In just a few short weeks since the end of October 2025, the Vietnamese and international online community has been “crazy” about an indie game with a rustic name: “Game Phở Anh Hai” (full name: Brother Hai’s Pho Restaurant).
Without ads or massive media campaigns, this game climbed to the top 1 of Google Trends on its own , creating a “ghost” address search frenzy and becoming an incredible marketing case study.
Let’s join Khoiology in analyzing the full picture of this viral phenomenon.
What is “Brother Hai’s Pho Game”? The Surprise Hit from a HUST Student
Before becoming a “hot trend,” Phở Anh Hai was a passionate personal project by Marisa0704 (Tung), a student at Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST).
- Author: Tung started programming games in 10th grade, going through over 200 failed projects.
- Notably: Phở Anh Hai is not a graduation thesis but just a personal project.
- Technology: The game was made with the free Godot engine , simply because Tung’s computer wasn’t powerful enough to run “heavy” engines like Unity or Unreal.
- Platform & Genre: The game is released 100% free on the itch.io platform (supporting Windows/Linux).
- It is a unique blend of:
- Business simulation (selling pho)
- Horror – Dark comedy
- Role-playing (RPG) with 4 different endings.
“Purely Vietnamese” Storyline and Gameplay Forged Success
Players take on the role of Anh Hai, the owner of a humble pho restaurant at the fictional address “No. 10 Dan Phuong, Hanoi“.
The gameplay seems simple but is full of surprises:
- Sales simulation: You must serve customers’ exact orders: rare pho, hot pho, extra onions, add fried dough sticks, or even… pho with cold rice (priced at 15k/bowl).
- You must calculate and give back the correct change.
- Unique “survival” element: The most important task is to guard Cau Vang (a Bull Terrier dog) from the “Exciter dog-napping gang” that is always lurking.
- This is the key addictive point of the game.
Decoding the Viral Storm: The 3 Triggers That Created the “Phở Anh Hai” Phenomenon
This is the most interesting part from a marketing perspective.
“Phở Anh Hai” is a perfect example of Organic Viral built on 3 main pillars:
1. Trigger #1: The Power of Memes and “Cậu Vàng is Gone” (UGC)
The storm began when major streamers/YouTubers like Hat Snow Player (1.84M subs) and Kubz Scouts (6.3M subs) played and spread the game.
But it was the gaming community that turned it into a phenomenon.
- “Cậu Vàng is Gone” Meme: Failing to protect Cau Vang (Bad Ending) became a national “meme”.
- User-Generated Content (UGC): Thousands of meme videos, funny edit clips, fanart, and even “Phu ba” (rich lady) character cosplay were produced at breakneck speed and shared across TikTok, Facebook, and X. Every player created their own content, becoming a free “ambassador” for the game.
2. Trigger #2: VTV “Joins In” – Mainstream Media Confirms the Trend
A hot trend is only truly “mature” when recognized by mainstream media.
The hype surrounding Phở Anh Hai transcended the boundaries of the gaming community and even reached VTV. Vietnam Television (VTV) produced a news report, broadcasting it on the prestigious program Chuyển động 24h (24h Motion). This move effectively “legitimized” the game, elevating it from a mere “internet game” to a recognized “cultural phenomenon.”
Even more impressively, the trend’s influence was demonstrated when official government fanpages got involved. Notably, the Government Information Fanpage (Fanpage của Thông tin Chính phủ) hopped on the trend with a creative meme. They cleverly used the imagery of “Cậu Vàng” (Cau Vang) and the “Exciter gang” to embed a public service announcement, warning citizens about the issue of theft and reminding them to maintain public security and order. The fact that an official government page used this meme created a massive boost in reach, showcasing the “soft power” of pop culture when harnessed correctly.
3. Trigger #3: When “Virtual” Spills into “Real” – From Google Maps to Brand Trendjacking
The game’s effect spilled over from computer screens, creating real-world behavior:
- The “10 Dan Phuong” Craze: Thousands of people searched for this fictional address on Google Maps, even leaving 5-star reviews. Food delivery apps were also “confused” by the volume of searches for “Phở Anh Hai”.
Brand “Trendjacking”: A series of major brands did not miss the opportunity:
Ride-hailing & Delivery Sector:
- be: The Be Fanpage also joined in with an image of a “confused” driver in their yellow uniform looking for “10 Dan Phuong,” with the humorous caption: “We’ll take any ride, except a ride to find Brother Hai’s Pho Restaurant because our drivers can’t find it!”
- Xanh SM: Quickly created a “Phở Anh Hai” location on its own map, placing it at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (where the game’s author studies).
F&B (Food & Beverage) Sector:
- KFC: The fried chicken brand also got involved intelligently. Instead of competing with “Pho,” KFC posted an image of Colonel Sanders next to a Bull Terrier. The implication was: “Anh Hai has Pho, We have Chicken. We share a passion for serving customers… and protecting our ‘treasure’.”
Retail Sector:
- Coopmart: This supermarket chain hopped on the trend by focusing on ingredients: “Want to make delicious pho like Anh Hai? Come to Coopmart to buy… (the only thing we don’t sell is Cậu Vàng).” The post was both humorous and cleverly promoted its products and pho ingredients.
Real-life Effect (Offline):
- The “virtual” craze created “real” results. A barbecue restaurant in Hanoi suddenly became famous and saw a surge in customers, just because the owner had a Bull Terrier dog named “Tam” who looked identical to Cậu Vàng from the game.
How to Download and Play Brother Hai’s Pho Game (Free)
You can experience the “Phở Anh Hai” phenomenon right now for free by following these steps:
- Go to the author’s official itch.io page: https://marisa0704.itch.io/brother-hais-pho-restaurant
- Click “Download” and choose your version (Windows or Linux). The game size is ~1.6GB after extraction.
- Unzip the downloaded file.
- Run the .exe file to start the game, select Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt), and “Mở cửa” (Open) to start business.
Note when playing: The game contains some sensitive, horror content and is not for children.
And most importantly: Don’t lose Cau Vang!
Conclusion
“Game Phở Anh Hai” has proven that a “homegrown” indie game product, without needing massive graphics or a marketing budget, can still “dominate” the market if it is built on creativity and a deep understanding of local culture.
