MSc Serious Games & Virtual Reality School of Innovation & Technology
Fangxin Zheng
My name is Fangxin Zheng. I hold a Master’s degree in Serious Games and Virtual Reality from the Glasgow School of Art, and a Bachelor’s degree in Art and New Media Technologies from NABA, Milan.
My research focuses on cultural heritage and interactive narrative game design, exploring how gamification and visual storytelling can help people engage with and better understand history and culture.
I specialise in illustration and 2D narrative game development, and I am also passionate about board game design, often combining visual art with interactive mechanics to experiment with new creative possibilities.
My graduation project, Whispers of the Bronze Divine Tree, is a 2D archaeological narrative puzzle game inspired by the Sanxingdui bronze civilisation in China. It combines field research, cultural symbolism analysis, and immersive gameplay to allow players to gain cultural knowledge and emotional resonance through puzzle-solving and exploration.
Outside of this project, I enjoy character design, visual storytelling, and cross-media creation, always aiming to create meaningful interactive experiences at the intersection of technology and the humanities.
As an illustrator, I particularly enjoy creating detailed character portraits, symbolic visual motifs, and layered background environments that convey both mood and story. I often draw inspiration from historical artefacts, folklore, and my own travel experiences to infuse my work with authenticity and depth.
Beyond my professional practice, I am an avid traveller and hiker, always seeking new landscapes and cultures to explore. Whether walking through ancient ruins, visiting museums, or trekking in natural environments, I find these experiences constantly feed my creativity, offering fresh perspectives and ideas for future projects.
Whisper of the Bronze Sacred Tree
Sanxingdui Culture in Narrative Games : Whisper of the Bronze Sacred Tree
Whispers of the Bronze Scared Tree is a 2D archaeological narrative puzzle game inspired by the Sanxingdui bronze civilisation in Sichuan, China. Players follow the journey of Lin Ruoxi, an archaeology intern, as she explores excavation sites, restores ancient relics, interprets mythological symbols, and reconstructs the Bronze Sacred Tree—unveiling the cultural symbolism and collective memory of the ancient Shu civilisation.
The game integrates narrative-driven level design with the educational value of serious games, using interactive mechanics such as artifact excavation, puzzle reconstruction, cultural quizzes, and drawing challenges to transform cultural knowledge into immersive gameplay.
During development, I used the Unity engine to implement scene interactions and minigames, and conducted field archaeological research and literature analysis to ensure both authenticity and engagement.
This project serves as an exploration of combining digital art with humanities research, demonstrating how historical and cultural heritage can be transformed into an interactive work with both emotional resonance and educational significance.Whispers of the Bronze Scared Tree is not only a creative work but also an academic exploration of how digital art and humanities research can intersect. It demonstrates how historical and cultural heritage—often confined to museums or academic texts—can be reimagined as an interactive storytelling experience that resonates emotionally, educates meaningfully, and preserves intangible heritage in a form accessible to diverse audiences. By intertwining archaeological detail with player agency, the game invites players to become both explorers and custodians of a civilisation’s legacy.
Level 3 depicts the bronze tree
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Level 1 Excavating Ancient Artefacts
LABEL ERA – A Board Game About Label Effect
LABEL ERA – AKSO is a serious board game about the label effect, inspired by the profound impact labels have on individuals and society. Whether it is an unintended stereotype or an intentional social expectation, labels often become invisible chains that restrict personal growth. Through this game, we hope players will confront the complexity of the label effect, experiencing how labels can shape identity, limit choices, and influence relationships.
In the depths of the universe, the mysterious planet AKSO shines with diversity and harmony. One day, an unknown spaceship arrives, bringing a tempting gift — labels. At first, these labels celebrate individuality, but they soon turn into tools of control and restraint. Chaos follows, and AKSO’s society falls into anxiety. A quiet yet profound struggle begins — a battle between self and the labels that bind it.
Dear player, you will join four companions with very different personalities on a search for life’s meaning. Play as characters from diverse backgrounds, gather the resource “Stardust,” manipulate labels, form alliances, and shift the balance of power. Every choice you make can alter your abilities, shape your identity, and determine where you belong. Will you accept the chains of your labels, or break free from them to shape your destiny?
