Playing the past: Historical video games as participatory public history in China

Abstract

Historical video games, as one genre of historical reenactment in the digital environment, have rapidly evolved in China during the past two decades. Probing the affective, imaginative, and playful nature of historical video games, this article argues that the power of historical video games lies first in the methodological value and pedagogical virtue of the counterfactual thinking, and second in the potential to digitally and collectively shape the historical consciousness of players. With a potential for a shared authority, historical video games have emerged as participatory public history in China.