Hello, I'm Mob. I'm a beginner in Unity development on the Negolove team at SKOOTAGAMES. Usually, I'm just a person who casually makes games and goes home, but this time, I was surprisingly assigned to report on Tokyo Game Dungeon 6.
Writing articles isn't normally my responsibility, but somehow it ended up in my hands... Well, since it's a great opportunity, I'll go ahead and write it.
Today, I would like to talk about the "essence" of indie games from my perspective.
A Casual Organizational Diagnosis You Can Play on Your Smartphone: Career Diagnosis for Evil Organizations
First up is the "Career Diagnosis for Evil Organizations". As someone who works in a company that feels like an evil organization constantly chasing after overtime, I was immediately drawn to this title. The fact that all the characters are cats is also striking. I thought the combination of cuteness and the unexpectedness of an evil organization was a refreshing mix.
The gameplay itself is a mini-game that takes about 3 minutes and is a personality diagnosis type. Since it's a free game published on the web, the volume isn't that large. In this case, I think that is part of the game's "essence."
What particularly caught my eye was the exhibition setup. They utilized QR codes and NFC cards, creating a system where visitors could easily play on their smartphones. As a Unity beginner, this was an element I wanted to take note of.
The screenshot feature for the result screen and the social media sharing options showed thoughtful attention to detail. I realized that the "small but meticulous" craftsmanship unique to indie games led to a solid level of completion. Even within the short playtime, there were clever ideas to entertain players, making it an incredibly enjoyable gaming experience.
[blogcard url=”https://www.freem.ne.jp/win/game/32658″]
An Unexpected Strategy for Challenge Runs: Connect Station
Next up is "Connect Station." At first glance, it looks simple, but playing it reveals quite a challenge.
The game mechanics work like this: you guide a train on the map to the goal, but the train won't move unless you place all the given straight and curved tracks. The idea of forcing you to lay down tracks is quite interesting.
However, the difficulty was higher than I expected. In particular, the presence of a gimmick tile that rotates the track 90 degrees when passing through a switch caused quite a bit of head-scratching. But what stood out the most in this game was a certain "discovery" in the final stage. After being stuck for about 10 minutes, I received the surprising advice from the developer that "you actually don't need to use all the tracks."
This might be a fatal flaw for a puzzle game, but as a playful aspect unique to indie games, it left a good impression. It's not that the puzzles are too difficult. Rather, the freedom to allow unexpected strategies like this, rather than perfect craftsmanship, might be one of the great things about indie games.
[blogcard url=”https://unityroom.com/games/connectstation”]
The Path of Buddha Explained Through a Clicker: Buddha Mashin
The third game I want to introduce is "Buddha Machine". It may look like a simple clicker game, but it is an ambitious work that incorporates Buddhist teachings thoroughly.
The basic system is as expected. You touch the Buddha statue to earn points, and then use those points to increase your stats... up to this point, it seems like a typical clicker game.
However, the interesting part is that you can play this game with something other than a Buddha statue. In other words, you can use a picture of your "favorite," like your pet cat, to play this game. Transforming "attachment" into "merit" really reflects the depth of the teachings.
This is what we call "Pure Land," isn't it?
Another surprising aspect was that there is no ranking feature implemented. It seems to stem from the Buddhist idea that the important thing is not to compare with others, but to fight against oneself.
Additionally, I had the opportunity to receive various explanations from the creators at the booth. Among them, I still can't forget the reason behind the shaved head of one particular creator who was in the center.
"Is hair really necessary for entertainment?"
This answer honestly struck a chord with me. (Of course, I have no intention of going bald myself)
If it were just a clicker game with a Buddhist flavor, it might have ended up as a light-hearted joke game. However, thanks to the developers' sincere attitude, it has taken shape beautifully. It was a work that made me feel the potential to express a unique philosophy that only indie games can offer.
[blogcard url=”https://buddhamachine.online/”]
Irony Woven by Education and Hell: The Children's Garden
The fourth game is "Children's Garden". I was truly shocked by this game.
