Unlocking Success in China

The Chinese PC gaming market has experienced remarkable growth, with a significant 33.7% of Steam users opting for Simplified Chinese as their primary language. This presents a substantial opportunity for developers, but navigating such a vast and diverse market can be daunting. To better understand the intricacies of the Chinese market, we spoke with Jingtong Zhu, a seasoned producer and Chinese marketing expert at TinyBuild. Zhu shared valuable insights on how game developers can tailor their products to resonate with Chinese audiences and ensure a respectful localization process. TinyBuild has successfully applied these strategies to market recent releases, including Hypnohead's The King is Watching, Niceplay Games' Potion Craft, and Not Games' Not for Broadcast. So, how can developers guarantee a game is translated and localized in a way that respects Chinese culture? Ideally, conducting playtests with Chinese players to gather direct feedback is essential. For instance, prior to the launch of The King Is Watching, we ran both paid and community playtests in China, which helped identify localization and cultural issues early on. If a game references Chinese culture or history, it is crucial to consult trusted partners, such as friends, a China publisher, or a localization team, to ensure the content feels authentic and respectful. Additionally, running localization QA is highly recommended, as it helps catch not only translation errors but also tone, cultural nuances, and in-game integration issues that might otherwise be overlooked. To find reputable firms for localization, developers should look for companies that have worked on similar games. Word-of-mouth recommendations from other developers are often reliable. Before committing, it is essential to check Steam reviews of titles in their portfolio to gauge how players perceive the localization quality in the target languages. What do developers need to consider to succeed in the Chinese market? Approaching marketing separately from global campaigns is vital, as China utilizes different social media platforms, and the majority of players prefer content in Chinese. On Steam, the platform limits a game's visibility to Chinese users if it is not localized into Chinese, making it essential to translate public playables and marketing materials as early as possible. Community engagement is also crucial, as Chinese players appreciate frequent and transparent communication from dev teams. Steam Community can help bridge this gap, and translating major Steam announcements goes a long way in building trust and rapport. China has strict censorship laws on games – what game elements can attract government criticism? On Steam, the rules are relatively relaxed, with the main risks being direct references to politics, history, or controversial current events. More often, pushback comes from the community rather than the government. The overall demographic of players in China differs significantly, and developers should consider this when localizing their game. China is a vast and diverse market, with an audience for almost every genre. While mobile and free-to-play titles still dominate, the number of PC and console players has grown rapidly in the past five years, with many coming from a free-to-play or mobile gaming background. This background means players are more accustomed to direct communication with dev teams and frequent updates. However, due to language barriers and the lack of direct communication channels, there is often a mismatch between player expectations and what a game delivers. As a result, Chinese players tend to leave more negative reviews on average compared to other regions. Having a partner, such as a publisher with a strong presence in China or a trustworthy marketing/PR agency, can be beneficial in managing marketing and community expectations, especially for smaller dev teams. What types of games perform well in the Chinese market? Chinese players show a strong interest in genres like simulation, management, life sims, deckbuilders, and autobattlers. Features such as roguelike mechanics, co-op modes, anime-inspired art styles, and Asian cultural references also resonate well with players. Compared to Western audiences, Chinese players are often more open to games that look 'indie' and don't necessarily expect AAA-level polish, as long as the concept and gameplay feel fresh and engaging. A good way to gauge a game's potential in China is to look at competitor titles on Steam. If their Simplified Chinese reviews account for over 20% of total reviews or rank in the top two languages, it's a reliable signal that the game may also have strong appeal in China. Which Western games have successfully transitioned to the Chinese market? Western games that invest in high-quality localization and maintain active communication with their Chinese audience often see success in the region. AAA titles such as Baldur’s Gate 3, Split Fiction, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 have received impressive sales and review scores. In recent years, indie games have also performed well, as more studios recognize the potential of the Chinese market. At TinyBuild, some of our most successful releases in China have been The King Is Watching, Potion Craft, and Not For Broadcast. Is it beneficial for indie devs to partner with a large Chinese publisher or a smaller firm? For indie developers, it often makes more sense to work with regional publishers that have experience with premium and indie titles, as the mainstream of the Chinese industry is still focused on mobile and free-to-play, which follows a different business model. Having a publishing or marketing partner in China is now common practice for games of all sizes, and there are many reliable teams with strong track records that can provide tailored support for indie projects.