Xiao Xiao – the stick figure classics
Before YouTube, these kung fu stick figures travelled the internet by email. Zhu Zhiqiang's Xiao Xiao series, in its playable Flash games.
Every Xiao Xiao game in order
The stick figures that started it
Around the turn of the millennium, a series of short Flash films by Zhu Zhiqiang showed a stick figure taking on dozens of opponents with kung fu, guns and impossible acrobatics. The Xiao Xiao series spread across forums and inboxes all over the world and made the stick figure fight a genre of its own – countless animators and game makers followed it.
Some of the Xiao Xiao episodes were not just films but games, and two of them are in the attic:
- Xiao Xiao No. 4 (2001) is a stick figure shooting game in the style of arcade light-gun games: enemies pop out of cover, and you aim and click before they get you.
- Xiao Xiao 9: Fight Man (2002) is a martial arts game in which your stickman fights off wave after wave of attackers.
Where to start
Start with Xiao Xiao No. 4 – it is played with the mouse and takes seconds to understand. Fight Man is played on the keyboard: click inside the game first, then use the controls shown under the player.
More stick figures
If you like these, the stick figure & action box has the games that followed, from Gun Mayhem 2 to Fancy Pants Adventures.
FAQ
What is Xiao Xiao?
Xiao Xiao (小小, "little") is a series of stick figure Flash animations and games made by the Chinese artist Zhu Zhiqiang around 2000–2002. The fights borrow from kung fu and action movies.
Which Xiao Xiao games can I play here?
Xiao Xiao No. 4, a stick figure shooting game in the style of arcade light-gun games, and Xiao Xiao 9 – Fight Man, a martial arts game where you fight off waves of stickmen.
Is Xiao Xiao the same as Stick Figure Death Theatre?
No. Many stick figure animations followed Xiao Xiao's success, but the Xiao Xiao series itself is the work of Zhu Zhiqiang.