Design of Serious Games for Historical Culture via Contextualized Experience and Gamified Design Strategies: A Case Study of “Captain Beard”

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of digital technologies, disseminating historical ethos through interactive media has become crucial. Conventional history instruction often lacks interactivity, limiting affective resonance among Generation Z. To address this, we propose a contextualized, game-based design framework integrating implicit learning and embodied cognition. Anchored in the narrative of Dong Biwu ("Captain Beard"), we developed a 2D serious game: "Captain Beard: Vanguard of the Long March"using Unity. We formulated a four-dimensional design model-Educational Objectives, Contextual Construction, Gamification Mechanics, and Cultural-Creative Convergence. Leveraging AIGC tools, we generated pixel-style assets to align with youth aesthetics. Three core levels simulate historical hardships through embodied interaction mechanics, translating civic virtues into gameplay. Formative evaluation indicates the framework alleviates narrative discontinuity and enhances historical recall and affective identification. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of this "game + cultural-creative" paradigm, providing empirical support for human-factors-informed serious game design.

Keywords: Serious Games, Embodied Cognition, Cultural Heritage, Generative AI, Affective Engagement

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007652