As the largest gaming market in Southeast Asia, Indonesia accounts for more than 45.8% of the region’s gaming market and ranks among the world’s top ten by player count. Its market revenue is projected to reach USD 4.28 billion in 2025, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8%. Crucially, Indonesian gamers are increasingly willing to spend, with per-capita gaming expenditure reaching $58 in 2024. This trend is underpinned by a growing middle class, a maturing digital economy, and a younger generation that views gaming as a marker of social identity – all of which are boosting the market’s commercial potential.
However, to truly unlock the potential of Indonesia’s gaming market, it is essential to understand the nuances of its local landscape. Unlike most global markets, Indonesia is not merely mobile-first – it is mobile-only. For the vast majority of Indonesians, an affordable, low-spec smartphone serves as their sole gateway to digital entertainment. As a result, mobile games generate the overwhelming majority of revenue, and the eSports ecosystem is built entirely on mobile titles.
Furthermore, because mobile data remains precious in Indonesia, players are highly sensitive to installation package size and data usage. Therefore, games with small installation packages, smooth performance on low graphics settings and low data usage – or even stripped-down Lite versions – are key to driving word of mouth among users of low-end devices and reaching the widest possible audience.
For locals, gaming is far from a solitary pastime; it is an essential social ritual known as mabar (short for main bareng, or “playing together”). A casual “Woi, mabar yuk!” (“Hey, shall we play together?”) is one of the most common invitations among friends, and virtual achievements serve as social capital in real life. This social demand peaks during Ramadan. The holiday period and associated festive routines create an ideal environment for gaming activity as gamers enjoy more leisure time. The period thus represents a golden window for boosting traffic and revenue – and a strategically important time for allocating marketing budgets.
In Indonesia, credit card penetration remains low and the payments ecosystem is highly fragmented. Against this backdrop, digital wallets such as GoPay, OVO and DANA have become the most trusted and most frequently used payment methods among players, thanks to their deep integration with everyday services including dining, transportation and shopping. At the same time, the Indonesian gaming market also relies on supplementary payment channels – such as carrier billing and cash top-ups at convenience stores – to cater to different user segments. As a result, integrating these mainstream payment methods is not only key to maximising reach among potential paying users but also essential for effective game monetisation.
Indonesia accounts for 45.8% of the Southeast Asian gaming market, maintaining its position as the region’s largest player. The Indonesian gaming market is both sizeable and growing strongly, with revenue projected to reach USD 4.28 billion by 2025. The forecast CAGR of 8% from 2025 to 2029 surpasses that of the wider Asia–Pacific market.
Indonesia’s gaming market offers remarkable demographic advantages and significant commercial potential. In a nation of 274 million people, the gamer population has reached 155 million – meaning that more than half of the country’s population are active or potential gamers, forming an unparalleled user base. Notably, Indonesia boasts 356 million smartphone connections, a figure that exceeds its total population. This highlights a defining characteristic of the market: Indonesia is mobile-only, not merely mobile-first. Many users own multiple devices, creating substantial opportunities for game publishers focused on mobile platforms.
Indonesia’s mobile gaming market presents a highly diversified competitive landscape, where local champions and global giants move in tandem. On the one hand, domestic developers – led by Maleo, ranked first by downloads as shown in the chart below, and best known for Bus Simulator Indonesia – leverage deep cultural localisation and a focus on simulation and casual genres to capture vast user bases, thereby dominating the download charts. On the other hand, international giants such as Riot Games, Moonton and Tencent command the majority of revenue through high-quality MOBA and heavyweight competitive titles, including League of Legends: Wild Rift and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
The divergence between download volume and revenue is particularly striking: domestic casual games drive user growth, while heavyweight international titles generate the most revenue. The result is a distinctive market dynamic where local preferences and global blockbusters compete fiercely yet at the same time coexist in equilibrium.