Designing Serious Games for Cultural Heritage: A Framework Grounded in Critical and Experiential Theories

Against the backdrop of cultural heritage digitalisation, video games have emerged as an effective medium for cultural heritage preservation due to their strong interactivity, entertainment value, and cultural carrying capacity. However, current research faces challenges: a lack of critical perspectives, fragmented gaming experiences, and insufficient cultural communication efficacy. Through a comprehensive literature review, this study integrates Critical Heritage Studies, Virtual Restoration, MDA Framework, Flow Theory, and cross-cultural design, identifying their synergies and complementarities. It synthesizes three fundamental design principles: Triadic coupling-driven contextualisation, Pluralistic cultural epistemology, and Subject-Agentic aesthetic narration, explained through classic theories. The proposed gaming framework emphasizes participatory cultural communication while fostering authentic, immersive experiences, where aesthetic quality and perceptual control synergistically enhance interactive efficacy. Rooted in psychological, cognitive, and aesthetic theories, the framework explores the balance between entertainment experience and cultural sensitivity, optimizing player engagement, and promoting cross-cultural acceptance. It offers practical guidance for developers and a novel theoretical perspective for researchers.