RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is stepping up efforts to bring its local game industry onto the global stage, as Deputy Creative Economy Minister Irene Umar urging stronger international promotion to ensure sustainable growth beyond domestic markets.

“We cannot rely solely on the domestic market. We must strengthen the distribution of local games sustainably through international events,” Deputy Minister Irene said in an official statement received on Friday, May 1, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

She highlighted the importance of a strong domestic market as the foundation for expanding into global markets, noting that international events offer significant opportunities for the game subsector.

She also encouraged local game developers to maintain communication with industry associations and submit their creative products through initiatives such as Ekraf Hunt.

As part of this effort, the ministry is exploring collaboration opportunities with Tabletoys Indonesia, a local board game developer with international potential.

According to her, the game subsector carries strong economic value and can serve as a medium to introduce Indonesian identity to global audiences. She stressed that local games should not only serve as entertainment but also receive proper intellectual property protection.

“There are many events we can support as platforms to showcase board games together with Tabletoys Indonesia. This way, the game subsector can succeed as both an economic driver and an educational medium,” she said.

Tabletoys Indonesia began its journey in 2016 as a board game store, expanded into a board game library in 2017, and became a publisher in 2018 with the launch of local titles such as Waroong Wars, later participating in international exhibitions.

However, challenges remain. Tabletoys Indonesia CEO Martin Ang pointed to limited distribution channels in the domestic market and insufficient association support for game publishers.

He added that strengthening both local and international branding is crucial, alongside support for intellectual property registration.

“We started from a community and have grown to bring Indonesian games to the international market. Tabletoys Indonesia must sustain and scale up. We also need international exposure to gain support for intellectual property registration,” Martin Ang said. ***