The cultural DNA of Chinese games​

Editor's note: 

The video gaming industry has grown significantly over the past decade, with China emerging as one of the world's largest markets. Its impact extends beyond entertainment, influencing how we learn, work, and connect. Dr. Felania Liu is a game studies scholar at Beijing Normal University and curator of the Homo Ludens Archive, the first public video game archive in China. In the three-part series New Perspectives on Gaming, Liu offers a fresh framework viewing games as tools of education and new force for cross-cultural dialogue. In Part 2, she explores the unique cultural features of Chinese games.

When "Black Myth: Wukong" topped global charts after its release in 2024 with sales of 20 million copies and thundering reviews, it represented more than a commercial achievement. It signaled a meaningful shift in how Chinese games express cultural identity in the digital age. 

Yet beneath this success lies a deeper question: what exactly constitutes the unique cultural DNA of Chinese games?

Ancient roots, modern contradictions

Chinese gaming culture is underpinned by surprisingly deep philosophical roots, which are often overlooked. 

The Confucian concept of youyuyi (traveling through arts) positioned games – encompassing the Six Arts of ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and mathematics – as essential to cultivating virtue. Paradoxically, mainstream Chinese historiography exhibits what I term the ​​"junzi (gentlemen) don't play" attitude, marginalizing gaming as frivolous compared to "serious" cultural pursuits.

This contradiction stems from Confucianism's outward-facing value system, which prioritizes collective benefit over individual satisfaction. Gaming, as an inherently self-fulfilling activity, clashes with this collective worldview.

Beyond Confucianism, however, Chinese philosophy offers rich gaming concepts. Zhuangzi's philosophical concept of xiaoyao you (a carefree, liberated state of being) celebrates purposeless exploration – a perfect description of open-world gaming. 

In Buddhism, the idea of youxi shentong (playful supernatural powers) treats play as a path to enlightenment. Zen Buddhism's use of paradoxes and unexpected responses mirrors gaming's puzzle-solving mechanics. These traditions reveal a suppressed but vibrant Chinese gaming philosophy waiting to be reclaimed.

The yin-yang of play

Fundamental differences between Chinese and Western gaming cultures begin with language. English separates "play" (activity) from "game" (structure), a conceptual division absent in Chinese. The term youxi​ (play games) embodies both movement and performance, reflecting a fluid, dialectical unity between action and form.

Chinese philosophy's contribution to game theory lies in its dialectical thinking. The yin-yang symbol's eternal rotation captures the dynamic between you (play as a process) and xi (game as a structure). While Western theory's play/game binary offers valuable analytical clarity, Chinese thought provides a complementary perspective that sees these as forces in constant transformation – structure enables freedom, freedom creates structure. Both approaches offer insights into gaming's complex nature.

Economic models shaping expression

The dominance of free-to-play models in China has profoundly shaped cultural expression. "Asura" – the predecessor of "Black Myth: Wukong" – attempted a deep interpretation of "Journey to the West" as an online game but succumbed to commercial pressures. The same team later succeeded with "Black Myth" as a premium single-purchase title, finally prioritizing cultural expression over monetization metrics.

This illustrates a crucial dynamic: the Games as a Service (GAAS) model fragments cultural narratives into sellable pieces. For example, complex philosophical concepts become simplified power-ups. The economic imperative to maximize engagement and spending undermines coherent cultural expression.

The mobile gaming boom, while generating massive revenues, has created the "cultural symbol supermarkets" – games that wear traditional aesthetics like costumes while their mechanics remain globally generic. They might feature characters from "Journey to the West" or "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," but stripped of cultural context, reduced to statistical variations in standardized gacha systems.

From scale to significance

Chinese gaming industry has seen a meteoric rise and reached a formidable scale. The challenge lies in translating economic dynamism into distinctive cultural voices that resonate globally. This requires a conscious application of game literacy across the ecosystem – from developers who embed culture into mechanics, to players who critically engage with these systems.

The path forward involves recognizing games as cultural heritage vehicles. This means supporting artisan games that prioritize artistic expression, developing game literacy education, and creating space for experimental experiences. 

The success of "Black Myth: Wukong" demonstrates a global appetite for authentically Chinese experiences. By grounding itself in real-world cultural sites and distinct philosophical concepts, it has claimed its place both in the charts and the cultural landscape. It proved that the world embraces games that are unapologetically, specifically Chinese.

Kang Congcong, vice curator of Homo Ludens Archive, also contributed to the article.

Cover image is re-edited by Li Yueyun.

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