How cultural elements shape game evaluations: The role of cultural authenticity and perceived effort

As cultural products, games frequently integrate cultural elements, which can be classified as indexical elements or iconic elements based on their degree of connection to real-world cultures. Indexical elements are more directly tied to specific cultural references, while iconic elements are more symbolic. This study explores how these elements influence game evaluations through secondary data analysis and three experiments. Our findings reveal that indexical elements indexical elements enhance perceived cultural authenticity more than iconic elements, but do not necessarily lead to better game evaluations. Conversely, iconic elements positively impact perceived effort, which contributes to better game evaluations. Furthermore, for players with strong authenticity-seeking motivations, indexical elements improve game evaluations by increasing perceived cultural authenticity. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of cultural element integration in game design, while providing actionable insights for game developers and cultural product firms.