Integrating Vietnamese culture into games

Alongside creative fields such as design, cinema, fashion, performing arts, fine arts, and photography, software and digital entertainment, particularly video games, are emerging as a cultural industry with strong development potential. Notably, the incorporation and creative adaptation of traditional cultural values into games not only imbue these products with a distinct national identity but also serve as an effective channel for promoting Vietnamese culture to the world.

A scene from the panel discussion “When the Vietnamese spirit inspires game creators.” Photo: Thuy Trang

As part of the Vietnam Games and Gift Culture Festival 2025, themed The Essence of Vietnamese Creativity, the panel discussion titled “When the Vietnamese spirit inspires game creators” held at Ho Chi Minh City book street, explored how traditional culture influences game design, from initial inspiration and vision to creative ideas and execution.

Vietnamese cultural imprints

The panel discussion provided a platform for the game start-up community, board game developers, and cultural experts to exchange ideas and explore ways to foster sustainable creativity rooted in Vietnamese culture.

Emphasizing the importance of cultural elements in creative products,  Luu Trong Nhan, Founder of Chat Viet Explorians, stated: “When culture is brought to life through products such as games or souvenirs, it becomes more accessible to the public. We believe that every product has a life of its own. Once a product is experienced and engaged with by people, it develops its own story.”

Only by drawing from culture and effectively applying this ideology can Vietnamese games define a unique identity and convey core values, those intangible qualities that cannot be measured merely in terms of revenue. So, what is the path forward for Vietnamese games to communicate the country’s imagery, identity, and heritage to the world? Young Vietnamese game creators have shown relentless efforts in incorporating the nation’s cultural, historical, linguistic, architectural, and religious elements into their works.

Nguyen Thien Toan, Founder of Ngu Hanh Games, a studio specializing in culturally inspired board games, shared that one of their key achievements over the years has been successfully introducing Vietnamese culture to countries such as Japan, South Korea, Hungary, and many others through games. This undertaking has helped international friends discover a beautiful and culturally rich Vietnam.

Reflecting on his journey into culturally themed game development, Toan said, "Like many young people today, I’ve always enjoyed board games. During our research, we noticed that countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, already had board games representing their cultures. At the time, if you searched for ‘Vietnam’ on major global board game websites, most of the content focused solely on war and suffering. We felt that Vietnamese culture is wonderful and that the world deserved to see it. That realization led us to establish a creative studio dedicated to developing board games based on Vietnamese culture."

One notable product is “Sang Den” (Stage Lights On), a game inspired by hat boi, Vietnam’s traditional classical opera art form.

Michael Orion, Founder of Rolling Wizards Studio and creator of the games Sang Den (Stage Lights On) and Thien Can Dia Chi (Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches), shared that half of his family is Vietnamese. He and his wife agreed that their children should learn about Vietnamese culture. However, in the United States, access to such cultural resources is limited, so he chose to teach his children about Vietnamese culture through games. Upon returning to Vietnam, he began developing games infused with traditional cultural elements. The initial positive reception of these products encouraged him and his team to continue researching and creating, to bring Vietnamese culture to the global stage. According to Orion, to develop games that are not only engaging but also authentically reflect Vietnamese identity, it is essential to conduct in-depth cultural research, drawing inspiration from traditional folk games, historical figures, and classical art forms.

In these games, products born from the creative spirit of youth fused with traditional cultural values, we see a vibrant and compelling expression of cultural identity. These innovative efforts help bridge the gap between culture and younger generations while contributing to the global promotion of Vietnamese heritage.

New prospects for Vietnam’s cultural industry

After six years of operation, Ngu Hanh Games’ board games infused with traditional cultural values have appeared on major international board game platforms. They are also actively sought after by players around the world.

Board games developed and distributed by Ngu Hanh Games

“The success of these products lies in the door unlocked by the ‘cultural key’, the intrinsic strength of every nation. It’s deeply rewarding when foreign players, after experiencing the game, exclaim, ‘I had no idea Vietnam was so beautiful and captivating. I’ll visit Vietnam someday,” shared Nguyen Thien Toan enthusiastically.

Representatives from Ngu Hanh Games further emphasized: "When we read Japanese manga, we gain insight into Japanese culture; when we watch American films, we understand more about American popular culture. These are cultural identities, ‘personalities’ expressed through the creator's work. In Vietnam, however, not many creators have reached that level. That’s why creators must be empowered, encouraged to infuse their own essence and the essence of Vietnam into their products."

The success of Vietnamese game developers in their ambition to bring national culture to the global stage reflects the positive momentum of this emerging cultural industry. According to Decision No. 1755/QD-TTg dated September 8, 2016, approving the Strategy for the Development of Vietnam’s Cultural Industries to 2020, with a Vision to 2030, software and digital games, recognized as part of Vietnam’s cultural industries, are designated to become key service sectors of the economy. The strategy outlines clear objectives for both qualitative and quantitative growth, aiming to drive economic development and job creation through the production of increasingly diverse and high-quality cultural products and services that meet the creative, recreational, and consumer demands of both domestic and international audiences. Gaming is not merely entertainment to observe, as it is a fully immersive experience. As such, embedding culture into games naturally sparks user curiosity, guiding and inspiring them to explore Vietnam’s identity and heritage more deeply.

Games are not for passive viewing but for immersive experience. Embedding culture into games creates curiosity, guiding and inspiring users to actively explore Vietnamese essence and heritage.”

Michael Orion, Founder of Rolling Wizards Studio, creator of Sang Den (Stage Lights On) and Thien Can Dia Chi (Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches)

From being solely a consumer market, Vietnam has gradually built a game development ecosystem that continues to grow and evolve. This shift reveals vast development potential where, if youthful creativity is harnessed and combined with national pride, Vietnam can produce distinctive cultural industry products that are globally appealing while deeply infused with the Vietnamese soul and identity.

By Thuy Trang, Phuong Uyen - Translated by Hong Van, Minho