The reflection of Mexican Culture in Three Contemporaneous Videogames: Life Is Strange 2, Mulaka, and Mexico 1921

The emergence of video games as complex cultural and artistic artifacts has motivated a growing interest in their study within Digital Humanities. This interdisciplinary field seeks to understand the relationship and impact of computing technologies on humanistic endeavors. Recent research in Mexico has demonstrated the potential of video games for developing civic and ethical competencies by fostering empathy, critical awareness, and reflection on moral dilemmas and conflict situations. However, there is little research on the specific way Mexico is portrayed in video games, whether they are set entirely or partially in the country. This lack justifies the need for research that addresses the representation of Mexican culture, identifying and analyzing possible discrepancies through humanistic tools such as semiotics and hermeneutics. This work proposes an exploration of this cultural cartography in three recent titles: Mexico 1921: A Deep Slumber (2024), Life is Strange 2 (2018), and Mulaka (2018). Through a comparative analysis, the goal is to determine how Mexican culture is reflected, whether an ethics of inclusion is promoted or if marginalization and "othering" occur, and how interactive narrative facilitates the understanding of Mexican historical and social contexts. This exploration lays the groundwork for future research that positions video games as important vehicles for social and educational reflection in the Mexican context.