8 Chinese Video Games To Check Out

Forbes

04-05-2025

China has lots of incredible games to offer.
For years, Chinese video games were strange curios for those of us in the Western world, with seemingly few of them existing, or at least making it out of the country. But over the past 10 years or so, more and more Chinese-developed games have made their way onto the Western stage, and some have become massive hits around the globe. These days, if you look in the right places you could spend your entire gaming life playing Chinese games, and there are likely some you didn't even realise were developed in the country. Many still remain unlocalized and are impossible for many of us to play, but the ones that do make it through can rival the best Western developed games. So, if you want to experience the best games China has to offer, this list is a great place to start.
China's gaming history is a bit unusual, as concerns around games impact on kids led to most being outlawed for years. This means the first Chinese developed games were clones of western titles trying to get around the censors.
But, with the bans now lifted Chinese development is flourishing, and while the choices aren't as broad as western games just, yet there are a lot of genres on offer. RPGs are popular, but for the longest time China was focused on mobile and social games, so you'll still find a lot of titles with those roots. Fortunately, this list includes a lot of variety, with these top games from China being chosen based on critical and fan reception, popularity and a bit of personal bias.
Platforms: Android, iOS
A potentially contentious entry as it was developed by some Western studios as well as Activision Shanghai (which is enough to qualify it for this list). CoD Warzone Mobile is a surprisingly competent mobile port of the main battle royale experience, and has a ton of players around the globe.
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Warzone is Call of Duty's take on the battle royale genre, and is one of the best examples of a battle royale that anyone can easily pick up, with the 2024 mobile version being no different. You jump out of a plane, land on a map with very little, and then have to search for weapons and upgrades while taking out enemies you see until you're the last one standing. Anyone looking for a mobile battle royale title will love this.
Platforms: PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4, iOS, Android
A farming/life sim from Chinese indie devs Pathea Games, this is one that is perfect for Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon fans. You're tasked with essentially building a new settlement after a catastrophic event basically wipes out civilization, and that involves a lot of cutting down trees.
This is one of the better cosy games out there, so perfect for anyone looking for that vibe. It did launch in 2019, so is starting to show its age, meaning its sequel might be another option if you need a few more modern creature comforts.
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
Incredibly popular in China and Asia in general, this third person melee-focused battle royale regularly sits in Steam's 10 most popular games when that region is awake, and it's worth checking out if you like melee combat and battle royale.
Developed by 24 Entertainment, based in Hangzhou, China, and released in 2021, Naraka: Bladepoint sees 60 players drop into a map and do the usual searching for better weapons as the game starts. If you come across other players, then the melee combat kicks in, until there is just one player or team left standing. It does what it sets out to do very well, so if it sounds like your thing, you likely won't find a better alternative.
Platforms: Switch, Android, iOS
A Pokémon multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game sounds like a licence to print money, and while Pokémon Unite hasn't quite hit the heights you might have hoped, it's still a very fun competitive experience when you can play as an actual Pokémon in real time.
Released in 2021 by TiMi Studio Group, this is more of a sports game than a traditional MOBA: You have to collect and deposit Poké Balls in order to take down the towers and eventually the enemy's base. That doesn't stop it being fun, and with the right teams it can be a very hype and competitive game. If you want a faster paced Pokémon game, then this is for you, but hardcore MOBA players may be underwhelmed.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Developed by LightSpeed & Quantum Studio in rapid time back in 2018, this is a surprisingly competent mobile port of the iconic PC battle royale that has now arguably surpassed the original title when it comes to popularity.
This is just PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds but on mobile devices, so you jump out of a plane, loot some weapons, armor and other gear, then go shoot everyone you see and hope you are the last one standing. It's the game that really kicked off the genre, and still an all-time classic. The mobile version makes a few quality of life improvements, but it is a near perfect recreation of the PC game, making this perfect for all battle royale fans.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Honor of Kings launched in 2015 in China, but only in 2024 in the rest of the world, thanks to some weird legal wrangling that we don't need to get into. But, that means those of us outside of China missed out on one of the best MOBAs ever made, which is really saying something.
Developed by TiMi Studio Group, Honor of Kings is a pretty basic MOBA that will feel familiar to any League of Legends fan, just on a mobile device. Matches rarely go past the 20-minute mark, making this a much faster paced experience, but it's well-balanced and doesn't feel rushed. As far as mobile MOBAs go, this is by far the best and a genuinely massive game in China. One for any MOBA fan to check out.
Platforms: PC, PS5
One of the best-selling games of 2024, Black Myth: Wukong is considered by many in the west to be the first real AAA game from China. Developed by Game Science, this souls-like action RPG is inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West, and brings some Chinese culture to the wider world.
A single-player experience that has a pretty significant difficulty, Black Myth: Wukong sees you run around as a monkey with a big staff and beat up a ton of enemies in the Souls style. Its combat is surprisingly good, in fact It's arguably some of the best in the genre not made by FromSoft, and will satisfy anyone looking for that kind of game. Fans of the underlying lore will also love this, and given the amount it sold, over 20 million units in the first month, it seems very accessible to everyone.
Platforms: Android, iOS, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Developed by MiHoYo and originally released in 2020, Genshin Impact shares a lot of similarities with modern Japanese Role-Playing Games, despite obviously being Chinese in origin. It's an open world RPG set in an anime styled world where you go on epic quests and fight enemies with the party based combat.
That should sound pretty familiar to any JRPG fan, and if you can deal with the slightly controversial gotcha monetization that turns some off, it will likely become a firm favorite for any eastern RPG fans. It's undoubtedly a harder sell for anyone unfamiliar with the eastern RPG style, but its wild levels of popularity around the globe aren't by chance. This is a very addictive game if it clicks for you, so worth a try, especially if you want a major AAA experience on a mobile device.
Bottom Line
While still a new player to the global gaming scene, China is quickly becoming a powerhouse when it comes to development, and you can expect that trend to continue over the coming years. Fortunately, that should also mean some brand-new gaming experiences the western world has never seen before, which is a very exciting prospect.
There isn't all that much hard data on how popular gaming is in China, and a lot of the data we do get is often questioned by those in the know, so getting an exact picture isn't easy. However, it's fairly safe to assume that gaming is fairly popular in China, just like anywhere else in the world.
With the console ban being lifted not all that long ago, it's a safe bet that gaming is only increasing in popularity in China, and with more major games being developed there that is likely to continue. The increase in mobile device power will also likely play a factor in the continued growth in the region.
While not technically a single developer, the simple answer to this is any studio that is owned by Tencent. The giant media conglomeration is one of the biggest companies in the world and has a ton of developers under its banner in one form or another, a lot of which are based in China.
From LightSpeed & Quantum Studio that made PUBG Mobile, to Morefun Studios that made Arena Breakout Infinite and of course, the TiMi Studio Group that has multiple studios within it that is responsible for the likes of Honor of Kings, Call of Duty: Mobile, Pokémon Unite and many more.
Taiwan doesn't quite have the same depth as the Chinese gaming scene, but there are still a few solid titles to choose from. The highlight is The Legend of Sword and Fairy series from Softstar Entertainment, which originated in Taiwan even though later sequels were developed by the company's Chinese studio. These old school RPGs are so old these days you probably wouldn't want to play them, but they spawned a ton of other content from the brand.
Another option is Nine Sols from Red Candle Games, a much more modern Metroidvania style game that did make a bit of a dent in the western consciousness as well as in its home regions. It's available on almost all modern platforms, and looks gorgeous.