Chinese regulators have granted approval to 27 new video games, the latest sign of a thaw in Beijing’s crackdown on the gaming industry.
The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) approved the games on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in the regulator’s efforts to reduce video game addiction among minors.
1. Merge Mansion
Merge Mansion is a puzzle game in which you use garden tools and other objects to complete home renovation tasks. You can match items by pulling images of seeds onto a board, for example, to transform them into seedlings that can be used to complete the tasks.
It’s a fun, relaxing experience that draws players looking to escape reality for a little while. But it also has a few quirky elements that make the game a bit hard to follow.
2. Audition: Everybody Party
China?s online gaming regulator has granted approval to 27 new video games, including titles to be published by Tencent Holdings and NetEase. The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) announced the list on Monday.
NPPA also issued specific content restrictions affecting a number of new games. These include games that relate to harem infighting, political maneuvering and poker. These restrictions are not written into the NPPA regulations but will impact whether a game passes NPPA?s content censorship review and receives the required approval for publication in China.
3. Shanyao! Youjunshaonu
The regulator granted approval to 27 new video games on Monday including titles from Tencent Holdings, NetEase and Bilibili. These include Merge Mansion, Audition: Everybody Party and Shanyao! Youjunshaonu.
The new rules are set to impact the way international players operate in China’s gaming market. Specifically, these are aimed at restricting the time minors can spend playing online and blocking certain types of content.
4. The Wizard of Legend
China’s online gaming regulator recently granted approval to 27 new video games. The list includes Wizard of Legend, a roguelike dungeon crawler by American studio Contingent99 with over 500,000 units sold worldwide.
The Wizard of Legend is a fast paced game that emphasizes dynamic magical combat. The game allows players to chain spells together to create devastating combinations against enemies.
5. Gorogoa
China’s online gaming regulator has granted approval to 27 new video games including Merge Mansion, Audition: Everybody Party and Gorogoa. The list also includes a roguelike dungeon crawler, Wizard of Legend.
Gorogoa is a puzzle game developed by Jason Roberts in which players manipulate images placed in a two-by-two grid to solve puzzles. It tells the story of a boy who grows up in a war-ravaged landscape.
6. Fairy Tale: Fighting
Chinese regulators granted approval to 27 new video games on Thursday, easing rigid curbs that have hit the country’s online gaming industry for nearly 18 months. Among them were titles from Tencent Holdings and NetEase, Reuters reported.
It’s not just about the games that are getting approval – China also implemented new rules affecting the time allowed for minors to play. These include limiting the amount of experience points they can earn.
7. Yo-kai Watch 4
Level-5’s latest Yo-kai Watch entry, Yo-kai Watch 4, was granted approval by China?s online gaming regulator on Wednesday. It is the fourth mainline installment in the series and features a completely action RPG-based battle system.
The Chinese government imposed strict rules on online video games in 2007, requiring gamers to register with their real names and ID cards. This was done to discourage underage users from playing for prolonged periods.
8. Valorant
China has finally lifted a near 18-month-long crackdown on foreign games, with the country’s online gaming regulator granting publishing licenses to 45 imported titles. These include Nintendo’s Pokemon Unite and Riot Games’ Valorant.
Chinese state media branded online games as “mental opium” and a health detriment to minors, leading to strict regulations restricting children to three hours of gaming a week. But despite the regulatory curbs, analysts say there is still room for the market to return to growth.
9. Pokemon Unite
Pokemon Unite, a popular mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by TiMi Studios, has been granted approval in China. This is a big deal as it marks the first time that the country has approved games from foreign developers in 18 months.
The Chinese government is lifting rigid restrictions that have hammered the industry for 18 months, and this is a sign that a policy reversal may be near. Besides Valorant and Pokemon Unite, other imported games to receive approval include CD Projekt Red’s Gwent: The Witcher Card Game and Klei Entertainment’s Don’t Starve.
10. Honor of Kings
China’s online gaming regulator on Monday granted approval to 27 new video games, including a mobile title from Tencent. The move is an important step in easing the government’s crackdown on the country’s gaming market, which has seen approvals frozen for nine months.
Honor of Kings, a popular game from Tencent and TiMi Studio Group, is an online multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) that has become the world’s top mobile gaming revenue earner. It has raked in $10 billion in player spending worldwide since its launch in 2015.