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Have you ever played this game?
It’s Flappy Bird and, around ten years ago, it was a global phenomenon.
It’s a casual game developed by Vietnamese video game artist and programmer Dong Nguyen, and in 2014, it was earning around $50,000 a day!
Many see this viral game as the start of Vietnam’s mobile gaming industry.
Today, Vietnam has one of the most flourishing gaming markets in the world, with 35,000 game developers and 400 active studios operating in the country.
Now, let’s go over the latest statistics and trends to help you understand the Vietnamese gaming market better.
👀 Weiterführende Lektüre: Globales Wachstum, lokales Spielverhalten: Verhaltensweisen und Trends bei mobilen Spielen in den USA, Großbritannien, Korea und Japan
After an initial boom, Vietnam’s gaming industry has entered a new phase, defined by maturity, consolidation, and regional influence.
According to Statista, the country’s gaming market is projected to reach $453.94 million in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 9.39%. This growth is expected to bring the market to a value of $781.74 million by 2030.
After years of constant growth, in 2025, gaming installs in Vietnam have slowed down (AppsFlyer):
This is also due to the growth of other countries in the APAC region. In 2017, Vietnam held 35% of the installs in the region; by 2025, that share has decreased to 17.7%. On the other hand, countries like Indonesia and the Philippines have grown by +37% and +19%, respectively (AppsFlyer).
Sensor Tower confirms this trend as well. According to the report State of Mobile 2025, in the last year, there has been a decrease in both IAP revenue and downloads:
The reason why mobile games have boomed in Vietnam is the high smartphone penetration in the country.
In 2024, Vietnam reached an all-time high, with over 84% of the population using smartphones (Vietnam Briefing). Vietnam also has one of the highest percentages of adult gamers in the world. There are around 54.6 million gamers in the country (Vero), and its total population is 101 million (54.05%).
Let’s compare this percentage with other countries:
These mobile gamers are mostly men (63% vs 37% of female players) and very young. 70% of Vietnamese players are between 18 and 34 years old (iGamingToday).
Regarding the platforms used, the Vietnamese population is Android-first (84% of installs), but iOS is gaining weight (16% of installs).
However, according to Statista, the average ARPU is much lower than in other countries, around $28.15 per user in the mobile gaming sector.
It’s a striking difference if we compare it with other countries:
In general, people in Vietnam tend to go for free-to-play games and aren’t too keen on making in-app purchases.
As of February 2025, among all the games available on Google Play, 4,045 were developed in Vietnam (Statista). If we look at the most popular games in the country, we notice a preference for mobile gaming experiences that have social elements and local cultural references.
Among the top genres by downloads, there are:
Instead, the top-grossing game genres are:
Now, let’s take a closer look at the top titles.
According to AppMagic data, the top games in Vietnam in 2025 are the following:
Being such a flourishing market, it’s no surprise that Vietnam also hosts several gaming conferences every year, where developers, UA managers and marketers from all over the world gather.
A few examples:
Vietnam’s gaming industry is booming. To succeed here, you need to understand how Vietnamese players think, play, and spend.
Here are a few tips to help you stand out in this market:
With 84% of installs happening on Android, this platform should be your top priority for UA and monetization. However, iOS users tend to spend more, especially in genres like casino, sports, and racing.
In fact, according to AppsFlyer, although the majority of sessions happen on Android, iOS users represent more than 50% of sessions in the sports, racing and casino categories. So if your game falls into one of these categories, don’t treat iOS as an afterthought.
With a relatively low ARPU and a general interest in free-to-play games, Vietnam is the right region to test hybrid monetization models. Try to balance in-app advertising, like rewarded advertising, banners or interstitials, with IAPs. However, it’s better to avoid play-to-win mechanics, since they wouldn’t be perceived positively.
Many Vietnamese players use budget or mid-range smartphones. Keep your file size small, minimize battery drain, and make sure your game runs smoothly on lower-end devices, otherwise, you’ll lose a big part of your potential audience.
Vietnam’s mobile gaming market can be considered a leading market worldwide. With millions of active players, rising international influence, and a vibrant developer community, it offers huge opportunities for growth.
Whether you’re a publisher, UA manager, or indie developer, Vietnam is a market worth watching and worth investing in.