It almost felt like a new catchphrase for TIGS.
Hello, I'm Mob from the Negolove team at SKOOTA GAMES.
I attended the indie game festival "Tokyo Indie Games Summit (TIGS) 2026," which took place from March 20 (Friday) to 21 (Saturday) last weekend. This time, the venue moved to "IMAGNUS," a former elementary school in Koenji, making it much easier for visitors to navigate since everything is consolidated in one facility.
At the entrance of the venue, which still retains remnants of former classrooms and hallways, I came across a striking piece of wood that I want to share. It had the following words displayed:
"Learn well, play well"
For the developers exhibiting, it's a place to learn about "fun" from the raw voices of users at the forefront. For us indie game fans, it's a place where we can innocently play within the structures they painstakingly created. I felt that these words truly symbolize the indie game event itself.
This time, I’d like to quickly introduce three titles that captured my heart at this intersection of learning and play.
Bringing to life the "combination everyone dreamed of" — 'HIPS N NOSES'
That's what this game is about.
First up is 'HIPS N NOSES'. To put it simply, it's "a dish seasoned with a unique spice to create the ultimate combination everyone envisions."
For those who regularly play games, I would describe it as a fusion of "café management simulation" and "Vampire Survivor-like top-down rogue-like action." On the other hand, for those unfamiliar with such genre names, it might be easiest to convey it as "a story where you manage a café during the day to earn funds and defeat monsters that come at you in the dream world at night."
Regardless of which description you hear, it’s quite an enticing title, isn’t it? I felt it has a very strong appeal, not only to core gamers seeking new fun but also to casual players drawn in by its world and characters.
Now, I’d like to take a moment to think about the development circumstances of indie games.
At the entrance of this year's TIGS, there was a huge panel displaying an illustration with the words "Create the game you want to play." This phrase seems to encapsulate the theme of the event and embodies the essence of indie game development. However, it's strangely ironic that in a market where hundreds of new titles are born every year in Japan alone, the straightforward combination of "mainstream genre × mainstream genre" often becomes an overlooked option.
"I love running a café, so let's add a unique element," or "Let's tweak the roguelike system a bit" are approaches we often see, but it's rare to encounter a work that boldly challenges the idea of "let's clearly combine these two genres that are interesting to anyone!" and successfully brings it to life. This game made me realize just how uncommon that is.
Why is it so rare? Answering that question right away is quite difficult, but perhaps it's because the challenge of seamlessly "implementing" two different gameplay styles into one work and balancing them is a significant hurdle. A strong "axis" that connects the two elements, which can easily become disjointed, is absolutely essential.
So, what was that axis in 'HIPS N NOSES'? It was undoubtedly "artistic quality." The character designs, featuring exquisite cartoonish deformations, and the matching 3D graphics captured the attention of many at the venue.
Art with a strong personality can often divide opinions, but the fact that users are drawn in by that art and then encounter such an intriguing system and world is undoubtedly the game's greatest weapon.
The phrase "fusion of genres" can be easily spoken, but there is no doubt that this unique art style functions as a vessel that encompasses all elements. Although the release is still a bit away, this work has me excited about the new horizons it may open for indie games.
Transforming Invisible Fears into "Advantages" — 'Crystal Princess Labyrinth'
Next up is 'Crystal Princess Labyrinth'. The key visual I had seen on social media for a while was impressive, and I had secretly added it to my wishlist. I remember seeing it at past events, but this was the first time I was able to play the demo at this TIGS.
Before playing, I imagined it would be a story-driven adventure about a girl with special abilities escaping from a laboratory. However, once I actually tried it, I realized that the emphasis on "puzzles" was much greater than I had expected.
The unique setting of "escaping from an invisible enemy" functions brilliantly as the core of the game system, going beyond mere horror elements. The gimmick of temporarily revealing the enemy's form using special abilities often resembles themes from horror films, creating a unique sense of fear and tension reminiscent of my favorite movie, 'Lights Out (2016)'.
Additionally, the "clarity" of the game structure is noteworthy. The cycle of "solving puzzles (clearing stages)" → "gaining hints about the story and world" repeats, allowing players to progress to the next area after clearing three stages. While the game does provide explanations, it's very user-friendly, as players can naturally understand, "Ah, this is how the flow progresses," after just a little playtime.
