Jubensha

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Jubensha (

Werewolf and LARP".[3]

Format

Typically, script murder games can be experienced as a tabletop game, or in a format that combines live action role-playing (LARP) with an escape room experience. Players are given different script options and are assigned characters to play through the murder mystery; these games often occur at dedicated gaming stores where players pay to participate.[1][4][5] Games often unfold in three to five hourlong sessions with four to twelve players.[6]

The market for the genre is highly "fragmented and complex, with per-person prices for a game ranging from tens to thousands of yuan (a few dollars to hundreds of dollars). High-quality scripts are expensive; piracy and market infringement run rampant; and ultra-low-priced scripts are everywhere".[7]

History

Academic Yuqiao Liu, in the International Journal of Role-Playing, noted that script murder games initially originated in the West with games, such as Death Wears White in 2013, that were translated into Chinese.[6] The genre "grew rapidly in China's role-playing game market" and the term jubensha (lit. 'scripted murder') was coined then.[6] The style become popularized in 2015 "when reality shows with names like 'Lying Man,' 'Dinner Party Seduction,' and later 'Who's The Murderer,' showed celebrities playing whodunits"[2] which led to the development of jubensha clubs that run games in this style.[3] Jubensha scholar Rouyu Wen of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Uppsala University stated that "while live-action roleplaying games are often a niche phenomenon in the West, it is almost as mainstream as digital games in China".[3]

Chinese Yuan".[3] Voice of America commented that, per the Chinese market research firm iResearch, script murder games are "the third most popular form of entertainment for Chinese people, after watching movies and participating in sports".[8] Liu noted that, per a 2021 report on physical jubensha consumers in China, nearly 75% of them were under 30, and over 60 percent of players took part in two or more jubensha games per month.[6] Vogue Business viewed the success of the "substantial market" as "based on high-quality content" and young people with a "huge appetite for suspense-driven interactive narratives where the players themselves take control".[7] In 2022, jubensha venues in Singapore began to expand with scripts that originated in China; these games are either run in Chinese or with scripts translated into English.[9]

Regulation

The popularization of script murder games and industry growth in China has led to both national and governmental attention with the Chinese government considering formal regulation of the industry. In September 2020, the Agence France-Presse commented that "a report on China National Radio last month voiced fears that too many of the scripts relied on murders, violent plots and sexual content, but others see the games as a way to get young people off their smartphones and back interacting with each other in real life".[1] In October 2021, the South China Morning Post reported that "advertisements for script-killing are prominent in China. [...] The fact that it is a new industry is precisely the problem in the eyes of the authorities. Since the Covid-19 case that brought 'script-killing' to national attention, the game has been getting mainstream traction, inviting official concerns and possible future regulations".[4]

In October 2022,

Ministry of Culture and Tourism was beginning to draft regulations for script murder games and "soliciting public opinions".[12] The draft regulations state that "the contents of such games must not smear the traditional Chinese culture or contain inappropriate materials involving obscenity, gambling, drugs, and other elements that could go against moral standards".[12] The regulations also include additional rules for minors such as not allowing "underage customers on school days" and that "children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by their parents or other guardians".[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "China youth escape reality in 'Whodunnit?' role-playing boom". Agence France-Presse. South China Morning Post. 2020-09-15. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved 2022-10-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  3. ^
    Dicebreaker. Archived
    from the original on 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  4. ^ a b "China's youth flock to murder role-playing to escape everyday life". South China Morning Post. 2021-10-05. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  5. ^ a b Hall, Charlie (2022-10-14). "China's version of the Satanic Panic has the government regulating LARPs". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  6. ^
    ISSN 2210-4909. Archived
    from the original on 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  7. ^ a b Mao, Jiayi (2021-07-14). "Chinese Gen Z's new obsession: Murder mystery games". Vogue Business. Archived from the original on 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  8. ^ "China Trying to Snuff Murder Mystery Role-Playing Games". VOA. 2021-11-07. Archived from the original on 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  9. ^ Tan, Bryan; Teng, Yong Ping (March 1, 2022). "We tried out Loading, the first 'scripted murder' game studio in Singapore". Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Yin, Cao (December 12, 2022). "Police bust group that pirated mystery game". China Daily. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  11. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived
    from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c "China plans to prohibit murder mystery games for minors on school days". China Daily. 2023-04-14. Archived from the original on 2023-04-15. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
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