Real Or Rendered?: 35+ Odd Sights That Make Life Feel Like A Video Game

If you want to understand the growth of technology, we suggest you look into the world of video games. It’s astonishing how rapidly gaming advanced. Just three or four decades ago, the best we could do was play the snake game on our Nokia phone or go to the arcade. However, now, we can enjoy state-of-the-art VR games from the comfort of our homes.

The gaming experience these days is so realistic and vivid that great minds like Elon Musk firmly believe that the world itself is part of a large simulation and that none of us is real. In that case, we implore the person in control of us to stop being such a colossal noob and get our life on track. For this listicle, we gathered a collection of bizarre and unrealistic instances that’ll make you think life is actually a glitchy video game.

Minecraft

Minecraft requires no introduction. For over a decade, this immersive gaming universe has allowed players to build various creative structures with sand blocks. You can even have pets and fight monsters to defend them. Think of it like a modern version of The Sims.

It seems the architect of the MahaNakhon Skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand, must be an avid Minecrafter and they were determined to honor their favorite game by making a real-life structure based on it. We imagine Minecraft players crowd around this building to take selfies with it.  

Squared Trees

It’s not just architects; even landscapers have taken inspiration from the marvel that is Minecraft. Then again, we are not too surprised. Minecraft is designed to evoke the latent creativity within its players. Each has their own unique take while building their village. 

This fellow must be an expert in making tree-based decorations. These huge trees from the city of Sevilla in Spain were trimmed to look like perfectly shaped cubes that you see in Minecraft. While it looks gorgeous, we cannot help but think about how hard the maintenance is for these trees. 

Hotel Minecraft

After seeing all these photos, we are convinced that Minecraft is determined to take over the world. Then again, they already succeeded in doing that considering Minecraft is the highest-selling video game of all time. The winner takes it all.  

Therefore, by the law of the universe, Minecraft expanded its presence from the grandest to the most minuscule aspects of our life. This is why, even the lights from this hotel room resembled a Minecraft block. Maybe the hotel room was just a Minecraft VR experience. 

TARDIS 

We’ve all had those days when we failed something so badly it was almost painful, and we’re filled with regret. If only we could go back in time and write, say, or do it better. Perhaps there is a way. 

All we have to do is to go to this little blue booth in Chicago. The heavens are directing us towards this booth by shining holy light on it. It may be a porta-potty, but we refuse to believe it’s anything other than a time-traveling TARDIS.

Minecraft Building 2.0

No, this is not a Minecraft fan page. You might already be sick of this listicle mentioning the video game over and over again. However, there is nothing that we can do about it. There are just too many Minecraft references in the real world.

At this point, Mojang Studios should just merge our world with Minecraft. The game is pushing people from all professions to enhance their creativity. A passerby found this random building looking pixelated, just like the gravel from the video game. 

Touching Grass Gone Wrong 

Gamers have a bad reputation for being online almost constantly. People these days are so immersed in their online universe that they lose touch with reality. We bet Walter White is jealous of how addicted gamers are to their online life.

This is why gamers and other internet dwellers are suggested to get away from their electronic devices for a moment and go outside to “touch grass.” Imagine being a gamer going outside for the first time for some fresh air and stumbling across this. We would have probably called a therapist. 

Split Up

No, this is not photoshop. This is an unedited shot of a street in Versailles. It may look like one of those “before and after” edits found on Pinterest or something from a video game. However, this is just some genius landscaping and the perfect camera angle.

The trees were trimmed evenly in a perfect, straight line, making it look like one of those estuaries that happen when a player goes from one location to another in a game. Had we not known this, we would’ve been convinced that this picture came from a video game.  

Burning Seat

We have so many questions, and we do not know who to go to for answers. Is this the city’s attempt at preventing homeless people from sleeping in the parks? Or are they trying to provide warmth for the homeless during the cold days? 

We do not know, and we are too afraid to test out our theory by touching it. After all, it looks exactly like burning coals. In video games, these are the forbidden items that deduct the player’s points or even kill them. Who wants to test this out for us?

YOU ARE HERE

Hasta la vista, people. It seems our time has come. The aliens are to abduct us and release us from our worldly plight. That is what we would have thought had we seen this eerie scene on a winter morning.

The “HERE” is, sadly, not floating on air. It is actually a part of a crane. Due to the heavy morning fog and the darkness, the camera could not catch the body of the crane. Only the illuminated “HERE” cracked through the morning fog.  

Two Doors

Sometimes the simplest things can evoke unexplainable fear. It can be the silence before a storm starts, a smiling clown, a still river, or even your mother’s smiling face. In this case, these two doors in an empty courtyard are making us fearful for some reason. 

However, gamers have a good explanation for why we felt afraid of a photo shot in broad daylight. Two doors side by side usually leads to something bad in a horror game. Which door with Stanley take, and will it lead to his death? We don’t want to find out.

