Lola's Lutong Bahay (left) and Galà 

A number of independent game developers from the Philippines have incorporated the country’s culture into their video games, which are available on various platforms.

The local game development industry needs support, especially in marketing titles that highlight the country's history, beliefs, traditions, and tourist spots.

Here are some of them:

Agnostiko Origins by Singles Alliance 

Inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, this Metroidvania game explores a mysterious mansion set in Manila in the 1890s, where the player will encounter mythical creatures such as tikbalang, white lady, and kapre. 

The man behind the game, Leoned Andrew Tumbaga, is a 37-year-old college instructor from Bulacan. He released the game on the Nintendo Switch just last month. 

"Ako naman hindi ko naman ine-expect na kapag ni-release ko 'yan magiging multi-billionaire ako. So gusto ko lang makilala na may gawang Pilipino, na dinevelop ng [isang] Pilipino, something na magiging proud tayong lahat. Iyon po ang intention [ko]," Tumbaga said. 

Jeepney Simulator by Spacezero Interactive 

This simulator game focuses on a jeepney driver's day-to-day work, from picking up passengers to dropping them off at their destination. 

"I feel that Filipino culture and history are deserving of being part of this to remind people of their own culture and heritage," said the game's developer, Joshua Renzie.

Renzie teamed up with his friend, 3D artist Alvin Vann Arapoc, to release the Filipino driving game on Steam in September 2023.

Until Then by Polychroma Games 

Experience a world inspired by Philippine locations and culture in a story-focused adventure game with a piece of interactive fiction. In Until Then, players follow the life of Mark as he unravels a mystery. 

The main development of the game took over four years. The team, composed of Domique Duran (senior art director), Yanreh Termulo (animator, illustrator, and character artist), and Mickole Klein Nulud (director) released the game last month, and is now available on Steam for PC and the PlayStation Store for PS5.

"The Philippine creative scene has always been a powerhouse of talent and potential. I have no doubt more fantastic games are just around the corner for the Philippine indie game space, especially with how accessible it is to pitch game demos to international publishers," Duran said.

Lola's Lutong Bahay by Millenium Flames

Lola's Lutong Bahay is a cooking game that shows players how to cook Filipino dishes. Set in Olongapo City, it is centered on Dalisay's dream to be a chef with the help of Lola's cooking book that needed to be retrieved. 

"The goal of our game is to preserve and revitalize Filipino culinary culture. So by using this game, nape-preserve namin 'yung Filipino culinary culture na dito sa bansa natin, and to spread in other countries as well," Miguel Macabulos, the game's project manager, said. 

Lola's Lutong Bahay was originally a capstone project of Macabulos along with his groupmates Lucky James Ian Corpus (art director) Precious Reigne Vindua, (art designer), Nathaniel James Regojos (game developer), and Rinan Justin Ubaldo (sound and music developer). 

It eventually became available on itch.io for free, and their next goal is to be able to release it on the Play Store.

Strandead by Solitary Studios

Inspired by Left 4 Dead, this zombie survival game features a "tambay," or unemployed Filipino citizen, who needs to find a way to survive in a zombie outbreak set in the Philippines. 

A 23-year-old self-employed game developer, Keneth Agar, was planning to release the full version of the game next year. 

But for now, people can try its demo version on itch.io for free.

"Sobrang liit po ng suportang natatanggap ng mga Filipino indie games, kaya ginagawa ko rin po ito para maipakita sa bansa na 'di lang Western developers ang kaya gumawa at makapag-develop ng gantong uri ng product," Agar said. 

Galà by Kendikorp

Galà takes players around Philippine landmarks on a jeepney traveling across the country with students. 

In each featured landmark, they need to combine their students' ideas to discover cultural treasures and learn more about them. 

"Culture-focused games are also a good way to connect the youth to the past. By playing Filipino-made and Filipino-themed games, they'll be able to appreciate it as more than just a game," said Audrey Stinson, the developer of Galà from Las Piñas City. 

Stinson released the game after six months of development back in December 2022. She got inspiration from a grant project published by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in their orientation meeting.