The Invisible Guardian

Independent Game Developers and the Dynamics of Platformisation in China

This paper examines how independent game developers in China navigate platformisation, the process by which digital platforms reshape the production, distribution, and monetisation of games.

• Platformisation presents both opportunities and constraints for Chinese independent game studios, with dominant technology firms such as Tencent making it hard for small and medium-sized developers to win consumer attention.
• Some Chinese developers migrate to external distribution platforms like Steam to gain meaningful benefits, but this carries regulatory and legal risks and does not free them from other forms of platform governance.
• Mini-games spreading on non-gaming platforms such as Douyin and TikTok have broadened gaming's audience and casualised play, while altering game design and monetisation.