The Heat of the Asian Game Market Felt on the Skin―Taipei Game Show 2025 Report

Hello, my name is Lee Hana. I usually work at a Japanese animation studio while also engaging in indie game development and participating in events. This time, I would like to share the atmosphere of the overseas game show, Taipei Game Show 2025, which I attended for the first time as a developer and publisher, and the various experiences I had there.

This participation in the Taipei Game Show was actually our company’s first time attending an overseas game show, and we exhibited with a mix of expectations and anxiety.

We decided to participate to promote the soon-to-be-released rhythm action game 「ももっとクラッシュ」 and the new release on Steam on the day of the event, 「Mandragora Seeker in the CREEP ZONE」. Our company has participated in major game events in Japan, such as BitSummitDrift and Tokyo Game Show, but exhibiting overseas was completely uncharted territory, so we couldn’t help but feel nervous.

However, before the tension could dissipate, the most surprising thing upon arriving at the venue was its scale and excitement. The number of visitors exceeded that of domestic events, and the excitement throughout the venue made me feel the vibrancy of the Asian game market firsthand.

As I mentioned earlier, I have experienced large game shows in Japan, but the excitement of this Taipei Game Show was beyond imagination. What was particularly impressive was the proactive participation of local gamers. Despite the language barrier, those who visited our booth made efforts to communicate actively, mixing English and Japanese. We also made efforts to communicate using gestures. The users who actually played our games left their impressions and opinions carefully on the sticky notes we provided.

The various opinions written on the sticky notes were filled with sincere feedback and affectionate advice about the game, going beyond mere impressions. Through this, I was able to realize the high level of game understanding and passion of Taiwanese gamers.

At this Taipei Game Show, there were large booths lined up, but the one that stood out the most was undoubtedly Nintendo’s exhibition booth. It was 1.5 times the size of the previous year, boasting grandeur and magnificence reminiscent of a theme park. A large number of visitors continuously visited the Nintendo booth, allowing me to realize Nintendo’s presence in Taiwan.

The Indie House area we participated in also had its unique charm. Developers from around the world, including Japan, Singapore, Korea, and Sweden, showcased their unique works. It was fun just to look around the exhibits, but more than anything, being able to interact with developers who love games beyond nationality was the most valuable experience.

This scale is no longer a game booth but a theme park.

I thought the logo of the sticky notes set up at Indie House was cool.

Although there were no official meetings, I was able to greet many local stakeholders on site. The most impressive thing was the high level of game understanding among Taiwanese users. Despite the language barrier, their ability to understand and enjoy the essential fun of games was impressive.

In particular, their high understanding and interest in Japanese culture were noteworthy. This could be seen as a very good sign for the future entry of games developed in Japan into the Taiwanese market. More than anything, it became an opportunity that connected to our own motivation to create games that receive good reactions from so many users.

Participating in an overseas game show for the first time was a valuable experience that showed us the potential of a new market. In particular, we were able to reaffirm the universal appeal of games that transcend language and cultural differences.

The perspective gained through this experience will be an important guideline for our future game development and overseas market expansion. The passion of Taiwanese gamers and their deep understanding of games became a great motivation, and it was a valuable opportunity to experience firsthand how dynamic and full of potential the future of the Asian game market is. It seems that we will continue to be indebted to the Taipei Game Show.

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