15 Games Set In Ancient China

The history of China is long and includes some of humanity’s greatest achievements and deadliest conflicts. Chinese mythology is equally rich, merging history with legend and spirituality. Video games looking for a deep, vibrant setting have used ancient China for inspiration almost as long as the medium has existed.

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If you’re looking for some games that capture the mythical days of the Middle Kingdom, there are many options. Whichever one you choose, they’ll be full of exciting action and nail-biting drama.

Updated on November 3, 2024 by Matt Arnold: We’ve added more games to this list, including a certain triple-A blockbuster that lets you monkey around in real-world locations. There are also some more indies to check out that let you experience mythology and cultivation in new ways.

15

Live A Live

Live A Live takes place at several points throughout human history, but its Imperial China chapter stands out as a highlight of the game, both for its powerful story and excellent use of the combat system. The aging Sifu of the Earthen Heart style of martial arts takes on a trio of apprentices to carry on his legacy while protecting nearby villages from the tyrannical Iron Fist sect.

The Sifu’s story has more potential impact on the endgame than many of the other chapters in the game; your choices here will determine which of the three disciples, each with a unique skill set, joins the final party in the Domain Of Hate.

14

Amazing Cultivation Simulator

Amazing Cultivation Simulator is not for the casual gamer, but if you take the time to learn it you’re in for one of the weirdest – but most memorable – gameplay experiences of your life. Running a mystical temple where devotees seek immortality through prayer, training, and meditation is surprisingly chaotic, especially when rival temples plan your downfall and misdirected spiritual energy can have unintended consequences!

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ACS joins Dwarf Fortress and Rimworld on the list of games that produce unbelievable emergent stories. Considering how much goes on in a campaign, we’re curious to see how much bigger the sequel, currently slated for a 2024 release, takes the concept.

13

The Lost Village

If you’re looking for games with a cultivation theme that have more traditional gameplay, The Lost Village could be a good bet. Part city builder, part action-RPG, it requires you to build a sect of monks and train your disciples, occasionally going on adventures and battling monsters using the techniques you’ve learned.

Like many cultivation games, the systems can go pretty deep and the English translation isn’t always the clearest, but once you’ve spent some time in The Lost Village it can prove to be a surprisingly fun experience.

12

Warring States: Tactics

Lots of games that get their setting from Chinese history use the Three Kingdoms period — including several titles on this list. Centuries before the rise of Wu, Wei, and Shu, however, China was further divided. This “Warring States Period” ultimately ended with the Qin state’s victory over its rivals, unifying China for the first time.

Warring States: Tactics, an indie title from Polynation Games, allows players to command armies in hex-based battles from this formative period. The game includes a 15-mission story campaign as well as skirmish maps and multiplayer. The visuals are bright and colorful, and the music is evocative of the era. From bloody field actions to epic sieges, Warring States: Tactics is a great choice for players looking to flex their strategic muscles in an underused historical setting.

11

Divinity Chronicles: Journey To The West

The deckbuilding gameplay of Slay The Spire popularized a new kind of roguelike overnight, and with good reason. Its card-based mechanics give players tons of options without every truly guaranteeing a particular outcome. Lots of games have tried to make their own mark with the concept, and Divinity Chronicles: Journey To The West does so with style.

The gameplay should be fairly familiar to fans of Slay The Spire, but the setting and style, inspired by the famous Chinese epic, help Divinity Chronicles claim its own place in the roguelike deck-builder pantheon.

10

Yi Xian: The Cultivation Card Game

If you prefer a more competitive experience, Yi Xian turns roguelike deckbuilding into a tournament-style multiplayer game that works incredibly well. Cultivators from four mystical sects test their martial arts against one another to prove who is the strongest!

By combining cards and building combos from within your sect’s unique deck, and playing to your individual character’s strengths, each match sees you rise from a rank novice to a powerful immortal in about twenty minutes. It’s also free to play and has very reasonable monetization, which is a big plus!

9

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China

At this point, it might be quicker to list the historical settings Assassin’s Creed hasn’t visited. While not one of the mainline games in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China is nevertheless a worthy entry. It’s the latest in the timeline on this list, taking place at the very end of the Ming Dynasty (which puts it around the same time as the end of Ezio’s storyline). After the Chinese branch of the Assassin’s Brotherhood is destroyed, its sole survivor (a woman named Shao Jun) travels west to train under il Mentore. This game chronicles her return home and her quest for revenge.

Unlike other Assassin’s Creed games, Chronicles is a side-scroller that takes a more puzzle-like approach to stealth and assassinations. All the classic elements of the series are there, from death-defying drops to daring parkour and vicious kills, all while a golden age collapses in the background. If you’re a series fan who hasn’t yet discovered this gem, it’s definitely worth your time.

8

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Soulslike games are known primarily for their punishing difficulty and massive boss fights, but fans also love the subtle worldbuilding and quiet depth of the genre’s best titles. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty doesn’t change the Soulslike formula in any notable ways, but instead applies it to the Three Kingdoms period and lets players explore.

