Being Prescribed to Perform Romance? Game Platform as a Place for Romantic Relationship Practice

Digital platforms have been ingrained in Chinese people’s lives, influencing their romantic relationships. Game platforms, a significant component of the platform ecosystem, provide virtual spaces for the formation of players’ romantic relationships. Is players’ romantic behavior merely a prescribed performance dictated by the platform’s rules? By examining the game platform Sky: Children of the Light through digital ethnography, the study investigates how players navigate the platform’s rules to engage in romantic relationships. The findings suggest that the traditional boundaries between the frontstage and backstage of gaming are shrinking. Players not only conform to prescribed scenarios but also break free from platform constraints through negotiation of rules and connectivity rituals. A mechanism of situational intertextuality emerges, creating new situations in the game, platform, and real life. This study explores player agency within game platforms, uncovering the potential for game platforms to serve as places for practicing romantic relationships.