From ritual to screen: mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture in indie games

Alexandra Ivanova

doi:10.31804/2782-540X-2025-4-3-66-86

UDC

CSCSTI

13.00

Russian Classification of Professions by Education

51.00.00

Russian Trade and Bibliographic Classification

Russian Library and Bibliographic Classification

BISAC

GAM

VAK Russia

FROM RITUAL TO SCREEN: MECHANISMS OF VISUALIZATION AND GAMIFICATION OF TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN CULTURE IN INDIE GAMES From ritual to screen: mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture in indie games

АА Аа

Published in Asia, America and Africa history and modernity · Pages 66–86 · Rubric: Cultural studies

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31804/2782-540X-2025-4-3-66-86

Received: 26.08.2025 Accepted: 27.08.2025 Published: 27.08.2025

Authors

Alexandra Ivanova

Siberian Federal University Russian Federation · Krasnoyarsk

ABSTRACT

The article examines the mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture using the example of the indie game Black Book (Morteshka, 2021). It shows that the project provides a comprehensive immersion into the cultural environment of the Kama region in the 19th, integrating folkloric, ethnographic, and mythological elements into the visual style and mechanics of the game process. The card battle system reproduces the ritual structure of spells, mini-games reflect forms of traditional leisure, and the “Imenoslov” reference book performs an educational function. The visual design, based on stylization in the folk-art tradition and the reconstruction of historical objects, contributes to the preservation of the visual codes of culture. The conclusion is drawn that video games have great potential as a tool for preserving, popularizing, and transmitting national heritage in the digital environment.

KEYWORDS

video game, indie games, “Black Book, ” cultural heritage, traditional Russian culture

1. Cole, R. Mashing Up History and Heritage in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey / R. Cole // Games and Culture. – 2022. – № 17. – S. 915 – 928

2. Donald, I. Video games, historical representation and soft power / I. Donald, N. Webber, E. Wright // Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds. – 2023. – T. 15. – S. 105–127

3. Lawrence A.T. Exploring Technology-Infused Education in the Post-Pandemic Era / A.T. Lawrence, D.C. David // IGI Global. – 2024. – 631 s.

4. Matei, S. The Technological Mediation of Collective Memory Through Historical Video Games / S. Matei // Games and Culture. – 2023. – № 2. – S. 56-92

5. Afanas'ev A. N. Vedun i ved'ma / soch. A. N. Afanas'eva. – M.: tipografiya A. Semena, 1851. – 78 s

6. Bykova, E. V. Motivy komi-permyackoy i slavyanskoy mifologii v komp'yuternoy igre «Chernaya kniga» / E. V. Bykova, A. A. Martyusheva, I. D. Dubkov // Obschestvo. Nauka. Innovacii (NPK-2024): Sbornik materialov XXIV Vserossiyskoy (nacional'noy) nauchno-prakticheskoy konferencii. – Kirov: Vyatskiy gosudarstvennyy universitet. – 2024. – S. 328-332

7. Bylichki i byval'schiny: sb. starozavet. rasskazov / sost. K. E. Shumov. — Perm': Permskoe kn. izd-vo, 1991. – 409 s.

8. Vertushinskiy, A. S. Bol'she, chem prosto sredstvo: novyy podhod k ponimaniyu geymifikacii // Sociologiya vlasti. – 2020. – T. 32, № 3. – S. 14-31

9. Ermakov, T.K. Bazovye shemy vzaimodeystviya i algoritmy vlastnyh otnosheniy v videoigrah // Severnye Arhivy i Ekspedicii. – 2023a. – T. 7, № 1. – S. 88–96. – EDN FKFXWJ.

10. Ermakov, T.K. Konstruirovanie igroka v sovetskih videoigrah dlya personal'nyh komp'yuterov: mezhdu ob'ektom i algoritmom // Severnye Arhivy i Ekspedicii. – 2025a. – T. 9, № 2. – S. 91–99. – EDN IWIFVU.

11. Ermakov, T.K. Nekotorye osobennosti organizacii igrovogo prostranstva igr s 2D-grafikoy zhanra platformer s tochki zreniya vzaimodeystviya mezhdu igrokom i prostranstvom // Zhurnal Sibirskogo federal'nogo universiteta. Seriya: Gumanitarnye nauki. – 2022a. – T. 15, № 2. – S. 234–243. – DOIhttps://doi.org/10.17516/1997-1370-0906. – EDN DRLVSP.