At first glance, it appears to be a simple puzzle game where you stack blocks, but it is actually based on the Japanese folklore of "Saito Kawara." In this cruel world, children who have passed away before their parents stack stones, only to have a sudden appearance of a demon that continues to knock them down...
The bold idea of combining this with the educational toy "Froebel's Gifts" and expressing it with a UI reminiscent of educational software from the 2000s honestly struck me as "amazing." The combination of educational elements and the hellish worldview evokes an indescribable deep darkness.
The system itself is indeed simple. You just stack blocks, but the way the worldview and system match perfectly creates an experience that goes beyond just a puzzle game. The demo consists of four stages, each with a shorter playtime, but as a result, it has a high-density content with multiple endings.
The sound design is also quite meticulous, featuring somewhat uncomfortable sound effects and unique music created by an indie band, enhancing the overall completeness of the world.
It was a work so well-crafted that it was hard to find any "missed opportunities." Rather, I was surprised that an indie game could be pursued to this extent, and I am looking forward to its release.
A Fragrant Nostalgia: Tokyo Coffee Pandetika
The fifth game is "Tokyo Coffee Pandetika." What left an impression during the game's presentation was, above all, the aroma of coffee wafting through the air.
The gameplay is like this: you brew coffee for the customer in front of you, and your score changes based on the tempo and quality of the brew... It looks like an ordinary café game, but the key point of this game is that it is set during the "COVID-19 pandemic." What was refreshing was the approach of depicting it as something to "nostalgically remember." When I asked the developer, "Is it already that time?" they replied, "I think it's about that time," which made me understand.
The way it was displayed was quite good. Using a controller modeled after a real coffee grinder, players ground beans just like in the game, and surprisingly, it was very effective.
The aroma of coffee wafting through the booth, the nostalgic theme that evokes the past, and the combination of actual experiences in the display... Even now, when I think of the booth, I can faintly smell coffee; the way it was presented can only be described as "smart."
Indie games can express such "experiences" as well.
It's No Longer Just Weight Training: Zen Training
Lastly, let me introduce "Zen Training". This game aims for simultaneous training of both muscles and the mind, abbreviated as "all training." The display booth was unusually lively, so I approached it to find people desperately squatting in front of a monitor, while others watched with great interest... It was hard not to be curious about it.
The mechanism worked like this: a webcam attached to the monitor detected the up-and-down movement of the player's face, causing blocks on the screen to disappear accordingly. Behind the blocks were quizzes of moderate difficulty, and players had to keep squatting to find the answers... According to the developer, there are about 100 questions prepared, which was quite impressive.
Actually, I often see fitness-related games at events, so I didn't have high expectations, but this game had a unique feature that set it apart from the usual novelty games. It allows players to take a selfie with their smartphone and simply move it up and down to clear the game... While this strays far from traditional weight training, it seems the developers consider that "acceptable."
This free-spirited idea of "as long as it's fun to play, it's okay" is what makes indie games so delightful.
I haven't actually played because my camera might break, but watching the people who are playing having so much fun made me feel a bit joyful too.
Reflecting on Game Dungeon 6...
I've introduced six games so far, and I feel like I've truly realized the charm of indie games once again.
It's not about aiming for perfection, nor is it about cutting corners. That "just right" sense of balance might be the essence of indie games, and this has given me a chance to reflect on that.
Starting with a cat's job aptitude test, then a station puzzle, teachings of Buddhism, children's hell, a café during the COVID-19 pandemic, and even muscle training... The themes are all over the place, yet it's fascinating how clearly the developers' "wants" come through in each one.
I feel like I still have a long way to go as someone who just casually makes games and goes home, but I hope that someday our games can evoke that same sense of "just right" in someone.
With that in mind, I’ll look forward to what’s to come, and since it's almost time for me to clock out, I’ll wrap up today’s report here. See you!