[Inside LINE] It's 5PM in Indonesia During Ramadan,
People Are Getting Restless and LINE Is There With Them

   © Mohammed Alim via Pexels
Around 5 p.m. during Ramadan, you can notice a change in how people act. Small things. People start checking the time more often. The sun hasn’t set yet. Iftar isn’t here yet. You’re a little hungry, a little bored, and very aware of the clock. In Indonesia, there’s a word for this window: "ngabuburit" — the time spent waiting before breaking the fast.

Some people walk around. Some sit outside mosques. Some scroll. Phones come out almost automatically.

Ramadan is still very much offline. Families wake up for sahur, gather late in the day for iftar, and plan visits throughout the evening. But between those anchor moments, there’s a lot of in-between time. Short messages. Quick videos. A few minutes to kill before sunset.

And LINE has been part of that in-between time for years.

Back in 2016, it started with a simple Ramadan official account. Prayer schedules. Short reflections. Things that felt relevant for the month. Nothing dramatic — just something people could check if they wanted to. Over time, it evolved. Some years brought quizzes. Other years introduced chatbots. There were small interactive missions, social challenges, and light games designed to play during the festivity goes on. 

“For many people in Indonesia, Ramadan is always a special time of year,” said Gabby Thanissia Halim, a designer at LINE Indonesia. “Beyond reflection and worship, it’s also a season of togetherness, from eating with family and friends to group chats suddenly getting much more active than usual.” 
Bringing a Sense of WOW This Ramadan for LINE Users

For 2026, LINE Indonesia kept that same approach but also leaned more into fun.

In a special campaign held by LINE in Indonesia throughout Ramadan, LINE focused on building things that fit into the way people connect to friends and family during the month. 

This year’s main activation was gamification. Four mini-games were released weekly, every Monday throughout Ramadan.
LINE's Ramadan game Sandal Defender
“This Ramadan, LINE wanted to help people feel even more connected by introducing LINE Ramadan Games,” said Gabby. It shows how LINE connects people not just through messaging, but also through fun experiences that users can enjoy together.”

The Ramadan games intentionally simple and quick to play.

* Sandal Defender turns a familiar mosque scenario — protecting your sandals — into a fast whack-a-mole game.
* Kolak Catcher is about catching falling kolak, a special Ramadan’s dessert.
* Lontong Slasher challenges players to slice lontong (traditional rice cake) evenly.
* Beduk Warrior transforms the traditional drum into a rapid tapping challenge.
LINE's Ramadan game Sandal Defender
None of them are meant to take over your day. They’re built for short bursts, the few minutes before iftar, a break after dinner, or a quick scroll during sahur.

“The LINE Ramadan games are a fun way to pass the time,” said Syllal, a 29-year-old LINE user from Cianjur, southeast of Jakarta. “Maybe because I already like using LINE, I always get excited by things like this. Especially playing with the people around me and family, sharing our scored makes it even more fun.”
LINE's Ramadan game Sandal Defender
Ramadan doesn’t need to be reinvented. It already has its own rhythm. The idea is simply to build something that fits inside it.

At around 5 p.m., when people check the time again, some of them might open LINE too.