Tokyo Game Show 2021 will be held from September 30 to October 3, 2021, and on October 1, the second day of the show, the " Sense of Wonder Night 2021 (SOWN2021 )," a pitch contest for indie game developers, will be held online. SOWN2021 is an online pitch contest for indie game developers.
SOWN2021 is an online game developer pitch contest for indie game developers, which seeks to discover game ideas that will cause a "sense of wonder" (a feeling of something changing in one's world) the moment anyone sees or hears the concept. SOWN2021 is an event to discover ideas for games that will trigger a "sense of wonder," that is, "a feeling that changes your world the moment you see it or hear about its concept.
We are pleased to introduce you to the eight finalists!
The SOWN jury has selected 8 finalists to advance to SOWN2021 from among the 80 TGS2021 ONLINE indie game "selected exhibits". Two games from Japan, two from Israel, and one each from India, the Netherlands, Canada, and Belgium were selected as finalists.
Operation: Tango
Developed by Clever Plays Studio, Canada. For more information, visit the official website!
Two player co-op from different perspectives!
Operation: Tango " is a non-targeted cooperative game where you are split into two players, the agent and the hacker, and you support each other!
You and the hacker are in two completely different perspectives, so the only communication you can have is through your "voice"!
You can buy one "Friend Pass" and invite another friend to play with you, or play with people you don't know online.
Available on the Steam sales page.
The Sound of Hide and Seek
Japanese katakoto development. More info from the official site!
Look, listen, and explore your memories!
"The Sound of Hide and Seek " is a smartphone game that lets you relive your memories using AR in your room!
Light up your feet, collect objects such as pencils, and solve the mystery by unraveling some memories.
Sometimes you can actually close your eyes, listen, look up, and enjoy all sorts of interactions!
Do Not Buy This Game
Developed by Kingblade Games, Israel. For more information, please visit the official website!
This game is not ready yet!
" Do Not Buy This Game " is a comedic walking simulator where the game is created while you play!
The game creator welcomes you as a narrator so you can work with the creator to develop the game!
According to the creator, once you complete the game, you will be able to "talk about how hard it is to develop a game!
You can play the demo version on Steam!
Blind Drive
Developed by Lo-Fi People in Israel. For more information, please visit the official website!
Blind Drive!
Blind Drive, also known as "VR for your ears," is a game in which you drive a car blindfolded, relying on sound to drive the car out of control!
Inspired by the 90's crime comedy movies, you will encounter some really crazy situations! For example, you can dive underwater to ask for help from dolphins or crash into an ice cream truck and eat ice cream!
You can play the demo version from Steam! It will be available on the App Store and Google Play in the next year!
Eloquence
Developed by Multiverse Narratives in the Netherlands. For more information, please visit the official website!
Communicate by imitating unknown languages!
" Eloquence " is a puzzle game in which players communicate using symbols, signs, and body language!
Players are on a fictional island in the Pacific Ocean, learning the body language of the locals and communicating their thoughts to stop a volcano from er upting.
A demo version is available on Steam!
In My Shadow
Developed by Playbae in India. More info from the official site!
Everyone has played with shadows at least once!
" In My Shadow " is an action-puzzle game where you use the shadows on the walls to get ahead!
In this game, there are two modes: one is to place the furniture in the room, and the other is to use the shadows for action. There is more than one way to clear a room. You can place furniture efficiently or combine furniture and use shadows to clear the room.
You can play the demo version from Steam!
Labyrinth of Mystery and Memory
Developed by Soramame Games in Japan. More details from the official site!
A manga where no one knows the ending!
"Labyrinth of Mystery and Memory" is a smartphone game where you dive into the world of manga and solve mysteries along with a girl!
In this game, by solving the riddles in the manga world, you will be able to read the continuation of the manga that was interrupted in the middle of the story. Players will also be able to exchange information with other players on social networking sites to find a good ending!
You can play the demo version from the official website of Labyrinth of Mystery and Memory!
Please, Touch The Artwork
Developed by Thomas Waterzooi in Belgium. For more information, please visit the official site!
Be like an artist!
Please, Touch The Artwork " is a puzzle game inspired by the abstract paintings of Piet Mondrian!
There are three different modes: a color puzzle to recreate the color patterns, a puzzle to meet Boogie and Uggie, and a maze game to collect the letters to read the poem. Each one will surely give you the experience of finding the best pattern by trial and error, just like an artist trying to find a specific rule! The game is easier to understand if you actually play it than if you watch the video.
You can play the demo version from Steam!
SOWN2021's Grand Prize Best Experimental Game Award
- Blind Drive
The grand prize of SOWN2021, the Best Experimental Game Award, went to " Blind Drive," a VR game for your ears! Congratulations!
The winners of SOWN2021 are as follows!
Grand Audience Award
- Blind Drive
Best Presentation Award
- Do Not Buy This Game
Best Arts Award
- Please, Touch The Artwork
Best Game Design Award
- Operation: Tango
Best Technological Game Award
- The Sound of Hide and Seek
Congratulations to all the game creators who won their respective awards.
According to game journalist Kiyoshi Shin, a member of the judging panel, the games were selected based on the criteria of " new communication using games " and "questioning the conventional wisdom of games. Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony Interactive Entertainment's Indie Initiative, commented that "some of the 80 games that did not make the finalist list may score higher than the finalists in the Metacritic. The finalists were selected by the
We encourage you to play not only the winning games, but also the games that were entered in the competition.
You can watch the SOWN2021 finalists on YouTube!
Sorry, this article is only available in Japanese. at the moment.
