For the last decade, Vietnam had been experiencing rapid economic growth and social development, firmly placing it in place to become Southeast Asia’s leading country in the future. Regarding the gaming industry, however, mobile-centric Vietnam still has a lot to catch up in comparison to the region’s leading countries, especially when it comes to the production of PC and console games. With this list, we examined some of Vietnam’s upcoming games, set to be released in 2021 and the near future.

Anh Hùng Áo Vải

Anh Hùng Áo Vải (literally: Hero in Plain Clothing) is a rogue-like action RPG developed by independent Vietnamese teen developer Hoang Hiep and his team. The game is based on the story of historical figure King Quang Trung (the titular “Hero in Plain Clothing”) and his victorious battles against the Qing Dynasty at the end of the 18^th century. You play as an unknown soldier who joins the Vietnam army as they march to face the Chinese Army. As a rogue-like game, each death will be permanent and every retry will give you a different experience. The game uses a point-and-click system for movements and attacks, while it also features multiple types and classes of weapons, each with its own characteristics. Anh Hùng Áo Vải is expected to be released later this year or early 2021.

BOGs: Earth vs Sea

Inspired by the tale of Sơn Tinh (The Mountain God) and Thủy Tinh (Lord of the Waters) from Vietnamese mythology, Battle of Gods (BOGs): Earth vs Sea is a 2D platforming game from Hammerhead Shark Studio. You will fight mythological creatures and solve puzzles in 5 different environments, in order to collect the dowries required to marry a princess. To overcome challenges, you will be equipped with a variety of weapons, while skill system and upgrades will enable differing playstyle for the players. BOGs: Earth vs Sea is planned to be released for PC in 2021. 

Tank Brawl 2

Already featured on our 2020 new games from Vietnam, this fun and straightforward top-down shooter’s release date has been delayed to early 2021. Phung Games’ sequel to the 2016 Tank Brawl, features updated graphics, multiple POVs, a variety of vehicles, and skills to upgrade your vehicle. Tank Brawl 2 also features a co-op campaign and 3 vs 3 multiplayer team battles if you fancy playing together with friends. To taste a bit of the mayhem offered by Tank Brawl 2, a demo is available on Steam. We do have to warn you though: the demo itself is quite fun and can ultimately consume more of your time than you expected! Tank Brawl 2 is also announced to be released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

The Scourge (Tai Ương)

The Scourge (Tai Ương) is a debut game from an independent studio called Beaztek Studio. Based on a Vietnamese urban legend from the 2000s, this 3D horror game is powered by Unity Engine and features realistic looking graphics. The Scourge might be the game that showcases how far Vietnamese developers have come. Considering the latest international success of other Southeast Asian horror games, we have high hopes for this game. Beaztek Studio released its first teaser trailer in October 2020, and have indicated a second teaser is coming soon. While the release date is yet to be announced, we still hope for a release in 2021. In the meantime, you can check out our in-depth preview here.

The Devil’s Triangle

The Devil’s Triangle (TDT) is a survival video game currently in development by Zonbita. TDT’s story revolves around a city boy who sets sail to find the hidden treasure of the Devil’s Triangle. After a huge storm destroys his boat, the boy finds himself stranded on a desert island. A mysterious man suddenly appears, telling him that his adventure has just started. TDT features an open world environment and seemingly non-linear gameplay with crafting elements.  Zonbita planned to release the alpha build of TDT at the end of 2020. This early impression is based on some demo gameplay which is available here.

Kawaii Mansion

Set to be released for Android, Kawaii Mansion is an online puzzle adventure game with a room decoration element. A spin-off of Imba Games’ popular mobile game Kawaii Home Design, Kawaii Mansion now features hidden object puzzle games. In between the puzzles, you may renovate your mansion to progress the storyline. The game also features multiple modes to provide further challenges. Since November 2020, Kawaii Mansion’s open beta can be installed from the Google Playstore in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam. 

Overblue

Set in a fantasy world where humans and other races live together, Overblue is a sandbox, open-world action RPG game with survival elements. Developed by PYZ Games for mobile platforms, Overblue promises non-linear gameplay with limitless possibilities. Whether it’s hunting, farming, lumbering, or fishing, you can choose for yourself how you want to spend a day in the world of Overblue. Multiple types of guilds will be present for you to choose to further hone your skills. Drawn in colorful 2.5D graphics, PYZ Games promises that the world of Overblue will charm you to stay for adventures with your fully customizable characters. A multiplayer mode is also planned if you want to play with friends or better yet, make new friends. Likely the most ambitious game on this list, we can only wonder whether Overblue can truly deliver their promise. Overblue is currently in development without any planned release date. You can support the developers on their Patreon page here. 

More

We don’t know much about the following two games but what we know seems interesting enough to put them on our radar:

Disstrandia

Created by solo developer Trần Hữu Đức, Disstrandia is an early video game series concept. Presented as a series of game mechanic demos inspired by the “Souls” series,  Disstrandia will be the storyline that holds all the mechanics together. There is currently no planned release for Disstrandia. 

Chicken Hero

Chicken Hero is a monster training mobile RPG game in the same vein as the Pokémon games. Currently, in development for Android, not so much information can be attained and the release date has yet to be confirmed.

Outlook

Based on our 2021 upcoming games from Vietnam, it is apparent that Vietnamese developers have shown the level of ambition and technicality required to finally arrived at the main stage of Southeast Asia’s gaming scene. Whether they can fill their promise and deliver the goods remains to be seen. One thing is certain though, competition can only mean great news for the industry. Gamers worldwide can look forward to another decade of quality games from across Southeast Asia.

To get another glimpse of what we await for 2021 from Southeast Asia, have a look at our lists for Cambodia/Myanmar/Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Enjoy!