When Games Become Gateways: How Culturally Rich Games Are Transforming Tourism and Education
From virtual streets to real-world adventures: culturally rich games are reshaping how we learn about—and visit—the world.
In the past, video games were dismissed as mere entertainment—colorful distractions that pulled kids away from books and reality. But the landscape has changed dramatically. Today’s games don’t just entertain; they educate, inspire, and even move people across the world.
From the ancient streets of Athens in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey to the floating islands of Liyue in Genshin Impact, players are exploring history, culture, and art—then buying plane tickets to see those places in real life. What used to be “just a game” has evolved into a global cultural bridge, connecting digital worlds with real-world heritage.
🗺️ 1. Gaming as a Digital Passport to the World
Culturally rich games serve as virtual travel experiences—immersing players in authentic architecture, music, folklore, and landscapes. Game designers increasingly collaborate with historians, linguists, and cultural experts to make their virtual worlds as accurate as possible.
Take Assassin’s Creed Origins by Ubisoft. Its meticulously recreated ancient Egypt not only wowed players but also led to a surprising phenomenon: people booking actual trips to Egypt after being enchanted by the digital pyramids and Nile River. The game was so historically detailed that Ubisoft later launched a special Discovery Tour mode, allowing players to explore ancient history free of combat—essentially turning the game into an interactive museum.
Similarly, Ghost of Tsushima by Sucker Punch Productions didn’t just tell a story about samurai honor—it revived tourism in Tsushima Island, Japan. The local government even appointed the developers as official tourism ambassadors after the game’s success. Players worldwide began researching Tsushima, learning about its history, and visiting to experience its temples and landscapes firsthand.
That’s the power of cultural gaming—it turns curiosity into real-world travel.
🎓 2. Learning Through Play: Games as Modern-Classroom Tools
For younger generations who learn best through interaction, games provide what textbooks cannot—immersion, emotion, and agency.
When players explore the streets of Kyoto in Like a Dragon: Ishin! or climb Mayan temples in Tomb Raider, they’re not just gaming—they’re learning geography, art, religion, and history through firsthand experience. The brain retains more when learning is emotionally charged and experiential—exactly what games excel at delivering.
Educational institutions are taking notice.
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Minecraft: Education Edition allows students to reconstruct historical monuments or simulate ecosystems.
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Civilization VI teaches strategic thinking, cultural evolution, and the rise and fall of empires.
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Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)—developed in collaboration with Alaska Native storytellers—introduces Inupiaq folklore and language to global audiences.
By integrating culture and play, these games make education not just informative but inspirational.
🧭 3. When Culture Becomes Gameplay
Cultural storytelling in games isn’t just about showing temples or traditional clothing—it’s about how culture drives gameplay.
For instance, Okami is steeped in Japanese mythology, letting players paint the world back to life using a divine brush inspired by traditional art. Raji: An Ancient Epic brings Indian mythology and architecture to the forefront, helping global audiences discover tales of Durga and Vishnu through a brave young heroine’s journey.
These aren’t just games—they are interactive cultural ambassadors. They make players feel connected to stories and philosophies far beyond their own backgrounds, building empathy and appreciation for diversity.
Even indie games like Coffee Talk and A Space for the Unbound weave Southeast Asian urban culture and emotional storytelling into relatable, modern contexts. Players not only experience different lifestyles but also learn the social nuances, languages, and values of other societies—all through engaging gameplay.
🌍 4. The Tourism Ripple Effect: Virtual Worlds, Real Destinations
Cultural tourism has always relied on curiosity—but games amplify that curiosity tenfold. Players spend dozens of hours inside a world, forming emotional bonds with virtual cities and landmarks. That connection often leads to real travel decisions.
Consider these real-world examples:
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Witcher Tourism in Poland: After The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt became a global hit, fans began exploring the Polish forests and castles that inspired its environments. Poland’s tourism board even created promotional tours tied to the game’s universe.
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Genshin Impact’s Liyue Region: Modeled after Chinese landscapes like Zhangjiajie and Guilin, Liyue inspired massive tourism spikes as fans sought to witness its real-life beauty.
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Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and London: The game’s depiction of Victorian-era London encouraged players to visit iconic landmarks like Big Ben, Westminster, and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
These cases highlight a growing synergy between the gaming and tourism industries. National tourism boards are increasingly collaborating with developers to create authentic cultural content that doubles as travel marketing.
🧩 5. Language and Tradition: Games as Cultural Preservers
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Never Alone (Inupiaq language)
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Mulaka (Tarahumara culture, Mexico)
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Tchia (New Caledonia’s native language and customs)
These games feature local voice actors, traditional songs, and storytelling elements that ensure ancient wisdom lives on in digital form. By giving players control within these worlds, the culture becomes interactive—not just observed but lived.
For indigenous and local communities, this opens a new avenue for cultural revival. Young players who might not engage with their heritage through textbooks are discovering it through gameplay—where it feels alive and relevant.
🧠 6. Gamifying Education: A New Era of Learning
Teachers and cultural institutions are realizing that gamification can revolutionize how history and culture are taught. Museums, for example, now use augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) inspired by games to enhance visitor engagement.
Some universities use game-based assignments, where students “build” historical events in sandbox worlds or analyze cultural symbolism in game narratives.
Even UNESCO and cultural heritage organizations have begun exploring how game engines can digitally preserve heritage sites threatened by conflict or climate change. The idea: if players can explore the Pyramids, Angkor Wat, or Machu Picchu virtually, they will value and protect them in reality.
🎮 7. The Future: Games as Cultural Bridges
The line between “game” and “educational tool” is fading fast. Future game developers may work directly with historians, archaeologists, and educators to ensure authenticity—and with tourism boards to inspire travel.
Imagine:
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A VR exploration of ancient Malaysia’s Melaka Sultanate.
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A mystery adventure uncovering the Silk Road.
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An RPG based on Borneo’s indigenous legends.
Such experiences wouldn’t just entertain—they’d export culture.
For countries rich in history and heritage, like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, culturally infused games could become soft-power tools—sharing national identity with the world while boosting tourism and creative industries.
💡 8. Key Takeaways for Developers and Educators
For Game Developers:
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Authenticity builds trust. Research and collaboration with cultural experts enhance immersion.
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Culture can be the gameplay—myth, music, art, and folklore can all shape mechanics.
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Partner with local tourism boards or educational institutions to amplify real-world impact.
For Educators:
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Leverage games as cultural entry points. Let students explore worlds before reading about them.
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Encourage critical thinking—compare digital portrayals with real history.
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Use gaming to teach empathy, geography, and cultural literacy in engaging ways.
🎢 Conclusion: More Than Play
When done right, culturally rich games don’t just make players dream—they make them travel, learn, and remember.
In the end, the controller becomes a compass—and every game becomes a journey worth taking.
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