Carousels in Media: Video Games

It’s unsurprising that Rollercoaster Tycoon, a series of games that simulate owning and developing an amusement park, features carousels. 

Although the appearance of said carousels varies wildly between games, the most recent installment Rollercoaster Tycoon World has a fairly detailed, two-row all jumper carousel. The horses are generic, though notably have tails sticking out directly behind them--these tails would be easily broken off on a real carousel!

AI: The Somnium Files puts players in the role of an investigator, throwing them headfirst into an unsettling murder mystery. The first victim is found bound to a carousel horse at an abandoned amusement park. 

Although the horses are not based on any real carvers, the carousel itself certainly is! The mirrors and carved faces along the rounding boards closely resemble those found on some Dentzel carousels, such as the Glen Echo Park carousel, as well as some Allan Herschell machines which took inspiration from Dentzel. 

Five Nights at Freddy’s is a series of horror games focused on animatronic characters that turn murderous at night. Secret of the Mimic, the latest installment, puts players in a large manufacturing warehouse for mascot costumes, puppets, and similar amusement paraphernalia, where a hostile animatronic skeleton keeps hopping between costumes and pursuing the player. 

There are a few small amusement rides that appear throughout the game, including the small carousel. It consists of four small, stationary elephants. While the carousel has no story significance, it is a nice set piece that contributes to the overall themes of entertainment, amusements, and childlike fun that, as mentioned in the introduction, sharply contrasts with the intensity of the game. 

Another amusement park simulator, Planet Coaster has a shockingly detailed carousel. 

The carousel, referred to in-game as the “Grand Carousel,” appears heavily inspired by Venetian carousels produced by Italian manufacturer Bertazzon. The horses, all identical, strongly resemble Bertazzon’s original horses in jumping position with tassels and a tucked down head. The double-sided chariots, hot air balloons, and planes are also common features on Bertazzon carousels.

This spooky mystery game, based on the popular Nancy Drew book series, puts players in the role of the titular detective investigating strange happenings at an amusement park, including an allegedly haunted carousel and an unexplained roller coaster accident. 

The creators of this game certainly did their homework, as the carousel is shockingly detailed. It consists of Charles Carmel and Charles Looff style horses in addition to Herschell-Spillman zebras and Looff-Dentzel-esque hippocampi. It even features a band organ and ring arm!

Shockingly, a carousel survived the zombie apocalypse of The Last of Us, and two teenage characters–Riley and Ellie–take a spin in a moment of peace. 

This scene is particularly beautiful: a brief moment of joy in a life full of fear. For a short time, thoughts of survival and the future can be set aside for a gentle carousel ride. 

The carousel consists of PTC style armored standers, Looff style jumpers, and Spillman Engineering style jumpers. It is interesting to note that both sides of each horse are equally ornate, meaning the artists involved in creating the 3D models likely referenced only photos of the romance (fancy, outward-facing) sides of the horses. 

This scene is also depicted in the television series adaptation of The Last of Us, albeit with a significantly different appearance. 

Powerwash Simulator lives up to its name–armed with a powerwasher, players must clean various buildings, cars, and more. One of the levels is at a small carnival including a carousel. 

The carousel is generic, consisting of just a few unicorns with simple paint and trappings. As a funny aside, when the carousel is run, the horses move up and down while the poles remain stationary–likely to make animating the carousel simpler.

A broken down carousel can be found in Clair: Obscur: Expedition 33. It is a two-story carousel consisting of all standers. Players can complete a side quest by destroying the ice around the carousel to get it spinning again and get rewarded with a new character customization option. 

Battlefield 6 is an upcoming warfare shooting game (releasing October 10). One of the battlefield locations is Brooklyn, New York, and in the background of promotional materials a carousel is visible.

This carousel is actually based on a real one, PTC #61 better known as Jane’s Carousel. It is housed in a beautiful building with large glass windows situated right by the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Although the carousel in the game seems to be outside, a bridge can clearly be seen in the background. Furthermore, it features the same color palette, rounding boards and trim, and PTC-esque horses. 

It Takes Two is a wonderful cooperative puzzle game that puts two players in control of May and Cody, parents who have been magically transformed into their daughter’s dolls. Their goal is to discover a way to return to their bodies and comfort their daughter, who recently learned that they were separating.

During their adventure, they rediscover old memories, hobbies, and parts of their lives that they left behind, including a miniature carousel. Even better, they can hop on for a ride! This is an excellent example of a carousel being used for nostalgia, reminding the characters of simpler times.