitel Text book part Testo Capitolo di libro Apocalypse Post-Apocalypse Games Revelation 2025-11-14 2025-11-14 Jonas Müller-Laackman University of Krems Press