Indonesia's gaming industry targets global growth using local culture

..Indonesia’s gaming industry generated US$1.3 billion in revenue in 2025, equivalent to approximately Rp23 trillion.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Director of Games at Indonesia’s Ministry of Creative Economy, Luat Sihombing, said Indonesian culture could serve as a foundation for game developers seeking to create titles with global appeal.

Speaking at the launch of the Tencent White Paper during the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026 in Jakarta on Thursday, Sihombing said local cultural elements could include popular trends and internet memes.

“We see Indonesian game developers continuing to strive to remain relevant and develop Indonesia’s gaming ecosystem. They are exploring different approaches to reaching the global market,” Sihombing said.

Sihombing explained that various developers could expand from local to global markets while retaining many elements of Indonesian culture in their games.

He cited Bus Simulator Indonesia (BUSSID) as an example of a game that had successfully adopted this approach, attracting not only domestic players but also audiences overseas.

The game incorporates elements of everyday Indonesian life, including the “Om Telolet Om” meme, which went viral in 2016 and has recently gained renewed attention through the song “honk!” by Indonesian girl group No Na.

“The approach involves incorporating memes into the game’s content. This helped the game build a loyal player base in Indonesia, which is very interesting and continues to be developed,” Sihombing said.

He noted that the game’s continued growth was reflected in its rising monthly active user numbers and its ability to attract players from countries such as India.

According to Sihombing, BUSSID’s success could serve as an inspiration for aspiring and independent developers seeking to create games with international appeal.

In addition to encouraging developers to incorporate local culture into their games, the government is preparing regulatory measures to support the growth of Indonesia’s gaming industry.

These efforts include revising Presidential Regulation No. 19 of 2024 on the Acceleration of National Game Industry Development to provide more effective support for industry players and their efforts to expand.

The Tencent White Paper, prepared by public policy consultancy Access Partnership, is titled “The Video Game Industry: Unlocking the Next Level of Economic and Social Development in Southeast Asia.”

According to the report, Indonesia’s gaming industry generated US$1.3 billion in revenue in 2025, equivalent to approximately Rp23 trillion. The industry also supported 257,400 jobs in the country that year.

By 2030, the industry is projected to generate up to US$3.3 billion in revenue and support 476,000 jobs nationwide.

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Translator: Livia, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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