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Chinese game which simulates what it’s like to be a parent tops Steam charts, beating Grand Theft Auto

The Chinese-only indie game allow players to guide their kids from a toddler all the way up to gaokao, the notorious college entrance exam

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In “Chinese Parents”, players can improve their kid's stats by gifting them everything from test papers to movie tickets to video games. Photo: Handout

Chinese parenting has gained a reputation over the years for being particularly authoritarian – holding sway over almost every aspect of a child’s life, from learning a musical instrument to eventually finding a life partner.

Now you can experience for yourself what it’s like to be a Chinese parent in a new video game that’s proving so popular it’s outdoing Grand Theft Auto V, which simulates what it’s like to be a gangster.

Indie game Chinese Parents currently ranks among the top sellers on gaming platform Steam, surpassing several big name titles. Released on September 29, the Chinese-only title already has more than 4,000 reviews on Steam, 90 per cent of which are positive. At its peak, a total of 32,000 users played the game simultaneously via the platform, according to third-party provider Steam Database.

In Chinese Parents, players can guide their virtual kids from being a toddler all the way up to the national college entrance exam – known as gaokao and the most important educational test in many Chinese people’s lives. Throughout the 48 rounds of the game, players have to improve their kid’s stats, such as intelligence and physical fitness, by arranging school and recreational activities.

The ultimate goal is to get your child into a prestigious university. Once this prodigious feat is achieved, players can start all over again with a new baby – which inherits the improved genes of the previous protagonist.

A screenshot showing a kid pretending to decline a red envelope in the game “Chinese Parents” Photo: Handout
A screenshot showing a kid pretending to decline a red envelope in the game “Chinese Parents” Photo: Handout

Chinese Parents has captured a sweet-spot with China’s gamers, with one Steam user posting a nostalgic comment that playing the game was just like experiencing “yesterday once more”. The title’s success also highlights a growing trend of Chinese indie game developers taking their new offerings to Steam as the US-based platform grows in popularity in China.

Zheping is a technology reporter covering cryptocurrency, blockchain and gaming for the South China Morning Post. He is a contributor to Inkstone. Previously he wrote about China for Quartz.
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