Wood Art

3D artists will never fail to amaze us. They can create the illusion of depth and dimension on a flat surface with just color and geometry. That is what happened in this case. The artist used slabs of wood to create the illusion of a room.

We bet this is the local police’s favorite spot to do a sobriety test. It doesn’t matter whether we drank a pint or half a hard lemonade; we will still walk face-first into the wall every time. Worst of all, the color and style remind us of horror games.

Eye of Snow

We don’t know about you, but if we saw that glowing eye glaring from beneath the snow at night, we would have run for the hills. We might just leave the neighborhood and move to another state after legally changing our name.  

The glowing eye is, in fact, a solar lamp covered by heavy snow. The light bulb may be submerged under freezing snow, but it still works. We hope the OP tells us what brand they are using. This could also be a fine Halloween decoration (if it snows in October).  

Minecraft Sky

Sorry, fellas. We are back again with another Minecraft addition. We swear we are not sponsored by Mojang Studios. There are just too many square and cubes shaped things happening around the world. Even the great sky cannot escape Minecraft. 

It’s not just the sky; even the buildings look like they are built with sand blocks. However, in reality, the sky’s the result of reflection. The square central lights from an office room reflected on a glass window and made it look like a Minecraft sky. 

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the rising cities in the world. Due to their geographical advantage of being connected to the sea, they have a long history of international trade. Their entrepôt with China is making them grow so fast technologically and commercially. 

This is why, if you want some of the best modern and advanced architecture in the world, you go to Hong Kong. The city is basically an architect’s scrapbook that has come to life. Many video games design their universe based on the urban life of Hong Kong. 

Silhouette

There are a few things that almost all video games have, regardless of the genre. One of these common shots are fog silhouettes like this. Some may say they are overdone, but there is something mystical about seeing the eerie silhouette of a castle or a shipwreck.

Games like The Witcher, Valheim, and Hogwarts Legacy have shots like this. Amazingly, the OP found this magical situation in real life. They took this photo at Crater Lake in Oregon. The other side of the lake looked like it was from another dimension from within the fog.

GTA

This car will never get old. Old is gold, as they say, and this is a prime example. The Chevy Novas may be from the ’60s, but even fifty years later, the Chevy Nova is a reliable car, whether it’s in real life or in a game. 

Cars are a crucial part of Grand Theft Auto (aka GTA)—if the name didn’t already tell you that. The players get to drive classic models like the Chevy Novas. This beat-up Chevy Nova looks exactly like something you can drive in GTA.

Tartan

A netizen said that this would be the car that Steve from Monkey Island would drive. We do not know about that. However, we just know that this fabulous senior citizen’s glam cannot be surpassed by anyone in the town. 

Even young folks are scared to drive things like this, but this man fears nothing. His car looks like a skin you can modify in a video game. Someone probably pressed the randomize button in a game and rolled with whatever they got.  

Dimension

If we didn’t know any better, we would have thought this was a scene from the new Dr. Strange movie. However, this was shot in real life and not made with state-of-the-art CGI. We bet this is a popular place for many budding influencers.

This illusion of the multiverse was made with some simple reflective columns. The path looks like another dimension is cracking through in the daylight. You could say this also looks like a game glitching with two different levels overlapping with each other. 

Power Stone

Someone please summon the Guardians of the Galaxy! If you have seen or know anything about the last two installments of the Avengers movie, you should know how lethal this stone is. Let’s just say that this purple stone is called the “power stone” for a reason.  

The stone can demolish a planet or other celestial body in one shot. Whoever hid the stone on Morag was smart, but even a highly secured area couldn’t keep the intergalactic outlaw out. Nor this mad lad who casually found it in the wild and picked it up like it’s a kitten.

Kitty Quest

There is a reason why people of ancient Egypt treated cats like gods. First of all, they look majestic, and no other creature can capture even a fraction of that vibe. Secondly, they are painfully adorable. It is humanly impossible not to beg for their attention and approval.

The gods and other divine beings usually provide quests in video games. It seems the OP was chosen by this cat to carry a quest—to bring them wet food. The intense look in their eyes and holy light surrounding them really sells them as a wise quest-giver.

Snow and Lava

Usually, you should strongly avoid coming in contact with yellow snow as it generally means someone urinated in it. However, gamers tend to throw logic and caution to the wind. They’d probably run in head-first if someone told them this was glowing lava.

Usually in a video game, a reward or an important portal glows like this in the dark to grab the players’ attention. Sometimes they are covered with obstacles to make things harder for the player. Perhaps the snow is actually a golem lying in wait.

