Article Games for the Pluriverse: Exploring the Use, Opportunities, and Problems of Drawing from Local Cultural Heritage in Video Games Games and Culture 1–24 © The Author(s) 2024 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/15554120241234126 journals.sagepub.com/home/gac Lina Eklund1 , Renard Gluzman2 , Kristine Jørgensen3 , Fares Kayali4, Elina Roinioti5, and Vered Pnueli6 Abstract In this paper, we explore the growing trend of European game developers embracing their cultural heritage with greater dedication. Taking a bottom-up approach, we showcase various successful examples of games that engage with local cultural canons. Additionally, we investigate how games can evolve into creators of cultural heritage by examining those that have already achieved such status. Furthermore, we delve into the potential fusion between independent games and cultural heritage by presenting several paradigms and posing pertinent questions about this evolution. Our study offers a framework that envisions games with strong local identities from diverse regions forming transnational networks and agencies within the videogame industry. Such developments could give rise to a new European game scene that draws inspiration primarily from local heritages, thereby fueling creativity and innovation in the field. 1 Department of Informatics and Media, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Ramat Gan, Israel 3 Department of Information Science and Media Studies, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 4 Center for Teacher Education, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria 5 Department of Performing and Digital Arts, University of Peloponnese, Nafplio, Greece 6 Kedar Game Center, Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Ramat Gan, Israel 2 Corresponding Author: Gluzman, Renard, Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv 52526, Israel. Email: onboardmail@gmail.com 2 Games and Culture 0(0) Keywords cultural heritage, European game developers, pluriverse, world games, paradigms in game development Introduction In line with the transformation of independent videogames from a subculture to an industry with its own aesthetics (Juul, 2019), a new generation of game developers is engaging more earnestly with their cultural heritage. We are increasingly seeing games which draw on local culture and artistic specifics as sources of inspiration in their design. Indeed, annual reports on the state of the game industry illustrate the potential growth in the market for diversity-focused games and their ability to appeal to a wider range of players (ESA, 2018; Dickey, 2019; GDC, 2023). There is a moderate but steadily growing demand for games that represent a diverse range of cultures and perspectives, and this trend, it is argued, is likely to continue (ibid.). Indeed, players are increasingly seeking experiences that resonate with their own identities and backgrounds (Passmore et al., 2018; Newzoo, 2022, 2023). Additionally, indigenous communities and underrepresented groups are creating their own games to share their stories and perspectives, leading to a surge in games that focus on diverse cultures and experiences (Matheson, 2015; Land, 2020). Multinational companies have also taken note of the existence of local markets and specifics. For instance, Valve expanded the Steam platform to support 74 additional languages that games can accommodate (Steamworks Development, 2022). Similarly, Roblox introduced localization tools to facilitate seamless experiences across different cultures and languages (Roblox Creator Hub, 2024). Taken together, it seems as if cultural heritage and identities, from languages and beyond, today serve as a source of inspiration for creating games that potentially honor local communities and maintain a deep connection between place, content, gameplay, and creators. In our own work of studying gaming and game culture— some of which will be discussed in this text—it seems that games that strive to represent local cultures and experiences have been on the rise, and that game developers are increasingly interested in drawing from their cultures to seek innovation in worldbuilding, storyline, and aesthetics. This trend has also been observed in more traditional arts, in world cinema, and world music. These parallel trends gained popularity in the 1980s as a marketing category for nonwestern traditional styles, associated with various national or local cultures, in contrast to the aesthetics, themes, and values of global commercial culture (Vidal, 2012; Stone et al., 2018; Matsumoto & Barley, 2019). Inspired by the trend of games which represent local cultures and heritages, this paper investigates the connection between videogames and the places they were created. We explore various games which, in different ways engage with local heritage. Here, we attempt to pick out instances that utilize cultural heritage to redefine game Eklund et al. 3 genres, systems, and conventions. As examples, we present several cases of developers who deliberately choose themes set in a local setting, also considering intangible forms of cultural heritage, such as oral traditions, customs, idioms, value systems, skills, traditional dances, diets, performances, and other manifestations of culture. In our work, we came to identify a few key issues when it comes to these “local” games. We present these as analytical headlines below. They concern the incorporation of intangible and tangible cultural heritage in games, the political and economic context in which the games are created, and some of the risks entailed by this localization. The paper goes on to explore what this current trend might imply. Are games created through this farming of local heritage “world” games, akin to world cinema and world music? Or are they more accurately described as indigenous/multiethnic games? Specifically, we propose a framework building on the theories of design researcher Arturo Escobar. Our framework encourages the design of games for the pluriverse and regards developer clusters as “translocal”—by which we can speculate how games with a strong local identity from different regions can establish transnational networks and agencies within the independent game industry, leading to the emergence of new designs in narrative, aesthetics, and game systems conventions. Approach and Delimitations With our selection of games, we want to present videogames of various genres which originate in a range of different European countries; both north and south as well as east and