12. Ermakov, T.K. Osobennosti pervyh videoigr: analiz platformy Magnavox Odyssey // Sibirskiy antropologicheskiy zhurnal. – 2022b. – T. 6, № 2. – S. 39–52. – DOIhttps://doi.org/10.31804/2542-1816-2022-6-2-39-52. – EDN KVEYNW.

13. Ermakov, T.K. «Intellektual'nyy ob'ekt»: agentivnost' videoigrovogo iskusstvennogo intellekta v kontekste topologicheskogo analiza // Sociologiya iskusstvennogo intellekta: regiony i gruppy: Vtoraya Vserossiyskaya konferenciya s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem, Krasnoyarsk, 03–05 dekabrya 2024 goda. – Krasnoyarsk: Krasnoyarskaya regional'naya obschestvennaya organizaciya "Sodruzhestvo prosvetiteley Krasnoyar'ya", 2025b. – S. 45–53. – EDN WNFYAL.

14. Ermakov, T.K. Antropologiya igry i agentivnost': evristicheskiy potencial issledovaniy konca XIX veka v sovremennoy teorii // Sibirskiy antropologicheskiy zhurnal. – 2025c. – T. 9, № 1. – S. 6–14. – EDN IKEWAX.

15. Ermakov, T.K. Iskusstvennyy intellekt kak priem: metodiko-teoreticheskoe osnovanie issledovaniya videoigrovogo iskusstvennogo intellekta // Sociologiya iskusstvennogo intellekta. – 2023b. – T. 4, № 3. – S. 56–63. – EDN EJPQEZ.

16. Interv'yu s Vladimirom Beleckim — sozdatelem igry Black Book / [Elektronnyy resurs] // Skillbox.ru: [sayt]. – URL: https://skillbox.ru/media/gamedev/interview-vladimir-beletskiy/ (data obrascheniya: 27.05.2025)

17. Kravchenko, S. N. Sohranenie etnokul'turnogo naslediya na elektronnyh nositelyah (na primere igrovogo proekta "Legenda o Vorone") / S. N. Kravchenko, E. A. Bogdanova // Kul'tura, nauka, obrazovanie: problemy i perspektivy: Materialy HI Mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferencii, Nizhnevartovsk, 09–10 noyabrya 2023 goda. – Nizhnevartovsk: Nizhnevartovskiy gosudarstvennyy universitet. – 2024. – S. 531-540

18. Krinichnaya, N. A. Krest'yanin i prirodnaya sreda v svete mifologii / N. A. Krinichnaya. – M.: Russkiy fond sodeystviya obrazovaniyu i nauke, 2011. – 632 s

19. Kulichkina, G. V. Komp'yuternaya igra kak sredstvo priobscheniya molodezhi k tradicionnoy narodnoy kul'ture / G. V. Kulichkina, N. S. Mel'nikova // Dialogi o kul'ture i iskusstve: Materialy XIII Vserossiyskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferencii (s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem), Perm', 18–20 oktyabrya 2023 goda. – Perm': Permskiy gosudarstvennyy institut kul'tury. – 2023. – S. 96-102

20. Lysenko E. Reprezentaciya mifologii v videoigrah / Lysenko E. [Elektronnyy resurs] // hsedesign.ru: [sayt]. – URL: https://hsedesign.ru/project/fee0bd47bf0946f0a5464f54c0faedca (data obrascheniya: 08.03.2025)

21. Mifologicheskie rasskazy i legendy Russkogo Severa / sost., komment. O. A. Cherepanova. – SPb.: Izd-vo S.-Peterb. un-ta, 1996. – 212 s.

22. Mozaykova A. Reprezentaciya mnogofol'klornosti v obrazah Person / Mozaykova A. [Elektronnyy resurs] // hsedesign.ru: [sayt]. – URL: https://hsedesign.ru/project/4fd478801f0144f69f9702b1f245f4b8 (data obrascheniya: 08.03.2025)

23. Nikitina, A. V. Slavyanskiy fol'klor i sovremennye videoigry / A. V. Nikitina // Semantika narodnoy kul'tury v literature: Materialy mezhvuzovskoy mezhdisciplinarnoy nauchnoy konferencii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem, Moskva, 21–22 oktyabrya 2021 goda / Pod obschey redakciey D.V. Abashevoy. – Moskva: Moskovskiy pedagogicheskiy gosudarstvennyy universitet. – 2022. – S. 71–78

