Xiao Yu

Yamaguchi University, Graduate School of East Asian Studies

Abstract：

This investigation explores the algorithmic remediation of cultural taboos through the Hong Kong-based digital game Paranormal HK, focusing on the cultural construct of "Chi-shan". By transposing real-world incidents into ludic frameworks, the game operationalizes three interlocking cultural mechanisms: vernacular trauma as narrative catalyst, ritual transgressions as calamitous triggers. Paranormal HK emerges as a cybernetic crucible where folk traditions undergo digital re-embodiment, forging recursive feedback loops between physical communities and virtual mythos. Through its procedural architecture, the game enacts cultural tautologies — simultaneously archiving collective memory and reinforcing living traditions (through performative engagements with Thunder Rite Sigils). This analysis reveals how the digital remediation of Chi-shan’s tragedy transforms localized taboos into transmissible cultural operators, sustaining Chinese cosmological order through cyclical processes of taboo violation and ritual reparation. Crucially, the game’s algorithmic re-enactment of countermeasures positions players as active participants in cultural authentication, binding individual gameplay to collective mnemonic labor.

Key Words：

folklore; taboo; the relationship between reality and fiction; horror game; cultural reproduction