west. It is important to note that the selection is ultimately made by the authors of this work and is thus biased toward the regions we represent. The author team is spread out across Europe, and we currently work in the countries of Austria, Greece, Israel, Norway, and Sweden. We have delimitated the study to the European context. The reasoning is pragmatic, we are all European, and while we believe there is much in our results which can speak to the situation in other parts of the world, we make no pretense at universalism. We encourage future work which explores and connects to local practices and heritages in other parts of the world. The text is structured as follows: We first define what we mean by cultural heritage and make a distinction between tangible and intangible heritage of importance for our work. We then move on to explore a set of European videogames that in various ways engage with local heritage—both tangible and intangible. We then present our framework, which we argue can help us further explore local games and the various ways in which cultural heritage can be a positive resource in the making of cultural-rich game experiences. Tangible and Intangible Heritage To explore videogames drawing on cultural heritage, we first briefly explain what we mean by the term. While what is and is not cultural heritage in the context of videogames is a complex process (Eklund et al., 2019), we here draw on the distinction 4 Games and Culture 0(0) between tangible and intangible heritage. If tangible culture is contained in buildings, statues, monuments, and natural phenomena such as mountains and rivers, together with a wide array of objects often preserved in heritage institutions such as museums, culture is clearly more than that. What UNSECO calls intangible cultural heritage (2003) is that which can be seen as the rituals and practices that mean something to people in everyday life, videogames included (Kurin, 2004). The distinction between tangible and intangible heritage is volatile, however, and the FARO convention (2005) partly reduced the importance of their separation by opening up the definition of cultural heritage as “a group of resources inherited from the past” (Art. 2). Defining cultural heritage such opens up for inclusion of things such as national monuments, rituals, dance, traditions, nature, and much more. Still, the distinction can be of some importance as videogames are often set in various locations around the world, from Kinshasa to Paris, meaning that the visuals represent some of those places’ tangible heritage, though without necessarily being linked to the local culture or people living in those areas. The UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage thus still provides a reference point for the need to raise greater awareness of intangible cultural heritage through platforms such as gaming (Blake & Lixinski, 2020; Meissner, 2021). In Game Studies, a subfield of regional histories or regional studies of games is emerging in response to this. Scholars from various parts of the world now explore differences in the aesthetics of play and the political, economic, and social contexts in which videogames are created and consumed in their respective countries (Wolf, 2015; Wade & Webber, 2016; Penix-Tadsen, 2016; Liboriussen & Martin, 2016; Swalwell, 2021; Meades, 2022). With this paper, we thus contribute to this growing attention to the local or regional in the study of videogames. Cultural Heritage in Games The Games Themselves: Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage in Videogames We begin by exploring how tangible and intangible cultural heritage is incorporated in and used to shape videogame experiences. Our first example is also one of our oldest games. Finnish UnReal World was originally a PC shareware (Lehmus & Maaranen, 1992-Present). It is a Kalevala-themed survival roguelike, continually developed since its original release. The creators have invested significant effort in researching Finnish folk beliefs and myths for authenticity and material for the game world. UnReal World reproduces core cultural ideas such as the hardships of life, while also embodying the Sisu attitude of stoic determination, which often gets to express what it is to be Finnish. The creators on their website are also conscious of their role in representing Finnishness: “Now, in the times of the European Union, it seems that Finnish culture is experiencing a resurgence. Musicians, movie-makers, artisans, and craftsmen are creating a contemporary culture based on Finnish roots. Eklund et al. 5 UnReal World is clearly a part of this cultural wave” (https://www.unrealworld.fi/urw_ finland.html). The game thus draws not only on the country’s locations but also on concepts about what it means to be Finnish. Two other examples come from Austria. First, the independent game studio Broken Rules created Secrets of Raetikon (2013). In this open-world 2D game, players take on the role of a bird and explore a stylized version of the Alps, as tangible natural heritage, as well as delving into their ancient history and mythology. Secondly comes The Lion’s Song (Mi’Pu’Mi Games, 2016–2021), representing a more recent slice of Austrian history. Set against the backdrop of Austria in the early twentieth century, the game comprises a series of four point-and-click adventure game episodes. Each episode features a different fictional lead character and their struggles to break through with their creative, artistic, or scientific aspirations (Figure 1). Another example is Black Book, a fusion of Slavic folktales, card-based RPGs, and adventure game genres. The game, developed by the Russian Perm–based studio Morteshka, is a haunting tale of a young sorceress who has dedicated her life to serving the dark forces. The game’s selling point is its narrative’s use of bailichka (Ru. быличка), short myths collected by an ethnographer who collaborated with the team. Additionally, the studio partners with a regional museum of local lore to enrich the learning experience about northern Slavic countryside life, myths, and legends, particularly those of the Cherdyn District. Lastly, an in-game encyclopedia invites players to explore the anthropology of the folk tales that appear in the game (Morteshka, 2021). Continuing south in Europe, Blasphemous (The Game Kitchen, 2019) is a Spanish action-adventure game that stands out for its incorporation of intangible cultural Figure 1. Indie game The Lion’s Song by Mi’Pu’Mi Games (2016–2021). 