Digital gaming is constantly redefining what it means to “remember”. By turning the act of recalling the past into an interactive, embodied experience, digital gaming not only reinforces the visual experience of remembering but also engages the visitor through interactive mechanisms that resonates with contemporary young audiences. However, recent studies have revealed tensions between the educative functions of digital gaming, as well as their potential as ideological vectors. In the Chinese context, digital games have become a distinctive vessel for preserving and transmitting memories of the Sino-Japanese War, shaping how younger generations engage with this traumatic chapter of modern national history. Once overshadowed by Japanese game productions, Chinese-made games gradually turned towards reclaiming narrative power over historical narratives by centering domestic perspectives on wartime history. This cultural shift paved the way for deliberate, memory-centered game design, marking a decisive break from purely recreational gaming, weaving historical remembrance, patriotic reverence, and lived wartime experiences into interactive gameplay. In recent years, a new generation of game creators has embraced refined storytelling techniques and immersive technical design to portray the spirit, sacrifices, and enduring legacy of the Sino-Japanese War, with the aim of deepening the emotional and historical weight of digital historical commemoration. This paper presents a text-centered analysis of representative Chinese Sino-Japanese War-themed games, tracing their gradual evolution in historical storytelling, thematic depth, and memory politics from 1996 to the present, exploring how interactive mechanics shape player empathy, historical understanding, and emotional connection with the traumatic past.

Authors:
Gargi Chaturvedi, Tsinghua University, China
Abhinav Kumar, Beijing Foreign Studies University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Abhinav Kumar, JNU CCSEAS PhD Scholar/ Senior Research Fellow. Former Doon University faculty; his research focuses on Contemporary Chinese society, traditional culture and the CPC. 2025-2026 China Studies Fellow, Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhinav-kumar-271991100

See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule

Bookmark