Video game designers draw inspiration from wherever they can. Anything that captures the imagination and can be translated into video game themes will be used sooner or later.

From yokai to moon rabbits, Eastern folklore has become a growing influence in modern game design. Titles across multiple genres are integrating these myths into their storytelling and aesthetics.

This influence extends to online gaming, where mythology-based themes bring extra depth to the experience. Fortune Rabbit is a great example, embracing the symbolism of luck and prosperity found in folklore.

When it comes to Eastern Folklore, its incredible depth offers a potent mix of tragedy, heroism, and horror, which is perfect for video games. From mainstream AAA titles to indie productions, developers have made extensive use of this cocktail, with a lot of commercial success.

What Eastern Folklore Contains

Eastern Folklore is full of stories about powerful deities, supernatural creatures, legendary warriors, mystical artifacts, and mysterious landscapes.

These stories were passed down through generations and provide a repository of themes that are timeless and universal.

One thing, in particular, that’s captivating about Eastern Folklore is the spiritual depth. Characters often teach moral lessons or have mentors who engage in spiritual guidance.

Buddhism, Taoism, and Shintoism are prevalent in the stories. Their main ideas are expressed or implicitly demonstrated in a multitude of ways. This gives artists a lot of good material for their video games.

Eastern Folklore contains a lot of conflicts, which makes it perfect for video games and their action-driven narratives. If heroes need to fight against powerful opponents and go through memorable character transformations, this creates the opportunity for the kind of storytelling that’s often employed in games.

Famous Video Games Influenced By Eastern Folklore

Video games influenced by Eastern Folklore started to be developed more than two decades ago. One of the most memorable old-school RPGs is called Throne of Darkness and is based on Japanese culture. But there are lots of newer and much more successful video games that did an even better job.

Here are three games that make great use of Eastern Folklore and were played by millions of people from around the world:

Black Myth: Wukong

This game was an epic success in 2024. In just a few months after its release, it sold more than 25 million copies and surpassed the $1 billion mark.

The graphics in this game are simply amazing. But what is even more captivating is the storyline. I won’t give too many details in case you haven’t tried the game yet. But let’s just say that this is not the typical, superficial story that we often see in RPGs these days. This is a deep dive into Chinese culture.

The game is based on the novel “Journey to the West” but it develops the characters in new ways. The boss fights, in particular, are mesmerizing. There are dozens of them and each one offers its unique challenges.

You play as the Destined One and embark on a journey to recover the relics that correspond to Sun Wukong’s six senses. There are multiple possible endings and each one has its own charm.

Ghost of Tsushima

This game captivated audiences with its incredible trailer, which has one of the best monologues you’ll ever hear in a video game.

The entire game is a masterpiece, with stunning visuals and a very relatable samurai story. Japanese culture, with its warrior themes, can be both heroic and terrifying at the same time. In this particular game, which was released in 2020, you play as a samurai named Jin Sakai, who has to deal with a Mongol invasion.

The game’s genre is action-adventure, but you often feel like playing a Souls-like RPG.

Seikiro: Shadows Die Twice

This was the game of the year in 2019 and remains to this day one of the best titles released by FromSoftware.

Its story, visuals, and mechanics are absolutely incredible. The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam and we’re talking about nearly 230.000 reviews in total.

In this game, you get to explore Sengoku Japan. This brutal period offers numerous opportunities for great but often tragic stories. The game is filled to the brim with conflict.

Conclusion

Eastern folklore contains all the necessary ingredients that game designers need to create great games, especially RPGs. Because of that, it remains one of the most utilized sources of inspiration in this industry.