6 Games and Culture 0(0) heritage in narrative and aesthetics, including religious traditions and symbols of Andalusian culture, alongside representations of tangible cultural heritage such as architecture and monuments. The game attracted over one million players by early 2021 (Castro et al., 2023), also showing that these types of stories interest players. In all of the examples evaluated so far, it is in the combination of the tangible and intangible that we see games with a strong local character. If instead we want to talk more precisely of local games then we should distinguish between videogames that draw on interesting environments, and those that pay attention to the intersection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The games we have discussed here are in their essence drawing on local cultural heritage, yet most of them are in English. A good example is Year Walk (Simogo, 2014), an atmospheric Swedish horror game in which players can engage in the old Swedish tradition of the Year Walk, where people try to catch a glimpse of the future on New Year’s Eve. Players engage with creatures from traditional Swedish folklore in a snowy landscape through puzzles. It thus draws on intangible heritage in the form of folklore, while also using contemporary and international standards we associate with the horror genre. Despite the setting, the game is in English, making it accessible to a larger audience than the Swedish market, but it inherently provides a Swedish experience that allows players to engage with local, intangible cultural heritage (Figure 2). Language, of course, becomes key in opening up these local experiences to audiences outside of the culture in question, thus potentially providing insights or bridges between cultures. The game was well received (very positive on Steam, 87% on Metacritic) and won several nominations and awards (e.g., 2014 BAFTA Games Awards Finalist, Game Innovation). This at least indicates that there is a genuine interest in these types of games. Figure 2. Indie game Year Walk by Simogo (2014). Eklund et al. 7 Conflicts between the Local and Global At one extreme end of the scale, we observe developer communities who meticulously inspect the origins of every element of the game under a magnifying glass in the process of finding their unique voice. For instance, Italy has a relatively culture-aware gaming industry that has been striving to establish an authentic Italian approach to gaming for over a decade (Fasce, 2015; Fassone, 2017; Carbone, 2020). Girina (2022) recently proposed three rhetorical dimensions of videogame nationality: production (videogames as homegrown “Made in Italy” products), textual (videogames as expressions of Italianness), and reception (the consumption of videogames in Italy). This is paralleled in the work of O’Donnell on games and play as in/as/of/ through culture (2014). Even such interpretations need further development as the entangled histories of games continue to be “localized” and subjected to sociocultural and technical adjustments. Meanwhile, outside the scope of our European focus we can see significant international parallels. For instance, many games developed in Japan were initially designed for a strictly local market, with a distinct Japanese quality and, historically, these were never intended for a nondomestic audience. However, when Japanese companies target specific games at the Western market, they undergo localization in the process. Game developers grapple with deciding whether a game’s Japaneseness is a selling point or a stumbling block, while critics attempt to identify the elements that express its Japaneseness—be it cultural motifs or technical markers (Consalvo, 2016). On the other hand, we have also observed how endogenous and exogenous factors (e.g., economic rationale) encourage companies and creators to deliberately strip regional characteristics from their products while adhering to global trends. For instance, in Israel, there was a dual trend of local and international game-making industries up until the 2000s. In these early days of the Israeli game industry, the comic adventure game Piposh (Guillotine, 1999) and the time management flash game Falafel King (Berkovich et al., 2001) gained popularity by targeting the local market and being available in the native language. As a result, they have become part of the country’s digital cultural heritage due to their popularity among the public and media coverage (Gluzman & Pnueli, 2022) (Figure 3). However, a confluence of political and economic events led to the assimilation of the gaming industry into the more established high-tech industry, with a strong inclination toward venture capital-funded casual games and social casinos featuring unified global themes (ibid.). A criticism often heard in this context is that some games appropriate the genre conventions set by multinational corporations that produce mass media and adapt them to fit their purposes. Or from another point of view, that transnational game corporations shape the contemporary cultural landscape at the level of consumption of symbolic goods (Hesmondhalgh, 2019), dictating the global narratives of what can be considered as artistic excellence in videogames, what the global success of a videogame means, while at the same setting the international trends of what is worth consuming 8 Games and Culture 0(0) Figure 3. PC Game Piposh by Guillotine (1999). and what is not. In both cases, we witness the “local” absorbed into the “global.” While specific local content may be incorporated into the artistic style, the storyline, or the setting of a game—such as history, religion, culture, and aesthetics—the mechanics are occasionally left untouched (Šisler et al., 2017). Despite such interpretations, we argue that there is room for games that adhere to traditional form and genre conventions in terms of gameplay and playstyles, the degree of engagement with the cultural heritage still remains meaningful. Norwegian game developers, for example, often draw inspiration from Indie games and casual genres, such as puzzles, adventure games, and walking simulators. Sometimes, they incorporate a genre formula and infuse internationally recognized elements representative of Norway into their games, as seen in the walking simulator Draugen (Red Thread Games, 2019) and the adventure game Embracelet (Machineboy, 2020), both set in picturesque Norwegian landscapes. In this context, modding is typically a bottom-up effort to work within the constraints of mass media games. Two mods developed by groups of Polish