The Geo-Cultural Adaptation of Game Design for Global Adoption
- Talia Baruch
- Apr 23
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
By Talia Zur Baruch, GlobalSaké & LocLearn Founder

“We do not stop playing games because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing games.” (Shigeru Miyamoto)
Different cultures carry different myths, legends, and values that shape the way stories are told, and how they're received. Games relive these values, and it's our job to transform the experience in a way that resonates with players across the globe.
When we create or adapt a game for new markets, we must first ask:
Who is our player?
What triggers their emotions, motivates their actions, or drives their delight?
Our ultimate goal is to offer an adaptive game experience—one that goes beyond entertainment and achieves an organic, authentic player immersion.
“Characters are not just pixels on a screen. They are an extension of the player, a vessel for their hopes and dreams in the game world.” (Shigeru Miyamoto)
I like to use this 4-Elements Persona framework, which can apply to Game character development, as well as to product usability use case personas in broader product launches.
The 4-Element Persona Framework:

Physio. Physical Traits: What does the character look like? What’s their demographic, sensory characteristics, body language?
Psycho. Psychological Traits: What drives their decision-making? What triggers their emotion, discovery, and satisfaction?
Socio. Social Traits: How do they behave? How do they communicate, connect, interact with others, their relationships?
Ideo. Ideological Traits: What do they care about? What are their cultural values, faith beliefs, ethical codes, moral views, esthetic principles, aspirations?
Let’s say we design a character for the US market—maybe a bold, sarcastic, emotionally open heroine. Now we want to bring her into Japan’s market.
In the upfront Persona prototyping phase, we should ask:
Does her Physio match local aesthetic norms and visual expectations?
Is her Psycho in tune with how Japanese players process emotions and challenges?
Are her Socio traits (like assertiveness or humor style) aligned with social behavior norms?
And importantly, does her Ideo reflect values that feel authentically relevant within Japanese cultural frameworks—like honor, perseverance, or collectivism? Does her voice and tone resonate with local cultural expectations?
Japanese, for example, has nine levels of honorific speech. The distinction between formal and casual dialogue isn’t just a style choice—it reflects relationship, age, hierarchy, and intimacy levels.
Case Study: Ghost of Tsushima – A US Game for a Japanese Heart
Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima is a powerful example of persona-driven localization and culturalization. Although developed in the US, the game is a love letter to Japanese samurai culture, that resonated with Japanese audiences and received widespread acclaim in Japan. Ghost of Tsushima also creates a stark cultural contrast between the Japanese and Mongols through its architectural features. The various Mongol camps across the game's map portray their nomadic lifestyle, featuring yurts made from animal hides and wooden frames.
Here’s how it nailed the 4 elements:
Physio. Jin Sakai’s appearance, clothing, and swordplay are drawn from authentic period references. The UI and visuals draw on traditional Japanese art and design.
Psycho. Jin’s internal conflict—honor vs. survival—mirrors classical samurai narratives. His stoic nature aligns with Japanese storytelling tradition, allowing emotional depth to unfold through quiet moments and subtle choices.
Socio. Character interactions are formal, layered with subtext, silence, and space. The game respects Japanese conversational rhythm and social behaviors.
Ideo. At its core, Ghost of Tsushima is about sacrifice, duty, and harmony with nature—key pillars of Japanese philosophy and Bushidō (the way of the warrior). Ghost of Tsushima wasn’t simply localized; it was culturalized. It felt like a game made for Japan, not just available in Japan. Japanese voice acting was recorded first (a rare move for a Western-developed title), and players in Japan could choose a Kurosawa Mode—black-and-white visuals and a grainy filter inspired by classic samurai films.
"Innovation is not about creating something completely new; it's about finding new ways to approach the familiar." (Shigeru Miyamoto)
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