China: Mao's legacy

About

China: Mao's legacy is a single player strategy game with a historical theme. It was developed by Nostalgames and was released on May 24, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"China: Mao's Legacy" is a simulation game that lets you lead the People's Republic of China from 1976 to 1985. Make crucial decisions on the country's economic and political future, from restoring relations with the USSR or aligning with the USA, to implementing market reforms or adhering to communist ideals. Your actions will determine China's role in the Cold War and its influence in the world. Maintain party control and navigate political intrigue to secure your legacy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 227 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game offers a deep and complex political simulation of China during a pivotal historical period, allowing players to explore various political paths and outcomes.
Frequent updates and improvements from the developers enhance gameplay and address issues, showing a commitment to refining the experience.
The game is engaging for history enthusiasts, providing a unique perspective on Chinese politics and the consequences of decisions made during the post-Mao era.

The user interface is often confusing and lacks clear explanations for mechanics, making it difficult for new players to understand how to progress.
There are frequent translation errors and grammatical issues that detract from the overall experience, making some text difficult to comprehend.
The game can feel unbalanced, with players often facing sudden and unexpected failures due to opaque mechanics and a lack of feedback on decisions.

gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
81%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by a steep learning curve, requiring players to navigate opaque mechanics and trial-and-error learning, which can lead to confusion, especially for newcomers. While the user interface has seen improvements over previous titles, many players still find it unintuitive, and the lack of clear explanations for game mechanics can detract from the experience. However, those willing to invest time in understanding the game will find a rich political simulation with significant replayability, particularly appealing to history enthusiasts.
- “This is a game for someone willing to spend hours learning the basic mechanics through trial and error and who has a passion for learning about the history of China in the 1980s.”
- “Its UI is more intuitive and its mechanics are more polished and constantly being improved, everything just works how it should, and you are given enough freedom to do what you want that you can bend history but not so much that you can break it.”
- “Whilst the graphics are an immediate turn-off for most, the time period and gameplay is unique in offering tons of replayability if you're into the late Cold War era.”
- “If you are going to play this game, expect confusion to be a pretty regular feeling, as a lot of game mechanics will be explained through a mix of trial and error, looking for Steam community threads that don't actually answer your question, and intuition-based guesses.”
- “I really wanted to like this game, but my main complaint with it is that the gameplay is very 'opaque', in the sense that the player doesn't really understand the repercussions of their actions or what is going on with the modifiers.”
- “Though, I suppose I should offer a warning to players unfamiliar with Kremlingames: the tutorial only explains so much, the tooltips are not in-depth like Paradox games, and a lot of the game mechanics are hidden in a 'black-box' style of gameplay where you have to puzzle out and discuss with others what exactly does what and why a game-over came so suddenly when I played one time vs. smooth sailing to a victory the next.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's music features a nostalgic selection of popular melodies from socialist China, evoking memories of school choir performances and flag-raising ceremonies. While the original soundtracks enhance the gameplay experience, some players express disappointment over the lack of a tutorial and user interface improvements, as well as the absence of certain iconic songs like "Red Sun in the Sky." Overall, the inclusion of historical music adds depth, but players desire better guidance on gameplay mechanics.
- “This game also has amazing soundtracks consisting of popular melodies from Mao's time.”
- “It sort of brings me back to the days when I've rehearsed many of the songs in the school choir and sang some others weekly in flag-raising ceremonies.”
- “The original soundtracks are also thrilling when played in the correct scenarios.”
- “However, there is absolutely zero help on how the game works, what you're supposed to do, heck even how to get the songs on shuffle.”
- “If there's one thing, I do hope Kremlingames can revamp their GUI, provide a tutorial, and the overall aesthetic other than just period music and gameplay.”
- “They have all these Chinese propaganda music but they didn't include 'Red Sun in the Sky.'”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The graphics have received mixed reviews, with many users finding them mediocre and somewhat unpolished, particularly in the GUI, which can appear cartoonish. However, the unique gameplay and replayability set in the late Cold War era somewhat compensate for the lackluster visuals. Overall, while the graphics may not be impressive, they do not detract significantly from the overall experience.
- “While the map graphics from Ostalgie are nice, some elements of the GUI can still appear a bit unpolished and cartoonish.”
- “Whilst the graphics are an immediate turn-off for most, the time period and gameplay is unique in offering tons of replayability if you're into the late Cold War era.”
- “You aren't going to impress anyone with the graphics, either.”
- “Pretty decent - graphics are meh, but that's fine because the gameplay elements are pretty cool.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively tedious, often requiring a significant time investment that feels overwhelming. While some enjoy the historical events, the repetitive nature of the grinding detracts from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I do enjoy the historical events, but the way they are presented is tedious.”
- “Way too tedious.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The reviews indicate that there is no story present in the game, suggesting a lack of narrative depth or engagement.
- “No story.”
- “No story.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability due to its unique late Cold War setting and challenging gameplay, despite some repetitive mechanics. Players appreciate the potential for multiple playthroughs, although the graphics may deter some. Ratings suggest a strong replay value, with a score of 1.3 billion/10 highlighting its appeal for those who enjoy strategic challenges.
- “Whilst the graphics are an immediate turn-off for most, the time period and gameplay is unique in offering tons of replayability if you're into the late Cold War era.”
- “The game is quite difficult - the party or popular opinion can throw you out of office quickly if you displease them - but has strong replay value despite the repetitive event mechanic.”
- “Pretty short and with a lot of replay value.”
- “1.3 billion/10 for replayability value.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report encountering some glitches in the game, which, while unintended, can provide a helpful safety net for exploration and experimentation. Overall, the stability appears to have minor issues but can inadvertently enhance the gameplay experience.
- “There are also a few glitches I've found, which have actually been kind of helpful as exploiting them gave me a safety net to explore how things work without dying immediately.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing hours of work.”
- “I've encountered numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay, causing me to restart levels multiple times.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes deep emotional responses by immersing players in the poignant realities of 1976, a year marked by personal and national grief. It challenges players to confront their own memories and beliefs while making impactful decisions that could shape the future of the nation, enhancing the emotional weight of their choices.
- “While they have recalled their heartbreaking lives and fading faith in 1976—a year of grief, news, and natural disaster—this game reveals the scheme behind that pivotal year and pushes the player into the position to decide the nation's future: shall we reform?”
- “The emotional depth of the characters is truly remarkable, making every decision feel weighty and impactful.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the story; it made me reflect on my own life choices and the consequences they carry.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game, developed by the "krisis in the kremlin" team, is perceived as charming despite its poor English, contributing positively to the overall enjoyment of the experience.