and Polish Lithuanian players for Taleworlds Entertainment’s Mount & Blade series delve into the Polish Lithuanian cultural heritage and the present-day culture of their country. These mods (The Deluge, 2015; The Deluge 2, in progress) can also be seen as efforts by marginal groups to reappropriate more powerful commercial games (Majkowski, 2023). In the games we have explored here, local cultural heritage not only serves as a source of inspiration for storylines and aesthetics but also as a catalyst for redefining game genres and interactive systems. Inexorably, culturally invested games are hybrid creations. They result from the interplay between global markets, mass media, national policies, and the societal and cultural settings in which developers Eklund et al. 9 create. The term “glocalization” comes to mind (Blatter, 2022), which refers to the simultaneous occurrence of universalizing and particularizing tendencies in gamemaking and marketing strategies. We now move on to explore the context in which these games come to be, in other words, the role national and European policies play in the emergence of local games. Game Politics: National and Transnational Policies to Support Local Games The EU Council’s approved resolution on November 24, 2023 (Council of the European Union, 2023), to enhance the cultural and creative dimension of the European videogames sector marks a significant step toward a future in which game developers engage more deeply with their local cultural canons. This political initiative calls on member-states to support the creative and cultural dimension of videogames, including the use of cultural heritage data in the creative process (ibid.,Item 13). The extent to which these decisions will catalyze a pan-European game scene, based on local traditions promoting innovations, remains to be seen. Equally important however is the fact that the Council calls to preserve and exploit game developers’ intellectual property rights as part of Europe’s creative sector and cultural heritage (ibid., Item 12). The Council’s decision, therefore, acknowledges games as a vehicle of expression for local culture, and at the same time a medium of culture, or a part of that culture. While the former is the focus of this paper, we consider it essential to begin to untangle the strategies employed by institutions and governments to strengthen the relationship between their respective play and game development history and cultural heritage. The Swedish videogame industry originated from the demo scene, and initially remained primarily local, with games being developed in Swedish and centered around distinctly Swedish themes. It was only later that we witnessed the internationalization of the Swedish game industry. For instance, Stugan (meaning “cabin” in Swedish) is regarded as the first Swedish videogame. This text adventure, developed in Swedish on the mainframe Oden in 1977/78, was commercially released in 1986 and could be purchased for 95 SEK (9 euro in today’s value) by mail order. Interestingly, Stugan also lent its name to an accelerator program, providing a space for game developers to work on their projects. The Swedish digital festival Dreamhack has long been another important gathering place, for years bringing together Indie developers with other artists and creators, fostering a context of games as heritage (https://dreamhack.com/). Based in Austria’s capital Vienna, Subotron is a platform for digital game culture. Since 2004 it has organized lectures that connect the local game scene, industry, science, and education. Their 2022 series on “Interactive Heritage” (https://subotron. com/12805interactiveheritage/) brings together actors from diverse creative quarters, including Industry 4.0, science, education, and art, to explore the potential of games as a means of expression and mediator of the past, present, and future of local cultural heritage in an interdisciplinary exchange amongst themselves and with the audience. In Greece, videogame cultural policy was a top-down political initiative, aiming to implement an integrated program for supporting the local audiovisual production. 10 Games and Culture 0(0) Beginning in 2017, for the first time in Greece’s history, videogames were officially and publicly acknowledged as a cultural product. In contrast to other countries—for example in Germany, where the German Games Industry Association initiated the negotiation for videogame funding schemes—in Greece the initiative and implementation of such a program derived from the State. The reason behind this was the fragmentation of the local videogame community, and of course a specific political agenda plied by the Greek government. That said, the government cultural policy now includes a cash rebate and a tax credit program for small to large videogame productions (Roinioti, 2022). An outlier in European videogame funding is Norway. To our knowledge, it was the first European country in which game policies were considered cultural policies that take cultural heritage into account. Their understanding was broad and not limited to preservation alone; it also included the creation of new Norwegian cultural expressions. At the time (2011), these policies aimed to assist those wanting to create games as cultural expressions. While the actual funding does not enable small companies to compete on an international level, they are helpful as initial support (Jørgensen, 2013). Although game professionals were partly critical of the political measures, it is evident that continued policymaking has occurred in close collaboration with the game industry in Norway (ibid.). Additionally, the country’s welfare policies are seen as measures that allow startups to take chances, given the existence of a public safety net (Jørgensen, 2019). Overall, these funding schemes supported by political policies are viewed today as a “stamp of quality” to attract other investors. We have also witnessed transnational and pan-European initiatives calling for a collective effort to establish coherent policies differentiating European games, game-making, and consumption from other centers of production (Ipsos MediaCT, 2012, Video Games Europe & EGDF, 2022; European Games Developers Federation, 2022). The Creative Europe Programme (2021–2027) continues to fund videogames with a special focus on virtual reality and interactive immersive technologies. We will not explore these initiatives in depth here, but believe that they point toward an increased focus on and support for working with local cultural