Digitalisation for Cultural Sustainability: Using a 2D Educational Game to Preserve Traditional Chinese Funeral Knowledge

Abstract

Digitalisation can play an important role in sustaining cultural knowledge and social values, particularly among younger generations who engage deeply with interactive media. This study explores how a 2D educational horror game can preserve and transmit traditional Chinese funeral knowledge through experiential learning. The game, titled Funeral Fun, was developed in Unity with AI assisted tools for visual and audio assets, and integrates funeral rituals into three mini games that focus on ritual preparation, cultural knowledge, and appropriate behavioural conduct. Emotional tension and horror elements are used to enhance attention, memory, and engagement while maintaining respectful representation of sacred practices. A mixed descriptive quantitative and qualitative approach was adopted through user acceptance testing with 15 university students, using questionnaires that combined knowledge questions, Likert scale ratings, and open-ended feedback. The results show substantial improvements in ritual knowledge retention, high perceived educational value, and generally positive usability, with participants demonstrating understanding not only of procedural steps and taboos but also of underlying values such as filial piety and respect for the deceased. The findings suggest that educational horror games can support digitalisation for cultural sustainability by linking cultural heritage, interactive learning, and future ready digital literacy.