Gaming Like a State: Historical Strategy Game Victoria and "Keyboard Politics" in China

Abstract

This thesis explores the role of historical strategy games as a platform for "keyboard politics" in contemporary China, where traditional channels for political expression are tightly controlled. Specifically, the study focuses on Victoria, a video game that allows one to "game like a state" in its simulation of the long-nineteenth-century global history. By examining the game design and analyzing paratexts from the Chinese player community—including forum discussions, game reviews, video recordings, and user-created mods— this research investigates the interaction between the technological affordance and the players, who bring their experiences, memories, and cultural milieu into the game. The thesis further examines how the gameplay in the virtual world reflects and shapes the political tendencies of young Chinese players: grassroots leftism, nationalism, and cynicism behind the "lying-flat" culture. Finally, from this local encounter between a Swedish video game and the Chinese players, the thesis aims to shed light on the global circuit of techno-cultural artifacts beyond a Eurocentric perspective.