Taiwan is small in size, but massive in potential. Powered by sophisticated technological infrastructure, active government investment in esports, and some of the highest smartphone penetration rates in Asia, it's quickly becoming one of the region's most compelling gaming markets.
Taiwan’s game software industry generated USD 2.24 billion (TWD 71 billion) in revenue in 2025, up nearly 50% from five years earlier. Mobile games lead the charge: a recent MIC survey found that 81.4% of Taiwanese internet users played digital games. Among players, 83.9% regularly played mobile games.
But while the opportunity is clear, breaking into this market isn’t as straightforward. To succeed, you need to understand what Taiwanese players expect from their gaming experience.
Localisation
The games industry in Taiwan is highly competitive, with both domestic and international developers vying for players' attention. To stand out, developers need to provide a localised experience that resonates with Taiwanese players.
Traditional Chinese is the official and main language of Taiwan. By investing in game localisation, developers can cater to the linguistic preferences of the target audience and provide a more immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.
However, localising to Traditional Chinese comes with some unique complexities. The context and vocabulary of Traditional Chinese varies slightly across different regions. For example, Traditional Chinese is also the common language in Hong Kong, but it has many differences in that region in terms of terminology and writing. Because of these characteristics, the translation process often requires adjustment for common terms.
Additionally, the writing style commonly used in Taiwan is closer to Japanese, with more nuanced and subtle expressions. It's important to avoid discriminatory or offensive language, or descriptions that are inappropriate for Taiwanese audiences. For example, a typical mistake is to mix up Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese, which have different language conventions.
Elements related to language formatting also need to be treated with caution. For example, converting the order of Japanese kana characters into the stroke order of Traditional Chinese characters requires a careful process of re-evaluation and production. Some text arrangements created as game graphics may need reformatting, requiring collaboration with the art department.
These are just the tip of the iceberg in the localisation process. An expert translation team is required to determine the success of your game. Side Taipei has extensive experience in localisation to Traditional Chinese from multiple languages, including English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese, among others. They are dedicated to providing the most authentic localised content to Taiwanese gamers.
Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA)
LQA, or Linguistic Quality Assurance for games, is a testing process that ensures that the in-game language and text used are displayed properly to local players. The basic process involves verification, including checking for proper display of characters, missing characters, and proper positioning of punctuation marks. LQA also ensures consistency of platform-specific and game-specific terminology.
Extra attention must be paid to the translation of Traditional Chinese to confirm that it does not mix with Simplified Chinese usage conventions. Many people have become more accepting of Simplified Chinese terminology, and it is frequently used in daily life and news media. However, although Traditional and Simplified Chinese are closely related, there are still important differences to account for. This is an area for game LQA in Taiwan that has been continuously improving.
Topics like politics and indigenous cultures are usually acceptable to Taiwanese gamers, as long as they are not stigmatised or commented on either positively or negatively. For example, games like Detention and Raid on Taihoku use themes derived from our contemporary era and culture to depict the experiences of ordinary people in an earlier historical context, similar to the storytelling approach in Valiant Hearts: The Great War. Therefore, a thorough round of LQA testing to find localisation bugs or avoid cultural confusion before release in Taiwan will always benefit a game.
Player Support
Taiwanese gamers appreciate timely and helpful assistance when facing technical issues or other challenges. They value clear communication, prompt response times, and personalised support that addresses their individual concerns. Additionally, players in Taiwan often seek a sense of community and enjoy engaging with both the support team and fellow players through forums or social media platforms.
Here are several reasons why player support is crucial for games in Taiwan:
- Player Satisfaction: By providing reliable support services, game developers and publishers ensure that players have a positive experience and are more likely to continue playing and recommending the game to others
- Retention and Engagement: Effective player support helps retain existing players, as they feel valued and supported, leading to higher engagement and longer gameplay sessions
- Reputation and Trust: Good player support builds a positive reputation for the game and the company behind it, fostering trust among players and attracting new users
- Market Competition: In a competitive gaming market like Taiwan, quality player support can be a differentiating factor that sets a game apart from its competitors
Side Taipei’s Player Support team provides text-based services to enhance the gaming experience and address player concerns. The range of common services includes technical support, account support, game guidance, customer service, community management, and conducting version update testing.
Quality Assurance (QA)
Although the methodology of QA testing is relatively universal across regions and agnostic of language, it’s worth noting that certain types of QA require local expertise and resources. For example, Side Taipei conducts payment tests in Taiwan for many games. Additionally, network tests, which ensure the stability of the network in a game, are becoming more important.
Make Your Mark in Taiwan
A game's success in the Taiwan gaming market depends not only on the game itself, but also to a great extent on how well the players experience it. When a game enters different regions around the world, localisation, QA testing, player support, and other services ensure that local players can enjoy the content authentically.
Planning on bringing your game to Taiwan? Side's team in Taipei specialises in exactly these services – helping developers and publishers hit the ground running in one of Asia's most exciting gaming markets. Get in touch to speak with our team today.