Tokyo Game Show 20 23 (TGS2023) was a colorful showcase of indie games. The "Selected Indie 80" program, which focused on indie games, was a great success. Among the record number of entries, I was lucky enough to try out some of the special titles that were actually exhibited at the show, and I will introduce some of the titles that left a lasting impression on me.
Report on the indie game corner!
UNDEFEATED GENESIS
A superhero action game, a test version of this game was on display. Published by Corus Worldwide, the game's appeal is that it allows players to "fly like a hero" and is "powerful.
The Y button on the gamepad can be used to switch between flight modes, and it feels great to soar through the sky with a single button press. Instead of gliding, you can fly as anyone would imagine, so you can soar through the open world at great speeds. The controls are intuitive, and I was able to experience a part of the hero experience right away. Players can also use their "super powers," and there are four types of techniques that consume large amounts of energy to inflict massive damage. Some of the actions were reminiscent of those of famous heroes, such as shooting beams out of their eyes, or creating large energy waves by building up power in familiar poses, which were of course very pleasurable.
Also, by attacking, players were able to "chip away" at the terrain. This allowed the player to obtain various items, find holes under large rocks, etc., and expanded the range of ways to play. The degree of terrain removal also increased with the power of the attacking technique, allowing the player to experience the power of the superhero.
This title shows love and respect for "heroes," and you can add it to your wish list on Steam now, so if you are interested, check out the store page. The previous title, " Undefeated," can be downloaded and played for free on Steam, so if you can't wait, be sure to check that out as well.
Star Leaping Story
Star Leaping Story is a side-scrolling platformer action game, and a demo version was on display. The dots look cute, but the unique mid-air dash system makes it a very robust action game.
When falling in the air, the player can stay in the air by pressing the space key, and then pressing the arrow keys (↑↓→←) to dash in the direction of the arrow. If the arrow keys are pressed again during the dash action, the player can change direction while continuing the dash action, and the game is played by dodging through complex terrain to reach the goal of the stage. The game is quite fun to control the inertia of the dash, which is controlled by the "inertia" of the dash. However, there is a limit to the number of times you can dash, so you must be careful as you advance through the stage.
If you land on safe ground, your dash count will be restored, so even if you hit a wall or a spike and fail again, you can immediately start over at the last save point you reached. The game is a game of repeated trial and error to get through the stages. The simple rules and intuitive mechanics make it easy to play even if you don't understand the language. The game has a fast trial-and-error cycle, and I found myself losing track of when to stop (I lost track of time for about 20 minutes). I felt that this game is recommended for those who want to lose themselves in a game and forget about the time, or for those who want to play an action game with a good finish.
The dots are cute and easy to understand for those who are familiar with retro games. The game is scheduled to be released in 2023, so I would like to play it when it is released. If you are interested in the game after reading this, download the Demo version and don't forget to add it to your wish list.
BQMR(BlockQuest Maker Remasterd)
BQMR (BlockQuest Maker Remasterd) could be played on a portable device. Unlike the above two titles, this one is already being distributed with great popularity. This game is a dungeon maker game. As the title "Remasterd" says, it is a power-up version of the same title that was distributed in the past.
The good thing about this game is that "people all over the world can play the dungeons you create" and "there are a lot of gimmicks, so you can create a very wide range of dungeons. The author also felt that there were many gimmicks in the game. There are not only switches, doors connected to switches, and footholds that can be placed, but also NPCs and a currency system. There are many dungeons waiting for you to solve puzzles, take action to reach the goal, defeat monsters to level up, and so on (there were more dungeons than I can count, so you could play endlessly).
The staff told us that there are already "more than several thousand dungeons" in the game. Even those with zero knowledge of programming can create complex gimmicks, and as an extension, dungeons can be created using the editor, so those who want more of a challenge can take advantage of that. Compared to other games of the same genre, this title, which has so much to offer, is already on sale, as mentioned above. It is available on Steam, PS5, and XBOX, so you should definitely play it on your platform. It is also available on the Switch, so if you don't own one of the above platforms, check it out.
Hyakuju Escape
Hyakkyo Escape is an escape game. In the stage I played, the only requirement is to bring five animals to the goal, but the staff told me that there are other requirements for other stages.
In addition to the fun of a simple riddle-solving game, the "chatting with the animals" was humorous, cute, and scary, and the game had fun that you cannot get from a normal riddle-solving game alone. It was a lot of fun. Talking to the animals can lead to taking them as companions, and they will cooperate with you in certain events, so it is said that actively talking to them will lead to clearing the game.