"Invisible enemies," "a suspicious laboratory conducting experiments," "a girl without one eye (the subject)"... For adventure game lovers, just listing these elements is enough to make one's mouth water with excitement. During the limited time of the demo, I felt a strong desire to know more, but conversely, this also means that my expectations for the elements to be revealed at the official release are extremely high.
Regarding the core puzzle system, there is a hint system designed to cater to players from beginners to advanced levels. However, as a gamer, I find myself wanting a perfectly balanced difficulty that teases my mysterious pride and challenge spirit, making me think, "I will definitely solve this without hints!" It might sound complicated, but it’s not just about wanting it to be "easy." The unique difficulty of puzzles and the accompanying mental anguish ultimately transform into the pleasure of saying, "I did it with my own hands!" I believe that is the essence of puzzle games. (To confess, I couldn't clear the final stage and succumbed to the temptation of hints...)
Why can it captivate me so much? It’s because the "invisible enemy" in this game is not just an obstacle that corners the player in the shortest distance. Understanding the mechanisms of the monsters with diverse personalities and transforming the "threat" they pose into "advantages" that I can utilize is what makes this game so appealing.
With the developer's excellent ideas laid out, if they connect appropriately, it could become a work that quenches both the "thirst for gameplay" in adventure games and the "thirst for story" in puzzle games simultaneously. From this demo, I felt an immeasurable potential.
The greatest joy of experiencing an unreleased game lies not just in waiting for something already interesting to be released, but in witnessing the process of "how an unfinished game shapes itself towards release" and being able to anticipate it. It might put a bit of pressure on it, but I have high expectations that Crystal Princess's Labyrinth will be a work that allows us to enjoy just such a process.
A Whimsical and Mad World of a Delicate Garden - MeKururi Witch
Lastly, I would like to introduce MeKururi Witch, which stands out with its unique system that runs through the game. Many may recognize the creator, SleepingMuseum, known for titles like Maturo Palette and Death Antique. Upon researching, it seems the game was showcased at BitSummit in 2021, but recently the Steam page was published, allowing us to encounter it again at this event. (Does this mean development has resumed? If so, that’s great!)
The unforgettable unique art style common in SleepingMuseum's other works immediately captures attention, but more than that, the setting of "rotating the stage" that forms the foundation of this game provides a unique experience that is hard to find in other games.
Players are thrown into a stage where circular layers overlap in front and back. It feels as if a hamster is running on a wheel from above. While rotating the stage with the left and right keys, players explore a world reminiscent of a puppet show. As mentioned earlier, since the stage layers overlap in front and back, there is a gimmick that allows movement to the layers in the back or front by rotating left and right. The puzzle aspect of aligning the stages placed on separate layers, like unlocking a dial lock, was a very refreshing sensation.
This alone was sufficiently enjoyable to play, but the boss battle waiting at the end of the demo transformed beautifully into an "action game" requiring timing and quick judgment, further raising my expectations for future developments.
There are countless points I want to look forward to in this work, but what I personally find most noteworthy is the "compatibility of art and games." As mentioned earlier, the art in this game is quite original. Essentially, high-density line art in a monochrome style fills the entire screen. This game creates a natural sense of perspective for the objects in front of you by combining the "2D" operation of moving left and right with the "3D" operation of moving back and forth. I believe this, combined with the high-density line art, contributes to an eerie yet somehow cute, fairy-tale-like atmosphere.
It may be a matter of personal preference for some, but I personally felt that this intricate line art creates different flavors in the frontmost and rearmost layers, giving the illusion of peering into a meticulously crafted "miniature garden." A story and puzzle that you can enjoy while spinning around such a beautifully chaotic stage. How many gamers could resist the excitement in front of this?
I believe there are already quite a few indie game users who know about this work as fans of SleepingMuseum and are following it, but I wanted to introduce it with the hope that its unique gameplay and eye-catching style will catch the attention of even more people.
Before the Final Bell Rings
The fusion of genres, the reversal of ideas, and the wonderful interplay of perspective and art. Although the three works introduced this time have different directions, they are all packed with the developers' extraordinary "commitment."
The space where creators and players directly exchange energy at the event venue is always a great stimulus, no matter how many times you visit.
Now, I've overstayed my welcome, but I must return to my real-world duties soon. I dream of casually making games and leaving work on time, but being inspired by their passion makes me want to engage a little more with the development of our own titles.
If you find any titles that catch your interest, please be sure to add them to your Steam wishlist and experience their "play." Until next time, see you in the next report!