Cultivation Games and Cosmotechnics: Reimagining Sinofuturism in Chinese Cultivation Narratives

In Chinese fantasy narratives spanning literature, animation, and games, characters will often practice martial arts and meditative techniques to become stronger and extend their lives. This process is called cultivation. This paper explores Chinese cultivation games, a unique genre of videogames deeply rooted in Chinese culture and cosmology. Through the theoretical lens of cosmotechnics, the analysis aims to elucidate the cultural complexity and imaginative possibilities within these games. Doing so, it is argued, opens up sinofuturist trajectories of technological thinking in which new possibilities can be imagined beyond Western contexts. The paper begins by explaining key terminology around “cultivation” in Chinese fantasy literature and games. It then traces the evolution from earlier wuxia -themed games to contemporary cultivation games. Next, the paper relates cultivation games to discourses on magical thinking and sinofuturism. It argues these games can exemplify an alternative sinofuturism aligned with traditional Chinese philosophies of cultivation rather than Western notions of endless progress. Through game analysis and theoretical discussion, the paper explores how Chinese cultivation games can diversify technological imaginaries. At stake in this paper is how cultivation games and the Chinese cultural understandings they impart can help to broaden the collective imaginary horizon in relation to culture, technology, and the future.