Why are Vietnamese games the most downloaded in the world?

Vietnam is rising on the world gaming map with the number of downloads of Vietnamese applications and games on Google Play abroad reaching 5.7 billion. The website This is Game (Korea) recently published an analysis by author Lim Sang-hoon with the following content:

Looking at the theme information, the Vietnamese game exhibition "GameVerse" in 2024 and 2025 has differences. Last year, the theme of Vietnamese game focused on "How to create high-quality games?", but the theme of GameVerse 2025 is "What stories should be told?". The answer is "Games that depict Vietnamese history and culture."

Global success of Vietnamese games

Mr. Le Quang Tu Do - Director of the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the agency that manages the Vietnamese gaming industry - said that the number of booths in this year's game exhibition doubled compared to last year, with 100 booths.

Multinational companies from the US, South Korea and China officially participated for the first time. The Korean Game Rating and Management Board (GRAMRA) recorded the event for the first time in Vietnam, and five foreign news agencies reported on the event. This is a sign that the Vietnamese gaming industry is on the way to becoming a global leader.

Mr. Le Quang Tu Do - Director of the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information. (Photo: Vietnam GameVerse)

Figures released by Giuseppe Stasolla, Head of Google Play Ecosystem Southeast Asia, show that in 2024 alone, the number of downloads of Vietnamese apps and games on Google Play abroad will reach 5.7 billion, making Vietnamese games surpass China to become the leading country in terms of downloads.

The global success of Vietnamese games is also evidenced by a number of specific titles. Titles such as "Screw Puzzle", "Bus Out" and "Perfect Tidy" developed by Vietnamese developers have topped downloads in a number of countries, including the US.

Other titles such as "1945 Air Force", "Magic Tiles 3" and "Water Sort Puzzle" have also been released. “Car Race” is the top download by Game Genre.

Vietnamese game companies such as iGame Global and ABI have entered the world's top 10 in terms of downloads in 2024. Thanks to these achievements, international game companies from Korea, China, Japan and France are now looking for Vietnamese game developers as partners.

Global platforms such as Google, Apple, Meta and TikTok, as well as B2B companies such as Unity, AppLoving, AdsFlyer and AppsFlyer, are actively collaborating to support Vietnamese game companies.

Mr. Nguyen Quyet - Chairman of the Vietnam Game Developers Federation (VGDA) and CEO of iKame Global - said that global game companies from Europe and India are coming to Vietnam to learn about the country's development ecosystem. In particular, AI, the casual game business model and local content production methods are receiving strong attention.

"Vietnamese quality" in game titles

Game lovers experience games at the Vietnam Game Festival, held on April 1 in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Tien Luc/VNA)

Vietnamese game companies started from scratch and moved from the "survival phase" to the "breakthrough phase" starting in 2019. By 2025, they would have ranked first in global downloads.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Bao, General Director of VTC Group, a state-owned game publisher, said in his presentation that currently Vietnamese games have high downloads globally, but lack a Vietnamese face. Very few games represent Vietnamese traditions, values, heroes and legends.

This is in contrast to the success stories of other Asian countries. China has successfully incorporated traditional elements into mainstream gaming content with "Wandering in the West".

Japan has been successful in incorporating traditional cultures such as samurai, shrines, and kabuki into various games to promote globally.

China's state-led development of cultural games has served as an important reference point for Vietnam. In the early 2000s, NetEase's "Wandering in the West" demonstrated the commercial viability of traditional Chinese themes, which later led to the government's recognition of games as a means of promoting culture.

Comprehensive government support began in 2016 with the "Wandering China" project launched by the State Administration of Press and Publication. The Chinese government has certified and funded games that incorporate traditional cultural elements. The 20 to 50 selected games have passed the expedited review process and received overseas development and marketing support.

These games include “Genshin Impact,” “Black Myth: Wukong,” and “Moonlight Blade Mobile.” “Genshin Impact” is inspired by the Hangzhou and Zhangjiajie regions, while “Black Myth: Wukong” incorporates elements from Journey to the West. The game received development funding from the central government and the Hangzhou city government.

Vietnam has also experimented with similar things in the past. “Sun Heaven Sword”, developed by VNG in 2010, is an MMORPG based on the legend of Le Loi, the founder of the Le Dynasty in the 15th century.

However, despite its initial attention, the game failed due to its overly commercialized structure, lack of content, and technical limitations. The Vietnamese gaming industry then shifted its focus to developing super-simple games like “Flappy Bird” instead of domestic cultural content.

So why is this trend becoming apparent in “GameVerse 2025”? The answer lies in the growth phase of the Vietnamese gaming industry. Once confident enough in game development, Vietnam began to focus on “Vietnamese culture”.

Starting in 2024, as game development capacity is strengthened, discussions have begun on a fund to support culture-based game content, and this year, game operations have been transferred from the Ministry of Information and Communications to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Culture has become a more important topic.

Finding new competitive advantages

The location of the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), where GameVerse 2025 will take place, is also noteworthy. The event has been relocated from Phu Tho Stadium in 2024 to Phu My Hung, a new urban area in Ho Chi Minh City.

Phu My Hung is the most well-planned new urban area in Ho Chi Minh City and is also home to a large Korean community. The avenue running through this urban area is named "Nguyen Van Linh".

The fact that this event, marking a leap forward for the Vietnamese gaming industry, was held on the avenue named after the pioneering leader of the Doi Moi movement, is no coincidence.

On this iconic journey of openness and transformation, Vietnam has truly begun its transition to the next phase of the gaming industry.

The Vietnamese gaming industry is looking for a new competitive advantage, beyond simply “number one downloads” and towards “cultural identity” with a “Vietnamese quality”. The revival of the “Dong A heroic spirit”, defeating the Mongol invaders in the 13th century, in a 21st century game could be the first step towards Vietnam’s dream of becoming a cultural powerhouse.

The development of Vietnamese culture in games is a question that makes Korea ponder. How much "Korean identity" is hidden in games developed by Korean companies?

In an era where K-pop and K-drama are shaking the world, isn't it time for Korean game developers to seriously consider creating quality games that showcase "Korean-specific stories"?

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tai-sao-cac-tua-game-viet-nam-duoc-tai-ve-nhieu-nhat-the-gioi-post1056547.vnp