Green Stairs

In the hands of an expert engineer, it doesn’t take a lot for a setting to transport us to another dimension. Look at this staircase, for example. The vivid green color and geometric light patterns aren’t unique, but we can’t help but see this as a scene from a video game.

The reality, however, is very different. This is actually a staircase from a German hospital. The bright green hue may be not so traditional for the monotone vibes of a hospital. This looks like a location in Cyberpunk 2077 more than a place of healing.

Floof

We could write page after page of poetry about the feline majesties, and it still wouldn’t be enough. Just look at this gorgeous specimen basking in the afternoon sun. It’s almost as if the sun was born to shine a spotlight on them.

Perhaps it’s the spotlight; perhaps it’s their zen vibes that make it seem as if they have reached inner peace and have all answers to the universe. Either way, this cat seems as if they have a quest for us. Hopefully, the quest is to pick them up and pet them. 

Cat Deity

Those who say black cats are ugly are possibly blind or tasteless (or maybe both. Either way, there is something definitely wrong with them). Maybe they are jealous that they cannot replicate the effortlessly godly aura of a black cat. Just ask this kitty.

They were probably looking for some warmth on a cold afternoon; that’s why they sat down on the night lamp. Little did they know that small action would make them seem like a video game feline deity who passes judgment on players for their crimes. 

Idea

We could not find a more fitting person to give us quests for games. Our high school teachers may not have the majestic aura of cats, but nothing can rival their wisdom. Being knowledgeable and interacting with others is literally in their job description. 

Therefore, they are quite qualified to give us a side quest. Realistically, though, they are probably not too keen on us playing video games so much, and the side quest is most likely us completing a megaton of math homework.

Laser

Aurora borealis is the closest this world can get to magic. Most people go their whole lives without seeing the dancing lights with their own eyes. We cannot help but be jealous of those who live in the polar regions and get to see this on a regular basis. 

However, Netflix’s Alice in Borderland ruined such beauty for us for life. If we saw those lines in the sky on our visit to Alaska, we might run for the hills. If you didn’t know, the sky laser from the show is a weapon of mass destruction that can kill people in a blink. 

Wall of Reward

We bet that The Legend of Zelda fans are on the edge of their seats after seeing the photo. They are probably itching to get an ax and smash down this wall to uncover whatever rare treasure that is hidden within.  

Usually in games, rewards are hidden behind obstacles such as this, and the player has to smash through them to get to their prize. Hopefully no video game fanatic finds this location. They’ll most likely destroy this ancient ruin further. 

Spider

We are unabashedly arachnophobia. There is nothing to be ashamed about fearing these creepy crawlies. Forgive us for being blasphemous; however, these creatures were probably the creation of the devil. If it weren’t for Tom Holland, we wouldn’t have watched any Spider-Man movies.

However, this photo somehow made these critters look beautiful. The flash of the camera brought out the irridescent properties of the spider web and made the spider shine like the sun. In a video game, this would probably be the rare reward for a side quest.  

Mr. Bean

We are patiently waiting for Mr. Bean to drop from heaven and into this spotlight. To our great disappointment, no such thing happened. Pink Panther did not enter either. However, this could also be the starting sequence in a video game. 

This accurate spotlight was seen in a street in London. This could also be a safe zone in a zombie apocalypse movie. Just imagine, entering this spotlight will protect the players from the enemy. If there isn’t a game like this yet, they should definitely make one. 

Sky Light

We wonder if this image is even safe to upload. As internet theories have previously stated many times, the government is not too keen on us common folks discussing extraterrestrial matters. However, you must admit this beam of light looks suspiciously like a UFO. 

This is most likely a very powerful light beam from a concert or something (or is it?). Either way, this looks exactly like those video game prologues in which the protagonist is abducted by the aliens and has to fight for survival. 

Sky Wave

Not all video games have realistic graphics and offer an immersive experience. However, sometimes that is the appeal. Sometimes a game can have a wacky 2D art style like this sky, and it will still be the best game you have ever played. 

Look at Mario Kart, for example. Its graphics are nowhere near as good as games like The Last of Us or even Genshin Impact. Yet it’s still effortlessly one of the greatest video games that have ever graced this Earth.

Parking Lot

We are always ready to defamiliarize ourselves with our surroundings and see the world from a new perspective. However, defamiliarization was not welcome in this case because we saw something we wished we could unsee. At first, this looks like a regular parking lot…

This photo was probably shot on a misty winter night. Nothing seems out of the ordinary until you focus on the lamp posts. They look like video game spaceships if you focus hard enough. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. 

Mirror

We really need to go outside and touch grass. Cooping ourselves up in our rooms and playing video games 24/7 has messed up our perception. It seems we are still online even though we are scouring through the real world. 

This OP had found the portal to the other dimension in their little sister’s room… and it’s in her mirror. The gamer brain scientifically functions differently from the average man. They just see the world differently, for better or for worse. 

