How Games Simulate Cultural Anthropology

The Digital Ethnographer’s Playground

Video games have evolved into more than mere entertainment; they have become intricate simulations of human societies, offering players a unique lens through which to explore cultural anthropology. Much like ethnographers immersing themselves in foreign communities, gamers navigate virtual worlds filled with constructed traditions, languages, and social hierarchies. Games such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Red Dead Redemption 2 meticulously craft fictional cultures that mirror real-world societal dynamics, allowing players to observe, interact with, and even influence these digital civilizations. Through quests, dialogue, and environmental storytelling, players engage in a form of participatory anthropology—decoding cultural norms, rituals, and conflicts as they unfold.

Rituals, Myths, and Player Participation

Cultural anthropology often examines the role of rituals and myths in shaping societies, and games replicate this through in-world traditions and lore. In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, for instance, players partake in Viking feasts, religious ceremonies, and oral storytelling sessions that reflect Norse cultural practices. These interactive rituals do more than add flavor—they teach players about belief systems, social cohesion, and historical context. Similarly, games like Never Alone (based on Iñupiat folklore) or Okami (steeped in Shinto mythology) preserve and disseminate indigenous stories, transforming players into active participants in cultural transmission.

The Ethics of Virtual Ethnography

However, simulating cultures in games raises ethical questions akin to those in real-world anthropology. Who has the right to depict a culture? How accurately should stereotypes or historical injustices be portrayed? Games like Civilization VI abstract entire civilizations into gameplay mechanics, sometimes oversimplifying complex histories. Conversely, titles like This Land Is My Land attempt to address colonialism from an indigenous perspective, challenging players to reconsider dominant historical narratives. The line between cultural appreciation and appropriation becomes blurred, requiring developers—and players—to engage critically with the societies they simulate.

Conclusion: Games as Anthropological Texts

Ultimately, video games serve as dynamic anthropological texts, offering immersive case studies in human behavior, tradition, and societal evolution. They allow players to experiment with cultural consequences—whether leading a faction in Fallout: New Vegas or negotiating peace in The Elder Scrolls. As the medium matures, its potential to foster cross-cultural understanding grows, transforming virtual worlds into laboratories for empathy, critique, and discovery. In the intersection of play and anthropology, we find not just escapism, but a mirror reflecting the complexities of our own world.