Vietnamese game developers seek niche markets.

The game "Back to Childhood" is popular thanks to its nostalgic style, with visuals and sounds that evoke memories for players. Photo: Nhat Minh .

In the mobile gaming market, games with detailed graphics and complex gameplay don't always guarantee big wins. For game developers with limited resources, finding a unique approach and targeting a niche market can lead to faster success.

Finding a unique path with "games for women"

When people think of gamers, they often picture men. However, for Imba Studio, a game development company based in Ho Chi Minh City, it is female gamers who are bringing them success.

Founded in 2015, Imba Studio only achieved significant success in 2019 with its game Kawaii Home Design. Understanding the interests of female users in decorating, arranging homes, and choosing accessories, the development team created a game where users can personally select furniture and accessories to match their aesthetic preferences.

Following a cute design style is a hallmark that helps Imba Studio's games grow rapidly. In addition, the development team understands the preferences of female players for story-driven content, a factor they invest in as well.

Following the success of Kawaii Home Design, Imba Studio further developed the "Kawaii universe" with many other games, as well as expanding the genre. Photo: Nhat Minh.

"However, we're not going for anything dramatic or over-dramatized. The game's content is mainly lighthearted and healing, helping players evoke emotions," Tran Linh Chi, product development manager at Imba Studio, shared with Tri Thuc - Znews .

The game's greatest success was like a "snowflake" rolling down, helping Imba Studio continue developing the Kawaii game genre (also a Japanese word for cute and adorable designs) in various styles. To date, the developer has achieved 50 million downloads for its games, with Kawaii games alone accounting for 80%.

Beyond the game's content, the studio also focuses on community development with groups on Facebook and Discord. Seasonal game rankings create a competitive atmosphere for players. Furthermore, the team has built a "multiverse" to facilitate content development.

Following the success of the Kawaii game series, Imba Studio continued to expand into other game genres such as RPGs and puzzles, targeting male gamers as well. The group also received support from Apple, such as their appearances on the App Store. According to a representative from the studio, users within the Apple ecosystem are highly valued for their greater willingness to spend money.

Appealing to emotions and memories of "returning to childhood."

While Imba Studio targeted female players, Corochti, a development team in Ho Chi Minh City, sought to evoke players' memories. Their game, "Returning to Childhood," focuses on childhood activities from the 1990s and 2000s, such as summer games, school cafeterias, and moon gazing.

Nguyen Chan Nam, a member of the development team, was already well-known for his content about childhood memories on the "Childhood Meals" channel. When Vo Minh Thong, an old friend who was working on games, invited him to develop a game, Nam immediately had many ideas for the title.

The original development team for "Back to Childhood" consisted of only 3 people. Photo: Nhat Minh .

However, Corochti's game development journey hasn't always been smooth sailing. After nearly two years of development, the team has been rejected five times, unable to publish the game on the App Store due to security issues or misleading features.

"The rejections were a big challenge, but they also helped us realize we needed to develop the product more thoroughly," Nam said.

On their sixth attempt, the team finally got their game listed on the App Store at the end of January. This was another stroke of luck, as it coincided with the long Lunar New Year holiday, when many people were looking for entertainment content and games. Combined with the existing popularity of Nguyen Chan Nam's channel, the game reached 1 million downloads in just one week and topped the free games category on the App Store after two weeks.

To evoke emotions in players, the team invested heavily in graphics, incorporating details that evoke childhood memories for young people. Minh Thong stated that, in addition to visuals, the game's sound was also well-invested to provide players with both entertainment and a sense of nostalgia.

From an initial team of 3, Corochti has now expanded to 11 people. The team also wants to continue expanding both content and features, with the ultimate goal of bringing the game to the world to introduce Vietnamese culture.

Finding a unique path with "games for women"

Appealing to emotions and memories of "returning to childhood."

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