Image: Game Science
Try these zodiac-themed games over the Chinese New Year holidays.
The Year of the Snake is officially underway, leading us to wonder: how many games out there have taken inspiration from the Chinese zodiac calendar? There are certainly plenty of games based on the Western zodiac, with games like Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age, Virgo and the Zodiacs, and Gemini Lost all drawing inspiration from astrology, just to name a few.
There aren’t nearly as many games based on the Eastern zodiac calendar by comparison, but the few that do exist are absolutely worth checking out. Here are five of the best Chinese zodiac-themed games you should play:
Black Myth: Wukong
By Kurt Lozano
Black Myth: Wukong took gaming by storm last year, with gamers from China and all across the world diving head first into a world based on the Classic novel ‘Journey to the West’. The game is deeply rooted in Chinese mythology, with many of the characters adapted from Journey to the West – including the protagonist, the iconic Monkey King Sun Wukong – while also featuring Buddhist, Daoist, and other deities from the Chinese pantheon.
As one can expect from a game so steeped in Chinese mythology, references to the Chinese zodiac calendar are scattered all throughout Black: Myth Wukong for players to discover. But the most direct mention of the Chinese zodiac in the game is, of course, the not-so-secret Zodiac Village. The Zodiac Village can be unlocked in Chapter 3, serving as a central hub for NPCs that Sun Wukong met throughout the his journey and a place where you can upgrade your weapons and armor through the NPC Yin Tiger.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
By Timothy Raj Augustin
Developer Level-5 partnered up with Studio Ghibli for this acclaimed 2011 action-RPG, which follows a young boy named Oliver searching for a way to resurrect his recently-deceased mother in a fantastical world. Along the way, players are introduced to the Zodiarchs - a group of mages tasked with governing the realm of the Wizard King. They serve as the game’s tertiary antagonists, and eventually form its final boss.
The Zodiarchs are quite obviously based on the Chinese zodiac calendar. Each of these mages wear helmets based on the zodiac animals, including a rat, an ox, a dragon, a sheep, a monkey, and so on. They end up playing a key role in Ni No Kuni’s story, becoming more and more important to Oliver’s journey as players progress through the game - making this game’s zodiac themes a little more slow-burn than other entries on the list.
Okami
By Arianne Blanco
Although Clover Studio and Capcom's Okami's breathtakingly beautiful story and style is reminiscent of classical Japanese folklore, the game also includes characters inspired by the Chinese Zodiac through the Celestial Brush gods.
The Celestial Brush is a unique game mechanic where players, through the main character Okami Amaterasu, are able to call up a canvas and draw symbols that can be used in combat, solving puzzles, and in general gameplay. This power is unlocked throughout the course of the game by completing constellations to release the Celestial Brush gods.
The 13 Brush gods include Okami herself, whose wolf worm represents the dog zodiac, Yomigami as the dragon, Tachigami as the mouse, the Hanagami trio as the monkey, Bakugami as the pig, Yumigami as the rabbit, Nuregami as the snake, Kazegami as the horse, Kasugami as the sheep, Gekigami as the tiger, Moegami as the rooster and Itegami as the Ox. Kabegami is attributed as the cat who was tricked out of the 12 Zodiac animals by the rat.
Sleeping Dogs
By: Tommy Makmur
When talking about games that implement Chinese zodiac elements, I just can’t ignore how well Sleeping Dogs does it. The game was supposed to be the continuation of a True Crime series, but was later put on hold by Activision Blizzard until Square Enix took over the project. However, because the company can’t use the True Crime franchise name, the game was renamed Sleeping Dogs.
You can see everything regarding the Chinese Zodiac is implemented in the game. For example, the zodiacs are tied to how Wei Shen, the protagonist, improves his martial arts. Shen needs to collect all twelve Chinese Zodiac statues to perfect his skills. Each time Shen gets a statue, he can exchange it with Sifu for a new move. When you collect all twelve, you get every martial move in the game and a wise saying from your Sifu.
The second was the DLCs. Sleeping Dogs has two DLCs that reference the Chinese Zodiac. The first is The Zodiac Tournament, and the second is the Year of The Snake (what a coincidence!). While the first was just a small expansion starring Wei Shen as the dragon representative in the Zodiac Island, Year of The Snake continues the story after the conclusion of the main plot.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
By Anna Bernardo
Fire Emblem: Three Houses, by Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo, is a tactical RPG that focuses on making choices—whether in teaching, battling, or forging alliances that determine the relationships you build and the path the story takes. Your decisions directly influence the fate of Fódlan, your students, and the outcome of the war, making every action feel meaningful.
The game doesn’t focus on the Chinese Zodiacs, but has characters whom each have qualities associated with them. For example, Edelgard is resourceful, ambitious and cunning, likened to the Rat. Then there’s Dimitri, who is strong, reliable, and hardworking—much like an Ox. Meanwhile, Balthus, a character from the Ashen Wolves DLC is brave, bold, and a natural leader, echoing the Tiger’s boldness. In fact, all twelve animals are represented by a character in-game.
our thing, you can always build trade posts with Kublai Khan, spy on your opponents with Wu Zetian, make huge prosperous cities with Yongle, or engage in just about any other method of winning. The possibilities are endless, and Civilization VI is just a great way to unwind after making endless small talk with cousins you haven't met for a year.