Glitch

Technological difficulties are the bane of a gamer’s existence. Once you become a veteran gamer, nothing will grate on your nerves like a video game that keeps glitching. Games with bugs can ruin your experience and even take away your progress (we learned it the hard way). 

However, there is not much that can be done about it. Even the best game can have bugs. Resist the urge to smash your monitor when it happens. It seems this OP was so annoyed by glitches that they saw it in a real-world construction site.

Roof

We do not know how to explain it, but this rooftop gives us a feeling of impending danger. Perhaps it’s due to playing too many video games in one lifetime. This feeling of deja vu is probably due to facing the final bosses in eerie locations such as this.  

In reality, this is just a construction site of a skyscraper. The final boss is probably the angry construction supervisor who is not so impressed with our job. Our final quest is probably to convince them not to fire us.

Hunger Games

The Hunger Games trilogy is worth every second and word. It is a story about a post-apocalyptic world in which humanity was split into 13 districts and were put in a bloody game to death for the entertainment of the rich.

The book and movies were as beautiful as they were traumatic. Our PTSD regarding the books came back in full swing after seeing this photo. The sky in this photo looks fake, just like the sky of the hunger game arena.

Shadow

While we are still discussing video games in this listicle, we should talk about how brilliant they are as art forms. Not everyone has to pick up oil paints and a canvas to become an artist. Video game developers are no less than magicians.  

They literally create universes with just a computer. If that’s not art, we don’t know what is. In this case, we do not know if life imitated art or if art imitated life. Either way, these shadowless objects make it seem as if they came from a video game.  

London Fog

We don’t know about you, but horror games are not for us. We made the mistake of playing Dead by Daylight, Phasmophobia, and The Last of Us due to intense peer pressure. Let’s just say we did not sleep well for several months.

Let’s also say that we’d die if we ever went to London during the winter. We’re not afraid of the people, mind you. We’d simply have a heart attack if we saw this ghostly silhouette of a building in the winter morning.

Toilet

When we were born, our grandfather once prophesied that we would one day bring honor to our family by becoming a mighty doctor when we grow up. Little did he know, we would end up writing literature about a holographic toilet in our adulthood. 

Perhaps it’s a good thing he passed away. Anyways, this is a beautiful toilet. We do not know what kind of window the OP installed in their bathroom. However, the toilet looks like a rare game reward that shines like diamonds. 

Bricks

There is a game for everyone. We would say that there are simply too many games. You can play a car racing game or a whack-a-mole. You could also play dress-up games or even raise dragons on an island. Whatever you prefer, game developers got you covered. 

But we’ll never forget the classics. These oddly spaced bricks remind us of Mario platforms. We hope no Mario fans walk by there, or they might try to hop a few times and punch the bricks for some spare change.

Traffic Cones

Lovers of racing games will probably recognize glowing props like this. Glowing traffic cones are essential in our world, and more countries should incorporate them in their streets. It might hurt your eyes to look at them, but that’s the point. 

In streets where light is scarce, these cones will flare up with a minuscule amount of light. It will prevent many fatalities in the streets. That is also the case in racing games. In nighttime venues, props such as these are employed to make the race safer for the player. 

Unfiltered Sky  

Do not let this beautiful lady distract you from the marvel that is the sky. Just look at it. How can you be sad after looking at such vast beauty? Someone once said that the sky is God’s canvas, and we can see why. 

However, gamers will probably interpret this scene very differently. On the rare occasion they take their eyes off the screen and look at the sky, they’d probably be freaked out if they saw this. In games, skies like this indicate the beginning of a major event or quest. 

Waiter

Have you ever met someone and instantly thought, “this person cannot be real. They belong in a video game”? That is exactly how we felt after we saw the photo of this waiter. He looks like he knows something that you don’t.  

In a thriller game, he would probably be the charismatic waiter of the local pub who gets along with everyone. They gather information on everyone and sell it to the player for a price. This person might also know some card tricks. 

Sun

The sun is everywhere, whether you want it or not. It will burn your skin, fill you with vitamin D, and possibly give you skin cancer due to overexposure. You will be glad to know virtual sun from video games are not as annoying. 

However, they will definitely ruin your eyes. This particular setting sun looks spectacular. It looks like it came out of a ’90s arcade game slot. Old is gold, and this is a prime example. Sometimes low-quality photos look the best. 

Old Mailbox

Old things have a charm that new things can never replicate. This is why many people love visiting antique shops. We bet those people would love this old-style mailbox from the ’20s. Imagine all the messages and information that has passed through its slot.

The Chronicles of Narnia took the Pevensie siblings to a fantasy realm through an old closet. Who says this mailbox will not do the same. Anything is a portal if you are brave enough. For example: breaking into this mailbox will most likely send you to police custody.