24. Parnikova N. Etnicheskaya i kul'turnaya reprezentaciya v Overwatch / Parnikova N. [Elektronnyy resurs] // hsedesign.ru: [sayt]. – URL: https://hsedesign.ru/project/4bf03edf979343319e11831950f55f02 (data obrascheniya: 08.03.2025)

25. Pivovarov D. V. Ideal v kul'ture: problema avtorstva // Problemy filosofskoy antropologii i filosofii kul'tury: al'manah. – Ekaterinburg: Izd-vo Ural'skoy yuridicheskoy akademii. – 1999. – S. 161–167

26. Rusinova, I. I. Otrazhenie predstavleniy o koldovstve i znaharstve permskimi dialektnymi slovaryami / I.A. Rusinova // Vestnik Permskogo universiteta. Rossiyskaya i zarubezhnaya filologiya. – 2011. – № 4. – S. 40–52

27. Russkie narodnye zagadki Permskogo kraya: sb. fol'klor. tekstov i komment. / sost. A. V. Chernyh, I. A. Podyukov. – Perm': MAMATOV, 2012. – 179 s.

28. Salin A. Sozdanie obraza korennyh amerikancev v fil'mah i igrah zhanra vestern / Salin A. [Elektronnyy resurs] // hsedesign.ru: [sayt]. – URL: https://hsedesign.ru/project/35d15643cacc4efc9612b0c80a3d37d7 (data obrascheniya: 08.03.2025)

29. Saharov, I. P. Skazaniya russkogo naroda / I. P. Saharov. – M.: Institut russkoy civilizacii, 2013. – 1728 s.

30. Usacheva Yu. Elementy mifologii v Baldur’s Gate 3 / Usacheva Yu. [Elektronnyy resurs] // hsedesign.ru: [sayt]. — URL: https://hsedesign.ru/project/b41663df640a4b45a5c3b02e035fede7 (data obrascheniya: 08.03.2025)

31. Ushakov, A. A. Komp'yuternaya igra i obrazovanie: opyt i klassifikaciya / A. A. Ushakov // Mirovaya i rossiyskaya nauka: oblasti razvitiya i innovaciy: Sbornik nauchnyh statey / Nauchnyy redaktor L.G. Gachechiladze. Tom Chast' IV. – Moskva: Izdatel'stvo "Pero", 2021. – S. 41-47

32. Hegay S. Vostochno-zapadnyy sintez v videoigrah Goiti Sudy / Hegay S. [Elektronnyy resurs] // hsedesign.ru: [sayt]. – URL: https://hsedesign.ru/project/7c0e8c005ec84b509be38795cd556f06 (data obrascheniya: 08.03.2025)

33. Chebotarev N. Obraz arhitektury antichnoy Grecii v videoigre sovremennosti – Fortnite / Chebotarev N. [Elektronnyy resurs] // hsedesign.ru: [sayt]. – URL: https://hsedesign.ru/project/84f308b44a384ca69db8c9f4d33e3721 (data obrascheniya: 08.03.2025)

JATS XML

Chief Editor

Natal'ya P. Kopceva

854

downloads

GOST

Ivanova A. A. From ritual to screen: mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture in indie games // Asia, America and Africa history and modernity. 2025. no. 3. pp. 66-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31804/2782-540X-2025-4-3-66-86. (Date of access 09.09.2026).

MLA

Alexandra Ivanova. "From ritual to screen: mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture in indie games." Asia, America and Africa history and modernity 4.3 (2025): 66-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31804/2782-540X-2025-4-3-66-86.

APA

Ivanova A. A. (2025). From ritual to screen: mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture in indie games. Asia, America and Africa history and modernity, 4(3), 66-86. https://doi.org/10.31804/2782-540X-2025-4-3-66-86

Chicago

Alexandra Ivanova. "From ritual to screen: mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture in indie games." Asia, America and Africa history and modernity 4, no. 3 (2025): 66-86. https://doi.org/10.31804/2782-540X-2025-4-3-66-86.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Ivanova A. A. | title = From ritual to screen: mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture in indie games | journal = Asia, America and Africa history and modernity | year = 2025 | volume = 4 | issue = 3 | pages = 66-86 | doi = 10.31804/2782-540X-2025-4-3-66-86 }}

Copy

Export: BibTeX EndNote RefMan RusMARC

FROM RITUAL TO SCREEN: MECHANISMS OF VISUALIZATION AND GAMIFICATION OF TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN CULTURE IN INDIE GAMES From ritual to screen: mechanisms of visualization and gamification of traditional Russian culture in indie games

Confirmation