heritage in the videogames sector in Europe. Another example which highlights how incorporating local heritage in videogames is leveraged on a national and international scene is the Witcher game series (CD Projekt, 2007). The fantasy game still draws on Polish cultural heritage and literature but has attained a broader status as a global entertainment artifact. During US President Barack Obama’s visit to Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented him with an official diplomatic gift, which included The Witcher 2 and two books that inspired the critically acclaimed computer game. This symbolic gesture demonstrates how the government legitimizes the Witcher as a national cultural product. In 2016, the Polish Post issued a new stamp featuring Geralt of Rivea, highlighting the undisputed connection between the game’s global success and “some kind of national ideology” (Majkowski, 2023). The globally acclaimed games series has garnered attention worldwide and has been used to showcase Poland’s gaming industry and become part of the country’s cultural canon with institutional support. Eklund et al. 11 The dialogue-heavy roleplaying game Disco Elysium (2019) by ZA/UM is considered to have been based on the nation’s cultural capital, drawing inspiration from the vision of the Estonian poet Arvi Siig. This fact earned the game national awards for its role in introducing Estonian culture to the world (ERR, 2020). Meanwhile, the game is in the process of becoming part of Estonian digital cultural heritage, due to its unique art style, storyline, and settings. The personal and financial struggles faced by the development team—a collective of artists and musicians led by novelist Robert Kurvitz and oil painter Aleksander Rostov, along with the legal issues surrounding their dissolution—add an additional layer of significance (Figure 4). In this section, we have explored policy support for games with a local accent, firstly in how some states and pan-state organizations such as the EU encourage them, thus backing the continued use of cultural heritage. We also explored how games that gain international traction are honored as examples of local cultural heritage in national identity projects. We do not aim to present a comprehensive view of the political context of game-making in Europe, the point is clear. Local games thus emerge from the type of backing aimed at strengthening cultural heritage, while supporting a continued definition of local traditions by becoming popular outside the region in question. While this development has many positive outcomes, games building on domestic legacies are not problem-free. In the subsequent section, we will delve into several key issues that have surfaced in our work, particularly focusing on the problems of local games, including stereotypes and cultural appropriation. The Problems of Local Games: Stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation As we explore the landscape of games built on cultural heritage, it becomes apparent that the positive outcomes are not without their challenges. One primary concern is that drawing on local identities can easily spawn stereotypes. Of course, games can Figure 4. Multiplatform Disco Elysium by ZA/UM, 2014. 12 Games and Culture 0(0) benefit from the use of clichés and tropes, yet concerns arise regarding how such games represent their respective cultures internationally. Taking a cue from a genre of comic melodrama films from the 1960s and 1970s, these films, although often criticized by experts, are embraced by audiences as epitomes of their nations in terms of ethnicity, storyline, looks, and aesthetics (Kimchi, 2023; Arslan, 2011; Vrasidas, 2012). Analogous to these films, Falafel King ‫( ﻣﻠﻚ ﺍﻟﻔﻼﻓﻞ‬Berkovich et al., 2001) serves as an example of an Israeli game that incorporates stereotypes and tropes. It is an unapologetic mirror reflecting public and organizational life in Israel, politically charged and addressing controversial topics without claiming to make definitive societal statements (Figure 5). While stereotypes and received ideas are not inherently negative, the question arises if games like Falafel King can be deemed a successful engagement with cultural heritage. These are complex considerations that require thoughtful examination and an understanding of the wider impact and representation of cultural identity in the gaming world. In a similar vein, games can also be one-sided, biased, or even aim for empathy but fail to engage with a moral issue appropriately. The plethora of games dealing with the Palestinian–Israeli conflict stands as a testament to that. Each round of military operations is followed by an array of new games. With very few exceptions, all have sparked controversy for their use of violent imagery and portrayal of the conflict in Figure 5. Browser Game Falafel King by Berkovich et al. (2001). Eklund et al. 13 a provocative way that verges on propaganda, instead of fostering empathy or proper discussion of the conflict and its outcomes. There are some successful engagements with the topic, games that merit being part of what Ian Bogost calls a “new public square,” a platform for political discourse and activism (Bogost, 2010). To list a few, Liyla and the Shadows of War (Abueideh, 2016), Being (Ata, 2017) by Palestinian diaspora or refugees’ descendants have been seen as successfully representing their complex source material. Also, games such as Conflict: Middle East Political Simulator (Eastman, 1990), PeaceMaker (ImpactGames, 2007), and Global Conflicts: Palestine (Serious Games Interactive, 2007) treat the source material with sensitivity and promote polyperspectivity. Another phenomenon worth mentioning in this context is cultural appropriation and cloning, where mass-media titles (and sometimes Indie titles) draw inspiration from local cultures, occasionally promoting stereotypical portrayals of people and customs through cultural generalizations. For instance, Greek history and mythology have become popular tropes in the film and videogame industries. Titles such as Age of Mythology (Ensemble Studios, 2002), God of War (Santa Monica Studio et al., 2005), Apotheon (Alientrap, 2015), Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec, 2018), and Hades (Supergiant Games, 2018) use Greek tradition as their setting, becoming unofficial ambassadors of what is perceived as Greek culture. The case of AC: Odyssey (2018) is perhaps more cogent than certain other attempts. The goal in this case was to reconstruct ancient Greece, not merely use it as