Wo Long might be simply Nioh with a Chinese aesthetic, but if big tough battles are your thing, there’s no reason to change a formula that works!

7

The Rewinder

This pixelated adventure follows the exploits of Yun, the last inheritor of a mystical power. As a Rewinder, Yun can travel into the past using the memories of others, and change the present by his actions.

Traditional Chinese painting transformed into pixel art works much better than you’d expect, and the game offers plenty of puzzles to keep you engaged throughout the story. This is one journey in the Middle Kingdom that’s not to be missed.

6

Immortal Life

Think Stardew Valley, but with martial arts, and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect with Immortal Life. Farming, fishing, and crafting are all there, just as you’d expect, against the backdrop of classical Chinese folklore and architecture. Of course, you’re not just a mere farmer – you and your fellow villagers are cultivating your spiritual power in pursuit of immortality!

If you’re looking for your next cozy village to live in, Immortal Life offers familiar gameplay in a setting that feels unique within the life sim genre. Try our Beginner Tips for the game to get yourself started!

5

Total War: Three Kingdoms

The Total War series is the go-to for era-specific historical strategy, and Three Kingdoms captures the mythical status that its titular period has attained. While not as fantastical as the franchise’s vaunted Warhammer series, Total War: Three Kingdoms brings the larger-than-life figures of the conflict to the battlefield as powerful Hero units capable of defeating hundreds of soldiers. What’s more, the relationships each of these Heroes develops — whether they are inseparable allies or bitter rivals — affects the overall strategic situation in the game.

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Total War: Three Kingdoms is also the best-looking game in the franchise to date, with detailed soldiers doing battle over breathtaking landscapes. For Creative Assembly to top itself after this game would be a truly heroic feat.

4.5/5

Total War: Three Kingdoms

Systems

Released

May 23, 2019

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op

How Long To Beat

46 Hours

Metascore

85

Number of Players

1-2

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

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4

Dynasty Warriors Series

Dynasty Warriors is probably the reason most Western gamers know about the Three Kingdoms period. Its over-the-top hack-and-slash combat is easily accessible and its equally-flamboyant personifications of legendary figures are highly memorable. The average gamer might not know that Lu Bu was a wandering warrior who served many lords before being captured and executed by Cao Cao, but if they’ve played Dynasty Warriors they know that Lu Bu is a fighter without peer.

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While it’s hardly historical outside of using real places, names, and events as a jumping-off point for Musou attacks and lengthy combos, the Dynasty Warriors series deserves credit for bringing the Three Kingdoms Period into the cultural consciousness. With how long the series has been around, we’d be willing to bet that there’s someone out there in the world who decided to study history because of these games.

3

Romance of the Three Kingdoms Series

Before Dynasty Warriors, Koei (now Koei Tecmo) had already been making strategic RPGs set in the Three Kingdoms period for years. The first Romance of the Three Kingdoms game was released for PCs in 1985, getting an NES port three years later. Fourteen games later, it’s still going strong, adding new gameplay and graphics with each new entry. If you’re of a literary bent, you’ll notice that the series shares a name with the 14th-century novel by Luo Guanzhong. Like the games, Luo’s classic tells the story of the Three Kingdoms conflicts in a highly romanticized manner.

If the characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms (or R3K as it’s known by fans) look like they’ve been pulled straight from Dynasty Warriors, it’s actually the other way around. Both franchises are made by the same company, so why not have consistency? If you like the world of Dynasty Warriors but wish there was more intrigue and grand strategy, R3K is your answer.

2

Xuan-Yuan Sword Series

Taiwanese developer SOFTSTAR’s long-running RPG series Xuan-Yuan Sword is a martial arts epic for the ages. Spanning several periods of Chinese history, including the Warring States and the Qin Dynasty, the series is named after the legendary blade that appears in each installment. The first Xuan-Yuan Sword game was released in 1990, so the franchise has evolved with the medium over the last three decades.

The most recent installment, Xuan-Yuan Sword 7, is an ARPG set at the end of the Qin Dynasty (that is, right before the Three Kingdoms Period). In addition to fluid real-time combat, it brings back a series staple of allowing players to absorb and fuse monsters to fight at your side or to develop protagonist Taishi Zhao’s skills.

1

Black Myth: Wukong

The first massive-budget, triple-A game produced entirely in China, appropriately, is a soulslike adaptation of Journey To The West. Black Myth: Wukong puts players in the role of the titular Monkey King or legend, and lets you visit several real-world locations. Some even offered free entry to tourists who completed the game!

The game’s popularity also led to an increase in sales for the book on which it’s based. It’s certainly not the easiest game around, but if you’re up for the challenge, it’s a breathtaking view of ancient China unlike anything we’ve seen in the medium to date.

Systems

Released

August 20, 2024

Developer(s)

Game Science

Publisher(s)

Game Science

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Violence

How Long To Beat

39 hours

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

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