About the Project
Talk To Thee is a game project I led during my undergraduate studies, which is a conceptual project focusing on research and investigation. The project won the third prize in the university-level competition of the "China International College Students’ ‘Internet+’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition."
The project concept is a digital game that explores traditional Chinese culture and dialect, specifically focusing on ancient Sichuan culture. The inspiration for this game comes from my experiences at my undergraduate university in Sichuan, a province in China known for its rich history. After discovering several intriguing historical stories from the region, I decided to design a game to present these tales in an engaging and entertaining manner.
The game contains the elements of role-play, storytelling, adventure, etc. It has educational potential as it helps young generations learn traditional Chinese culture in a more interesting way.
The Game Market in China
We researched the Chinese game market and found that there are three main trends these years: the expansion of the overseas market, the emphasis on Chinese culture in game products, and the development of the “Game +” model.
The Policy Level
The Chinese government encourages high-quality digital cultural products: the "14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline of the Vision for 2035" calls for further expansion of the supply of high-quality cultural products. The policy actively supports the development of international cultural trade, the expansion of overseas cultural markets, and the encouragement of outstanding traditional cultural products, films, television dramas, and digital cultural products—such as video games—to “go global”.
User Research
71% of the subjects show interest in Sichuan culture
Casual
93% of the subjects use digital tools to learn a certain culture
RPG
Adventure
Market Research
Narrative
Puzzle
The proportion of participants interested in different types of games.
The Society Level
In recent years, television dramas and films about traditional Chinese culture have gradually become a trend, such as Ne Zha, Jiang Ziya, Qin Dynasty Epic, and The Longest Day in Chang'an. This demonstrates the high public recognition of cultural products. Additionally, the environment for "Game+" has progressively matured. A report titled 2023 China Gaming Industry Trends and Potential Analysis released by Gamma Data revealed that 96.03% of users have already had some exposure to the "Game+" concept, suggesting that there is a strong user foundation for the growth of "Game+".
Our target users are youngsters between 18 and 30 years old. As part of Gen Z, they grew up with the internet, making them a substantial consumer group in this digital era. We conducted a questionnaire survey on them to research their experiences and preferences for digital games. The result shows the potential for Talk To Thee. On the right side, some selected key data is displayed.
Game Content
Introduction of the Game
“Talk To Thee” is a 2D narrative-driven indie game that combines role-playing, storytelling, adventure, and puzzle-solving. Players act as a traveler from the future, who travels back to ancient Sichuan. Through conversations with people from different historical periods and completing various tasks, they must collect specific cultural artifacts to save a future civilization from collapsing.
The game focuses on the intangible cultural heritage of the Sichuan region. By transforming cultural symbols into gameplay elements, Talk To Thee allows players to experience and learn about Sichuan traditions while having fun.
An Excerpt of the Script ➡️
Competitive Analysis
| Game Product | Game Introduction | Strengths | Weaknesses | Comparative Advantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rusty Lake | The Rusty Lake series is a puzzle escape game developed by the Dutch indie studio Rusty Lake. The series has won awards like the Indie Prize Best Story Award and was a finalist in the 2017 Google Play Indie Game Contest. | Unique surreal art style and mysterious storytelling. | The game engine is developed using Flash, leading to relatively simple gameplay mechanics. | The game engine is developed using Unity, allowing for more diverse gameplay mechanics. |
| Paper Bride | Paper Bride is a horror adventure game. On the wedding day, the bride dressed in red suddenly disappears. The protagonist searches for the truth, encountering supernatural events and uncovering dark folklore. | Unique Chinese-style horror narrative incorporating elements of religion, literature, folklore, and traditional performing arts. | Players who are not fond of horror may find it difficult to accept the ghostly faces and eerie sound effects. | Incorporates traditional Chinese culture elements (dialects, calligraphy, folk customs, theater, and cuisine) but without horror elements. |
| Moncage | Moncage is a puzzle adventure game developed by OPTILLUSION. It was launched on the WeGame platform on November 16, 2021. | Innovative gameplay: each face of a cube displays different spatial dimensions, creating a sense of interaction between space and time. | The puzzles are highly intricate, and the storytelling is subtle—players must infer the story through solving puzzles and collecting hidden photos. | The gameplay is easy to pick up, and the story is clear. |
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Novel Game Theme: Traditional Chinese culture and dialects provide a unique market advantage.
- Diverse Gameplay Mechanics: Includes puzzle-solving, adventure, and mini-games.
- Simple Controls: 2D side-scrolling design ensures ease of play.
Weaknesses
- Low Project Awareness: As a startup, the game lacks brand recognition.
- Limited Technical Capability: Small team with restricted access to high-end technology.
- Mitigation Measures:
- Multi-channel marketing for brand awareness.
- Emphasize cultural uniqueness in promotions.
- Invest in tech development once funded.
Opportunities
- Government Policy Support: Policies promote cultural preservation in digital media.
- High Public Interest: Consumers show strong demand for cultural entertainment.
- Market Gap: There is a large market space for games focusing on Chinese culture.
Threats
- Competitive Market: Large companies may enter this niche.
- Uncertain Target Audience: Player interest levels are unproven.
- Mitigation Measures:
- Launch quickly to establish a market presence.
- Continuous user testing to refine the product.