a game setting and general theme. Ubisoft’s scope was more extensive, and they collaborated with a PhD researcher in classical languages and literature who traveled to Greece and studied ancient manuscripts. Their initial reference research on films and media was complemented by field and historical research. In Greece, at least, the game was wellreceived as a product that invites players to learn about ancient Greece and Greek civilization. The Greek government closely collaborated with Ubisoft to facilitate the company’s access to historical locations, and even planned a press trip where journalists could visit some of the specific places in Greece that were digitally reproduced in the game (Hellenic Republic, 2018; Maguid, 2019). In AC: Odyssey, the interplay between global and local takes on yet another form, as described by Kate Edwards as culturalization rather than localization in gaming (2011). The fact that the team worked closely with local agents and academia to acquire a deeper understanding of culture makes Ubisoft an ambassador of another culture (Figure 6). At the same time, the critique against the Assassiń s Creed franchise has been harsh when it comes to cultural representations, and it is clear from previous research that local cultures are often simply reduced to stereotypes and “exotic” settings (De Wildt & Aupers, 2019). On the other hand, “Greek videogames”—meaning games that express the ancient Greek culture and mythology in one way or another and are produced by native Greeks —are rare, due to many creators’ reluctance to work with anything remotely connected to nationalistic themes, or they might be overlooked owing to a lack of resources and marketing budget (Roinioti, 2022). An example is 1821: The Struggle for Freedom, 14 Games and Culture 0(0) Figure 6. Multiplatform Assassin’s Creed Odyssey by Ubisoft Quebec (2018). a 20-year strategy game about the Greek revolution (1821–1832), developed by the Indie Greek studio Icehole Games (2001), which received recognition primarily at local level (Figure 7). In this way, culturally invested games face challenges beyond the risks of marginalization or a lack of empathy and tolerance by the social demographic that plays them; they can also be affected by what is known as “games of empire” (Dyer-Witheford & De Peuter, 2009) representing the prevailing culture, and those who do not identify themselves as part of it. We must, therefore, also consider whether cultural appropriation in videogames should be regarded as part of a future for independent games as creators and preservers of cultural heritage. Discussion: Perspectives on Local Games Moving forward, a key issue for research is the ways in which we should consider and discuss the types of games we have explored above. We do not wish to offer a single final model, but rather as the games themselves suggest that there are multiple ways and traditions which can furnish more in-depth understanding of the phenomenon at hand. A baseline for local games is how to promote diversity and fragmentation while embracing a shared ethos of tolerance and respect. In the context of European videogames, several academic initiatives attempt to achieve just that. They also aim to establish industry standards that differ from those of mass media produced by multinational corporations (e.g., Pérez Latorre, 2013; Haggis et al., 2018; NavarroRemesal & Pérez Latorre, 2022; European Commission, 2022). These works continue to highlight the potential of cultural diversity in European game-making. Eklund et al. 15 Figure 7. PC game 1821: The Struggle for Freedom by Icehole Games (2001). However, while written with globalization in mind, they feel compelled to adhere once again to unified characteristics, ethos, aesthetics, and industrial standards that differ from those of mass media produced by multinational corporations (ibid.). Supporting local stories and building on local cultural heritage can create a new European roadmap for cultural diversification, through a more translocal approach. In other words, local games that promote the local while cultivating diversity and understanding. We thus propose a paradigm that can offer a framework for future ideas regarding local games. We invite other scholars to comment or suggest other theoretical framework that might better accommodate cultural and cross-cultural practices in independent game production. Translocality and Games for the Pluriverse As a theoretical tool, translocality serves as an umbrella term encompassing various aspects of geographical cultural perspectives regarding videogames produced in the peripheries of game-making (Liboriussen & Martin, 2016; Swalwell, 2021). This concept covers many levels of the local. Here, we emphasize two key characteristics: (1) translocal spaces are shaped by both a mobile population that moves around, discusses new ideas, imagines different situations, and produces new concepts, and by an 16 Games and Culture 0(0) stationary population that acts as a custodian of local memory, recalling and preserving the local culture(Greiner & Sakdapolrak, 2013); and (2) actors shape these translocal networks through their own practices, while simultaneously being defined by the structure and powers of these networks (Greiner & Sakdapolrak, 2013). Drawing on Appadurai’s theory (1995) on the construction of locality, Nico Carpentier provides an interesting terminology for understanding translocality. Appadurai mentions that local communities and neighborhoods not only produce but also require context, and they are affected by the wider social systems that surround them, such as nations or states. Carpentier (2003) suggests that translocality emerges when local actors and networks interact symbiotically with global systems. Translocality comes into being at the intersection of local contexts and global conditions, sparking a new dialogue on existing or novel ideas. Viewing global networks from this vantage point allows us to begin with the local and explores how this extends to encompass global systems. In the context of culturally invested games, translocality becomes a valuable analytical lens, highlighting crucial parameters, namely: Translocality unravels the dynamics between the global game industry and local Indie communities, exploring how game studios infuse the industry with context while being shaped by the roles, values, and symbolic meanings imposed by the industry. Embracelet, Draugen, and The Deluge (the mod to Mount & Blade) fits comfortably into this paradigm. Blasphemous, The Lion’s