New: Southeast Asian Studios Turn Local Folklore Into Horror Games

Southeast Asian video game developers are tapping into local folklore and horror tropes to ride the growing popularity of horror titles, but making culturally familiar fears unsettling for international players can be a challenge, This Week In Asia reported.

Thai game maker Werebuff Studio found this out while watching Thai and foreign players test its latest game, Kumarn: The Wandering Spirit.

Dancing Spirit Dolls

In the game, players encounter phi nang rum, menacing dancing spirit dolls from Thai folklore.

Werebuff managing director Wyn Panichpakdee said Thai players instantly recognised the dolls and braced themselves for something horrifying, while foreign players needed more visceral scares before they reacted.

“They were just surprised when there was a jump scare. They weren’t scared at the beginning,” he said.

Taking Local Stories Global

Indonesia’s Separuh Interactive is also developing horror games that draw on local culture for international audiences. Both studios have partnered with British publisher Wired Productions to bring their games to the world.

Funding and talent issues are among the other barriers the studios must overcome to succeed, the report said.

Regional Spending on horror games

A joint report by research firm Niko Partners and games-commerce company Xsolla put Southeast Asia’s mobile and PC games spending at more than US$5.6 billion in 2025, and projected it to exceed US$7 billion by 2030.

Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam together accounted for about two-thirds of that consumer spending.

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