Who am I?
Zhenghua Yang "Z" (杨正华) built his first computer at the age of six and programmed his first video game at the age of 10. A lifelong love of video games and a near-death experience, while Z was a young man, propelled him to found Serenity Forge during college, a Colorado-based video game developer, publisher, and retail distributor of artful games with meaning.
Z’s mission as a creator and publisher of games is centered on values-driven games in which a deeper message, meaning, or connection is at the core of the gameplay and narrative. Z’s own personal connection with games as he recovered in a hospital from a serious illness had a remarkable impact on his outlook on life (and on his recovery). The deep bond forged between Z and these games left such a stark imprint and realization that games truly have the capacity to help us through almost anything. He has spent his career since then making and publishing games in order to elevate what games can truly mean to a person.
Notable Projects
- Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
- Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut
- NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD
- LISA: Definitive Edition
- To the Moon
- Gone Home
- Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalypse
- The Alto Collection
- Coffee Talk
- Death’s Gambit: Afterlife
- Sword and Fairy: Together Forever (仙剑奇侠传7)
- Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
- Xuan Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains (轩辕剑叁 云和山的彼端)
- Roman Sands RE:Build
- Neversong
- Lifeless Planet
- Vivarium
- Sister Other Paranoia
- Fractured Blooms
Find me on social media
Z is a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient, a TEDx speaker, leads IGDA Colorado, and holds several awards in business and design; his art and games have reached fans around the world and have been exhibited at museums such as the Smithsonian Institution.
Forbes 30 Under 30
Leading a technological and artistic revolution
Featured on Extra Credits
Z woke up one night, choking on his own blood. His platelet count had dropped below fatal levels and doctors gave him only two hours to live. But Z survived. He spent two full years hospitalized, feeling lost and hopeless until video games brought him to a new sense of purpose and a community of friends. Now he develops his own video games to explore their potential to teach, inspire, and yes: save lives.
Serenity Forge founder and CEO Zhenghua Yang survived a near-death experience as a teenager. With just $1,000, he’s since built a multimillion-dollar game studio inspired by a philosophy from Whole Foods’ CEO.
More than just games
Video games can be so much more than just games. We believe that they can become a vital part of art, culture, and education. Ultimately, we are in the business of improving people’s lives.
Experiences that challenge the way you think.
Serenity Forge is a video game development and publishing studio in Boulder, Colorado, USA, with regional offices in Budapest, Hungary, and Shanghai, China. We create games driven by meaning and value.
Serenity Forge’s dedicated development, publishing, distribution, and merchandise teams allow us to flexibility work both separately and together on exciting video game projects across the spectrum of the industry.
We believe that video games can become a vital part of art, culture, and education. Ultimately, we are in the business of creating meaningful experiences and expanding peoples’ horizons.
Doki Doki Literature Club reaches 30 million players
Serenity Forge and Team Salvato announced that Doki Doki Literature Club has reached the milestone of hitting 30 million players worldwide. “Doki Doki Literature Club Plus’ reception has continued to astound us since 2021, and we’re so thankful to the game’s loyal community for sticking with us all these years. Reaching 30 million players is incredible, and we can’t wait to show the community what we have in store next.”... Read Article(opens in new tab)
Get in contact
For business inquiries, please contact me via email.