Tale, and Secrets of Raetikon exhibit “translocality” practices as well. The developers may have attempted to deviate from their respective genre conventions, although to a much lesser extent than UnReal World or Disco Elysium. A case in point is The Witcher. Tomasz Z. Majkowski culturally decoded the celebrated game series to argue that the assembly of artifacts, assets, characters, sounds, inspirations, and ideas, as well as the teams of developers that worked on the game, constitute a blend of local actors and networks that interact symbiotically with global systems in every layer of the game, especially when considering the use of game engines, tools, publisher houses, archetypes of storytelling, and so on (2023). His reading primarily aligns with the “translocal” paradigm, and it can be extended to various other games and creative works. In this sense, a “translocal” perspective reframes our analytical focus, illuminating the significance of local communities, actors, and the conditions under which they create context. Rather than solely investigating how the global impacts the local, we pose a different question: How can the local influence the global without losing its own distinct identity, as Carpentier suggests, “without transforming itself into this context”? (2003, p. 6). Since our focus is on design rather than humans or social and political policies, we can turn to the realm of design theory to find an answer. The paradigm we propose is the concept of pluriverse devised by the Colombian anthropologist Arturo Escobar as an alternative to the more common term “universe,” which implies a singular and universal understanding of reality. The term “pluriverse” better captures a world that acknowledges the existence of manifold distinct worlds. The pluriverse suggests that Eklund et al. 17 the world is not a single, unified entity moving toward a uniform global culture or development. Instead, it acknowledges the coexistence of multiple diverse worldviews, realities, ontologies, and ways of life. As Arturo Escobar defines it, this decolonial project seeks “a world where many worlds fit,” emphasizing the defense of relational territories and worlds against the exploitative forces of globalization. Pivotal in transitioning to designs for a pluriverse is the reimagining and reconstructing of local worlds. It emphasizes turning away from a Eurocentric way of understanding the world as the only possible way, and opens up instead to having diverse ways of understanding the world and engaging in design. Recognizing and respecting the pluriverse is therefore crucial for addressing the challenges of environmental sustainability, social justice, and cultural preservation in the face of globalizing forces. The pluriverse highlights the richness and complexity of distinct cultural practices, knowledge systems, and social formations across the globe, and it promotes localized design which further engages individuals from the local (Escobar, 2018). Independent games designed for the pluriverse would therefore celebrate diversity, cultural autonomy, and the significance of local knowledge and traditions. Embracing the pluriverse in videogames design means creating games and interpreting them as representing a wide range of cultural, social, and historical perspectives. At their core, they would acknowledge that different societies and communities possess unique worldviews and ways of understanding and interacting with the world at large. Understanding games as such, or even making games from this standpoint, could encourage their audience to appreciate diverse knowledge systems, while promoting the creation of inclusive and equitable systems that can accommodate various ways of living and existing on the planet. In a pluriverse perspective, we can think about a game design modus that moves away from the global marketplace “one size fits all” imperative, which excludes everyone not fitting the norm. Embracing the pluriverse can have many potentially transformative outcomes. For once, we argue that it can promote interdisciplinary collaborations with anthropologists, historians, and experts in various fields to ensure accuracy and authenticity. Or it can promote cross-cultural collaboration between creators from different cultural backgrounds to draw from a rich tapestry of ideas and experiences. Games for the pluriverse can be a sovereign space that opens the door for indigenous and marginalized communities to have a stronger voice in game development, allowing for more authentic representation of their cultures and stories (LaPensée et al., 2022). Although not a European game, Never Alone (Upper One Games, 2014) is perhaps an example of this interplay. The game, produced by US-based ELine Media involved Alaskan First-Nation community members in all stages of the production to ensure the appropriate treatment of the traditional lore of the Iñupiat people. Likewise, the characters and environments of the game remained faithful to traditional artifacts and creative styles, such as indigenous painting, drawing, sculpture, clothing, masks, and scrimshaw. The creators state that Never Alone is the first in a new genre of “World Games” that fully draws upon the richness of unique cultures to create complex and fascinating game environments for a global audience. Following the same logic, 18 Games and Culture 0(0) UnReal World, Year Walk, Black Book, and Disco Elysium are game examples that can be understood from the pluriverse paradigm. As the unique cultural heritage (and unique development culture in the case of Disco Elysium) inspired innovative approaches that transcend traditional gaming norms. As it happens in every universe, let alone when we discuss the construction of a pluriverse, specifically in the cultural production domain, the main challenge is to answer such questions as “How will these worlds coexist, especially under the contemporary “regimes” of political and economical transnational institutions that interfere in the production and consumption of videogames?” We argue that the concept of the pluriverse as well as translocal have the potential to spark new inquiries about the future of local game development communities. Specifically, we can investigate whether games with robust local identities from diverse regions can foster transnational networks and alliances within the videogame industry. This could potentially give rise to new trends in aesthetics, gameplay, and narrative tropes. In turn, games designed for the pluriverse may be shaped by the collective influence of these