Southeast Asia has become a major gaming region.
A report from creative agency We Are Social and social intelligence company Meltwater found strong gaming activity across the region.
Filipinos lead the figures. The report found that 96.5 percent of Filipinos qualify as active gamers.
Indonesia follows at 95.3 percent. Vietnam ranks third at 94.7 percent.
The region also has a growing video game market.
A 2024 report by The Straits Times valued Southeast Asia’s video gaming market at around USD5 billion.
Developers across the region now want to build their own names in the global gaming industry.
The US, Europe and East Asia still dominate the market. However, Southeast Asian studios continue to produce games with local influences.
Here are three Southeast Asian video games worth exploring.
Chill Town (Vietnam)
Have you ever played hours of Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing and wished for a new game with similar “cozy” vibes you could just get lost in? Well, Chill Town has you covered.
Created by Vietnamese game developer Low-Hi Tech, Chill Town is a relaxing, simulation game that allows players to customise their avatar, build their own farm, decorate their home, explore different biomes, interact with other players, and much more.
It’s also the awaited sequel of Low-Hi Tech’s Chill Corner, a free-to-play idle game for those who wish to unwind after a long day’s work by listening to lo-fi music while decorating their virtual room and managing their character’s tasks.
Chill Town is now available to download for Windows via online game shop platform Steam.
Until Then (Philippines)
Until Then from Filipino indie game developer Polychroma Games has garnered multiple praises since its initial launch in June 2024.
The game revolves around Mark Borja, a typical teenager simply trying to navigate his way through high school in a world recovering from catastrophe.
“Until a fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark’s life,” the game’s description stated. “People disappear and memories prove unreliable.”
With landscapes inspired by Philippine locations and culture, Until Then’s hand-drawn pixel art takes gamers into an immersive story about love, loss and friendship.
Gamers and critics loved Until Then so much that it was nominated in 2024 for non-profit organisation GLAAD’s Media Award for Outstanding Video Game, which honours video games that excellently showed LGBTQ-inclusive content.
Those interested in exploring a fictional portrayal of the Philippines can play Until Then on Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac via Steam, as well as PS5.
StarkWater (Cambodia)
Play as a stranger visiting a county filled with mysteries and suspicious villagers in StarkWater, an indie horror game made by Cambodia-based team Nompang Studios.
In this Old West-style narrative puzzle game, the player is tasked to “find clues to piece together a person’s story to be able to determine what aspect of your body you must sacrifice as a gift.”
Be careful, however, as not everyone is who they say they are.
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