Murder board game is deadly serious

Urbanization and increasing demand for cultural consumption are two factors behind the phenomenon, says Sun Jiashan, a researcher at the National Academy of Arts.

Also, the growing uses of the internet and reality shows such as Who's the Murderer also contributed to the popularity of the game, Sun adds.

Low investment and growing market demand have led to the flourishing of Jubensha shops these years. The number of offline Jubensha shops reached 30,000 by the end of 2020. In April, however, some Jubensha shops closed.

A survey at Sina Weibo suggests more players think the quality of service and script is deteriorating.

Pirated scripts and random use of film and drama copyright are also problems of this industry.

"The protection of intellectual property is urgent. Meanwhile, more regulation is needed to prevent violent and erotic content in the scripts," Sun says.