Oleksandra Kuzmenko
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4488-1260 
WWU Münster, Germany

https://doi.org/10.4467/K7478.47/22.23.17741  

Abstract
This article deals with video game toponyms as a representation of a toponymic concept – a unit of onomastic knowledge concerning spatial and geographical characteristics of a location. The importance of toponyms in video games lies in the realm of storytelling, as parts of the story are connected to locations, which, in turn, are interlinked. Moreover, toponyms are viewed as a means of building a post-apocalyptic worldview due to their introductory and descriptive functions. Thus, the research issues to be covered are the functions of in-game toponyms in general, the correlation of naming patterns of real toponyms and in-game ones, as well as the role of toponyms in establishing interactivity. In the first part of the analysis, the functions of toponyms in video games are studied. Three main functions can be distinguished here: navigating, storytelling, and world-building. Special cases of intertextuality known as “easter-eggs” are described. The second part deals with the role of toponyms in building a post-apocalyptic worldview of the video game (“Fallout 4”), addressing the correlation of traditional and fictional naming patterns. This paper shows that real-life toponyms’ classifications can be applied to in-game toponyms, with the most frequent being descriptive ones. Special attention is paid to the interactivity and intertextuality of the video game.

Keywords
onomastics, cognitive onomastics, video game, toponyms, post-apocalyptic