What a humble game about selling pho teaches us

And like millions of others, I was quickly hooked on that absurdly simple game, where a tiny yellow bird with a big beak flapped endlessly through green pipes rendered in pixelated graphics.

I remember asking myself: What made a game with such crude graphics and a basic gameplay so irresistibly addictive? Its success clearly did not come from its visuals, but from something deeper; it had a kind of raw and strange simplicity that made it unforgettable.

And now, history seems to be repeating itself. "Pho Anh Hai" (Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant), a game many describe as "clunky," even "so ugly that it's charming," has suddenly gone viral across the Internet.

I find myself in the same position as I was 10 years ago: curious, intrigued and ultimately convinced by the power of simplicity done right.

If Flappy Bird was a raw test of reflexes and persistence, almost maddeningly so, then Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant feels like a humble street meal: modest, homemade, yet deeply satisfying.

Both games prove the same truth: that in the digital world, authenticity and emotional honesty resonate the most.

The game has now gone beyond Vietnam's borders. I was not surprised, but still felt a lump in my throat seeing international streamers, followed by millions, joyfully role-play as a Vietnamese pho vendor.

One foreign player said during a livestream: "I don't understand the whole story, but playing this feels like stepping into a real Vietnam: Friendly, fun and a little mysterious."

Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant succeeded not by trying to mimic western, Japanese or Korean aesthetics or by building a futuristic fantasy world to appeal globally, but by being unapologetically itself: a distinctly Vietnamese space, full of rustic charm, humor and minor wonders here and there.

The game developer working on Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant. Photo by VnExpress/Duong Tam

That is when I realized something we often forget: In storytelling, the more specific you are, the more universal you become.

When you depict a Hanoi street corner with honesty, it becomes a living portrait of a country's memories.

That authenticity, that "soul", is what sets our cultural creations apart in a crowded globalized landscape.

This success reminds me of an old observation. As the world becomes more industrialized and everything around us looks too perfect, too glossy, too alike, people grow tired. Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant feels refreshing precisely because it is not perfect.

So how can Vietnam create more games, or design projects, that succeed like this one? From this story, I see three lessons for local designers and developers.

First, draw from Vietnamese culture and daily life. Stories about pho stalls, sidewalk cafés and local markets are treasure troves of inspiration. The uniqueness of our culture is what makes us different, and the world is always curious about genuine local experiences.

When a game reflects the rhythm, humor, and quirks of Vietnamese life, it does not just tell a story; it carries the Vietnamese spirit across the seas.

Second, don't fear failure. The creator of Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant, known as marisa0704, reportedly made over 200 unsuccessful projects before this one took off. That number is not a mark of shame; it is in fact proof of his persistence. In creativity, failure is just a prelude to success.

Earlier games of his barely reached 10,000 downloads, but this free release of Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant has been downloaded more than 650,000 times. It is proof that perseverance pays off, and sometimes with a 65-fold leap.

Third, prioritize storytelling before technology. A compelling plot and layered characters will always outshine flashy graphics with no real substance. In an era when AI and GPUs can render every strand of hair perfectly, Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant and its blocky graphics stand out precisely because they are, well, blocky.

Players see something familiar in the game: A run-down pho stall with jars of chopsticks and fresh chili, a barking dog in the background, and characters that could not be more real, from a hurried Grab driver to a dog thief on an Exciter bike.

One player commented that Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant inspired them to start building their own game, something they once thought only big studios with bigger budgets could do.

Brother Hai's Pho Restaurant is not just a story about a noodle shop in a village; it is a story about those who dare to experiment, to fail and to persist with only the simplest of tools.

It reminds us that true value does not come from scale or resources, but from the ability to touch what is most familiar and human within our heart.

*Trinh Phuong Quan is an architect.