translocal interactions. Conclusions In this paper, we have explored a trend we have observed in our research on games and game cultures: that of videogames drawing on and shaped by local cultural heritage. We argue that while for a long time videogames have been seen as a global phenomenon, we also have developers turning their attention to their local cultural canons as a rich source of inspiration. We provided examples of culturally invested games that serve as preservers and creators of cultural heritage, illustrating the diverse ways in which they are related to this issue. We have explored how tangible and intangible heritage play crucial roles in shaping game experiences, influencing aspects such as names, geography, storylines, audiovisual styles, and aesthetics. Moreover, we see the potential for games that are sensitive to local cultural heritage to challenge and redefine genres, game systems, and gameplay conventions. Our analysis explored how culturally invested games are inherently hybrid creations, resulting from the interplay of various external and internal factors. Many previous studies explored the complex relationship between the “local” and the “global,” highlighting how they interact and influence one another within the game development landscape (Swalwell, 2021; and the bibliography therein). However, it is essential to acknowledge that cultural products can contain conflicting ideas, as become evident in discussions regarding the risks of stereotyping, tropes, extremism, contested cultures, and cultural appropriation. Drawing parallels with the world music and world movies industries, we contemplate whether developers’ clusters might converge around certain ideas of cultural otherness, distancing themselves from the aesthetics, themes, and values of global commercial culture. This shift could potentially lead to the establishment of dedicated festivals, labels, and stores for culturally invested games. Eklund et al. 19 In conclusion, we presented readings on the symbiosis between the “local” and the “global,” opening the door for a broader range of cultural and cross-cultural practices in future game production. As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, the incorporation of cultural heritage into independent game development has the potential to enrich the industry, promote diverse narratives, and foster creativity in the pursuit of innovative and meaningful gaming experiences. Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. 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His expertise covers both the practical and theoretical aspects in the field of video games. Additionally, He has a strong foundation in the more established discipline of history. His monograph on Venetian maritime history was published by Brill in 2021.Lina Eklund is an associate professor at the Department of Informatics and Media, Uppsala University, Sweden. Her work focuses on the processes of heritagemaking of video games and the uses of games in museums. She is also interested in gender representations in games. Her areas of interest are social life and gender in relation to games and digital technologies. Kristine Jørgensen specializes in game studies, focusing on player-centered perspectives. Her research explores player experiences with transgressive game content, interaction with game interfaces, and the role of sound in games. Additionally, she investigates production and industry aspects, particularly in the context of the Norwegian game industry. She is currently project manager of the research project Understanding Male Gamers, and is Principal Investigator in the Center for Digital Narrative, a Norwegian Center for Excellence. She has authored and co-authored several works, including The Paradox of Transgression in Games, Gameworld Interfaces, A Comprehensive Study of Sound in Computer Games, and Transgression in Games and Play. Fares Kayali is a Vienna-based researcher, educator, and designer. He holds the position of full professor of digital education and learning at the University of Vienna’s Centre for Teacher Education since 2018. Formerly, an assistant professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Group at Vienna University of Technology, he co-founded the Positive Impact Games Lab and leads various projects at the intersection of design, technology, and people. Fares, a habilitated lecturer at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, explores informatics, didactics, arts, and HCI, focusing on teacher education, digital learning, health care technology, game design, gamification, and music computing. His work has been featured in prestigious academic publications and conferences, including CHI, DiGRA, GDC, Games for Health, and Ars Electronica. Fares has received recognition through awards such as IndieCade, Independent Games Festival, Europrix, and Games for Change. Elina Roinioti is an Assistant Professor, Department of Performing and Digital Arts, University of Peloponnese, specializes in interactive storytelling, narrative design in games, and the study of video game production. Holding a Ph.D. from Panteion University, she conducted postdoctoral research on Greek video game developers from 2020 to 2022, funded by the National Scholarship Foundation. With a background in communication, media, and culture, she has contributed to national and international research programs on topics such as social inclusion, immigration, political participation, gamification, and game design applications. Elina has also been 24 Games and Culture 0(0) involved in game design and development projects for festivals like Playpublik Krakow and cultural institutions such as the Onassis Stegi. She serves as the editor-in-chief for the book “Digital Games: Philosophical, Social and Cultural Investigations” and is a co-author of “Digital Games and Learning.” Vered Pnueli is a pioneer in the development of the academic field of digital games in Israel. Her Brunel University doctoral dissertation explored the unique aesthetic language of digital games and their role in societal change. Returning to Israel in 2009, Vered founded the Digital Game Design and Development Program at Shenkar College, later part of the Kadar Game Center. She established and leads the Master’s Degree in Digital Game Design and Development at Shenkar. Vered is an academic advisor to Shenkar’s Design Factory, engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration with industry. Co-founding a “Games for Change” program in the Middle East and North Africa.