Also, as the game is called "Hundred Animals," "100 animals actually appear in the game," so it seems that the goal of the game is to make all of the animals your friends. Not all of the animals in the stages are friendly, and some of them will attack you. There are tense scenes where you have to avoid GameOver by running away, so it is important to be careful of animals that look scary before you play.
If you are interested in the game, it is already available on Steam, Switch, iOS, and Android, and you can purchase and play it.
MIRAGE: Ignis Fatuus
MIRAGE: Ignis Fatuus is a stage-crossing 3D puzzle game in which players tilt rectangular boxes to carry them to the goal. The main game content is to aim for the goal by changing the angle of the camera and "tilting" the box to change the view of the stage and connect the paths, and by changing the way the box is tilted to advance along the paths that cannot be taken. It is a simple game, but it is also a fun game to play when you can go to a place where you can't go, and you can say "Ah! I see! It is a simple game, but when you are able to go to a place where you cannot go, the feeling of "Oh, I see! This is a feeling that can only be experienced by actually touching the game, so I highly recommend that you pick up the demo version or the game when it is released.
There is no demo version yet, and the compatible platforms are still undecided, but the previous game is available for iOS and Android, so please play it if you like.
Out of the World
This is a 2D puzzle game in a world where "only what you can see exists. The game is also a game that makes full use of the fact that when you meditate and open your eyes again, the materialized terrain disappears. The thrill of the black game screen, combined with the appearance and disappearance of the terrain, makes this game quite unique. The game is a puzzle game, but what happens when the terrain appears and disappears? On the other hand, the thrill of the game, as if you might fall off the screen, is unbearable. It was almost like a test of courage.
This "new sensation" game is already available on Steam. There are 50 stages in the game, so it looks like a lot of fun. Please pick up a copy and give it a try.
ODDADA
ODDADA is a game about "making sounds" that is quite mysterious. It is officially described as a relaxing rogue light music production game where you can enjoy your own handmade music. To explain the progression of the game, a cute train takes you to various stages. At each stage, objects like building blocks fall down, and if you place them in the right places, they will make sounds. The sound changes depending on the object, so you can create your own unique sound by repeating the process.
Once you have created a satisfactory sound, press the button attached to the train, and the game will take you to the next stage, and so on. As you progress through the stages, more and more sounds are added, and you will find yourself creating your own unique music little by little. This in itself is fun, of course, but I think the appeal of this game is that it is "fun just to make sounds. Just as shaking a rattle for a baby makes it happy, making sounds with ODDADA and having the sound change is "fun, I don't know why, but it is fun. It is fun to predict what kind of music you want to make or what kind of sound it will make when you put it on, but the fact that the ODDADA is made to feel pleasant to the touch just by making sounds is something that even I cannot hide my surprise, and it made me smile.
This work, which cannot be conveyed just by looking at the video or game images, can be added to your Steam wish list now, and will be available soon, so please try this mysterious music production game when it becomes available.
RED MASK
Another game that was not in the indie game booth, but in the Academy booth, was RED MASK. This game is a combination of 2D action and gun shooting, created by the students of Vantan Game Academy. Although it was created by students, it is a hard-hitting action-shooting game, so we hope you will give it a try when it becomes available.
The appeal of this game is the interesting simulation of the bullets and the order in which they are placed in the gun. Before playing a stage, there is a preparation phase, in which you have time to put bullets into the revolver one at a time and select the bullets you will carry one at a time. There are three types of bullets: piercing bullets, ricocheting bullets, and normal bullets, and the order in which they are fired can be decided in advance. The enemies and their positions are determined in advance for each stage, so the main game content of this title is to learn them and repeatedly try and error to conquer the stages.
Although it is possible to kill an enemy with a single blow from a knife attack or avoid enemy bullets with an evasive action, the risk of failure increases because of the considerable risk involved. Therefore, I felt that this is a well-balanced game that requires ad-libbing on the fly, although the strategy is based on simulations of what to do in such situations. As the stage progresses, there are scenes that require action, such as the one where you absolutely have to avoid a certain point in order to get past it, and it has a swamp-like charm that keeps you hooked.
This game is scheduled to appear on Steam soon, so be sure to add it to your wish list and give it a try.
That's it for the indie game corner. While waiting for the titles that are yet to be released, please try the titles introduced here and recommend them to your friends and acquaintances if you like.