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[Jordgubben]

Most games limit the player movement to a predetermined area. Some times it's a vast area like a country or a planet. But often a game (or at least a level) is confined to a smaller space.

Some of these environments are embarrassingly overused, possibly because they work well in games. Islands, space station, castles, deserted houses on in the middle of forests, caves and "dungeons" all have in common that they limit the player movement in a very natural way.

But I feel there must also be a lot of underused settings with the same capabilities. I can only think of one game (Theme Hospital) that confines the player to a hospital. Trains carts (The last express) and air ports (a level in golden eye?) are other examples.

What are the environments/settings you think are most underused in games?

[Torchkas]

Docks and ships.

[DanglinBob]

Certain genres lend themselves to certain areas better. Hospitals are used a lot in horror games, for instance.

Caves are a good setting for some things, but not FPSs... usually. So like that kind of thing.

If I were going for a unique setting... Car Dealership... One of the big ones that is several acres large... endless...rows...of...cars.

Uh... Elementary School?

Football Stadium?

Manufacturing Facility?

Really anywhere with a big "footprint" should work, vertical or otherwise.

[Miziziziz]

don't see cathedrals very often

[SousaVilla]

I wish there were more real world modern cities to satisfy my tourist needs.

[Sik]

Whatever happened to

? They used to be common in the '90s (although Sonic may have influenced this), are they still considered common?

Also one setting that I used to toy with long ago is the idea of a construction level. Like, you're literally moving around within a building in construction. It gave you a city level with many easy excuses for vertical movement (something important for platforming games).

caves

Not all kinds of caves.

don't see cathedrals very often

Because religious references in games are usually considered a no-no (you're unlikely to get on console that way, I'm not sure if you can get away with them on mobile either... so that pretty much limits it to PC).

[Jordgubben]

Speaking of cathedrals, I can't remember seeing a bazaar since FFXII (1). And then I do not think I have ever encounters one that really simulated that social dynamic in a meaningful way. Maybe they exist in MMOs?

((1) Ok, that was a horribly far-fetched pun. Sorry terribly about that.)

[Sgt. Pepper]

What about office buildings/skyscrapers?

[ProgramGamer]

Wind Waker confines you to AN ENTIRE OCEAN!

Also, an underused area idea outside of RPGs: Inside houses.

[Suicid3Panda]

I feel like hospitals are grossly under used!  Hospitals are creepy, overbearing environments on their own... having an abandoned one just puts the tension over the top. (BTW, not talking about mental hospitals.) 

Another one is schools.  While schools are seen often in certain types of games, they are typically used in the same manner, and only as a secondary location to the "main game."  I like to see them after hours, or completely abandoned.  The abandoned college in "The Last of Us" was awesome.

[pottering]

Modern farms.

[Sik]

Another one: harbors, at least in some genres

[Elsaess]

I'd like to see more games set in the suburbs.

A middle-class house as a level.

Life is Strange uses a lot of these settings quite well (the school, too).

[Barret5Ocal]

There are a lot of countries that are underused and it would be great if we could have open world games that were set in places like Australia, South West Asia, Africa, Russia, South America, the places in Europe that are not Germany, France, or the UK, and etc.

Honestly, after all of the modern military shooter that were set in the middle east where the local inhabitants were the bad guys, I would love to see an open world game that about exploring the geography and culture of this region.

[Macrochasm]

In terms of fantasy settings I think there needs to be more Egyptian,Roman and Aztec style fantasy settings.The midevil style settings are over done.

In terms of areas that cut off the player from the over world in RPGs (like dungeons) I had a number of ideas.

At first the player caves and dungeons.Scattered around the overworld would be abandoned cities sealed off to contain the monsters inside.The player would eventually gain a way to go through the barriers and explore the towns.Then the player would gain a ship that would allow him to venture to islands.They could then upgrade that ship twice.The first time lets it turn into a submersible and allow the player to explore underwater bases,cites and shipwrecks.A second upgrade would turn the ship into an Airship that could be used to explore flying islands.

So basically

Caves/ruins
Cursed towns
Islands/Enemy ships
Underwater ruins/bases
Flying islands/Airbases
 

[shellbot]

I'd like to see more games set in the suburbs.

A middle-class house as a level.

Life is Strange uses a lot of these settings quite well (the school, too).

I was just about to suggest the same thing.
Suburbs and towns seem to be severely underutilized, especially when you consider the audience for games are primarily located in (or around) suburbia

[Shine Klevit]

Honestly, from 1900-1950 the most boring periods of Europe were during the World Wars. the events preceding WWI and between WWI and WWII are far more interesting, and underused. There was a lot going in in technology, art, culture. etc. I mean, the world was rapidly modernizing at an amazing pace during those times.

[Jordgubben]

The same think can probably also be said about WWI and WWII settings outside europe or off the battle field.

[JWK5]

A canal city.

An abattoir (slaughterhouse).

A burned down forest.

On a mesa.

A cliff side city.

Tar pits.

A grotto.

A mangrove forest.

A place with kapok trees.

An overgrown city.

Salt mines.

Across scaffolding.

The city dump.

Sunken buildings.

Stone city.

Swamp ruins.

A refinery.

[Jordgubben]

... lots of cool places

The real world is pretty awesome at times.