The Terrible Victims:

"Female Ghosts" as a Cultural Symbol in Chinese Indie Video Games

Abstract

This paper explores the symbolic role of female ghosts in the horror puzzle genre of Chinese indie video games, focusing on how these spectral figures express layered anxieties about gender, memory, and justice. Drawing from Gothic theory, folklore studies, and feminist media critique, the study compares representative games from both mainland China and Taiwan to uncover how socio-political contexts shape divergent portrayals of ghostly femininity.