To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tomb Raider, long-time fan Liam R. Findlay has taken immersion to an entirely new level by creating eight custom scents inspired by the locations of Tomb Raider (1996). Designed to be experienced while playing the game, the bottled oils aim to deepen the emotional connection between player and world by bringing Lara Croft’s unseen “smellscape” to life.
The project was created purely for personal enjoyment, allowing Liam and his friends to experience the original game in a way few players ever have — through scent.
Eight Levels, Eight Distinct Smells
Each scent is based on a specific level from the original game, imagining what those environments would realistically smell like given the enemies, materials, and conditions Lara encounters.
- Croft Manor – A woody scent with a light dustiness, inspired by wooden panels, beams, crates, doors, and old carpet.
- Cave – A fresh, slightly sweet aroma representing an ice-cold breeze mixed with earthiness from wolves, bears, bats, and ancient ruins.
- Lost Valley – A humid, green, muddy scent with a hint of blood. Research with the Natural History Museum suggests T-rexes may have smelt of rotting meat trapped between their teeth.
- Colosseum – A heavy stench of gore, lions, gorillas, and gunsmoke intensified by extreme heat.
- The Cistern – A damp, filthy smell evoking rats, crocodiles, and stagnant, gloomy water.
- Khamoon – A fragrant yet sickly blend inspired by Ancient Egyptian embalming fluids, incense, resins, and funerary oils, lifted with a smoky undertone.
- Natla’s Mines – Dirty, oily industrial fumes mixed with smoke drifting from distant lava.
- Atlantis – A nightmarish reek polluting the air of a palace made of flesh, fire, and organic horror.
Created Using Professional Theme Park Facilities
The scents were developed using the facilities of AromaPrime, a professional “smell imagineering” studio run by Liam himself. The studio maintains an extensive library of unusual ingredients typically used for immersive environments in theme parks and museums.
AromaPrime has previously created atmospheric scents for major attractions such as Universal Studios, Alton Towers, and the British Museum. Coincidentally, the studio also provided jungle and tomb scents for Tomb Raider: The LIVE Experience in London.
Why Smell Matters in Games
Speaking about the project on Instagram, Liam explained how imagining the smells of Tomb Raider dramatically changed how he viewed the game:
“Coming up with these smells, it struck me just how much of an ordeal Lara’s nose must go through. Few of the levels in the 1996 Tomb Raider game must smell particularly nice, mostly because of the close encounters Lara has with odious enemies.”
He added that once players begin to consider a game’s smellscape, it can bring environments to life in a far more visceral way — particularly in locations like Atlantis, where the oppressive, organic architecture would likely be overwhelming on a sensory level.
Looking Ahead to the Tomb Raider Remake
Liam also questioned how closely his imagined scents might align with Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, the upcoming remake of the original game expected later this year.
While the scents were created as a personal project rather than a commercial product, they highlight how multi-sensory experiences could shape the future of gaming, especially as VR and game-synchronised scent technologies continue to evolve.
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