【東京ゲームダンジョン7】A Festival of Outrageous Indie Games – There Are Things You Can Only Encounter Here

Hello, I’m Mob. I usually belong to an indie game label called SKOOTAGAMES and am developing as part of the Negolove team, even though I’m a beginner in Unity.

Normally, I’m just a person who makes games at the company and goes home, but it seems that my last report was unexpectedly well-received, so I’ve been entrusted with the report for Tokyo Game Dungeon 7 this time as well.

Usually, I would make excuses like “This isn’t my original responsibility” and try to slack off… But I was quite happy that the last report received a good reputation and was featured in various places.

So, this time, I would like to introduce several shocking works that I found from my perspective, themed around “mind-blowing indie games.”

Progress on Negolove?

…Please let me save that for later.

Now, let’s get started.

There’s Meaning in Publishing: 就活シスターエリーゼ！

Although not much is captured in the photo, I was surprised by the warning that said, “There are bugs.”

The first game I want to introduce is “就活シスターエリーゼ！”. This game truly exceeded expectations right from the start. When I arrived at the booth, the person in charge unexpectedly explained, “The demo version only includes the novel part, and the interview part has bugs, so please let us know if you want to play it.”

And right after starting the game, the protagonist Elise and the character Julia appear and apologize, saying, “I’m sorry for being late～～～っ,” which was a shocking development.

When I actually played it, the demo version indeed consisted only of a short novel part to understand the story. The interview part mentioned in the pamphlet was, as explained, in a state that was hard to call complete.

However, due to the cuteness of the characters and the uniqueness of the world, it rather made me think,

“I wonder what kind of game it will be when it’s completed?”

That expectation was a charm that swelled.

Julia-chan, who is apologizing, is just so cute.

Also, seeing this game reminded me of the “Negolove” that I’m currently working on. I have experience of presenting a game at an event while it was still incomplete, so I felt a sense of déjà vu, an indescribable similarity.

Perhaps because of that, I felt encouraged by the opening statement, “There is meaning in publishing even if it’s incomplete.” It’s a declaration unique to indie games, and it might be one of the correct answers in creating something. I had a short conversation with the creator, and I conveyed that I deeply resonated with the words “There is meaning in bringing it to the world.”

I look forward to it becoming a wonderful game that will surprise us someday. No, I believe so.

Even If You’re Not Good with Horror Games, You Can Enjoy It…?: HauntedStreamer

I was drawn to the booth by the words “It’s a horse game.” Indeed, there were horses.

The next game I want to introduce is “HauntedStreamer.” I heard the words “It’s a horse game” in the middle of the venue, so I couldn’t help but head towards the booth. Sure enough, at the booth I approached, a character wearing a horse mask greeted me.

But that’s not all. This game has a rather outrageous setting where a streamer who wants money does a live stream in a haunted house to earn super chats. Essentially, it’s a rich 3D horror exploration game, but what’s interesting is how the element of “streaming” is utilized.

Among them, missions arise from the chat flowing at the edge of the screen, with some that you should follow and some that you shouldn’t… this unique system was impressive.

The game itself is also well-crafted. The atmosphere of the map and the textures of the objects may initially look like a typical horror escape game, but the previously mentioned “outrageous” elements intertwine to create a bizarre experience where it’s clearly scary yet makes you laugh.

What was particularly interesting was that there is a boss battle at the end. I thought, “A boss battle in a horror game?” but perhaps that kind of idea is precisely the fitting development for this game.

Behind the production, there was a desire to “bring it closer to the actual streaming experience” and “make it enjoyable even for those who are not good with horror games.”

Honestly, I think people who are not good with horror games generally don’t prefer haunted house exploration… but even I, who don’t particularly like horror, felt that the “scary yet fun” atmosphere was indeed realized. So, if there are people around who are not good with horror, I would recommend this work by saying, “I think even you can play it!”

I Want to Wander Like This Forever: ガールズメイドプディング

It seems I wasn’t the only one drawn to the illustration, as a long line formed after this.

The third game is called “ガールズメイドプディング.” Contrary to the cuteness suggested by the title, it was a work with a unique atmosphere.

It tells the story of two girls wandering through an abandoned town on a single motorcycle. According to the creator, it’s a “Girls Talk Touring ADV.”

Drawn in by the unique atmosphere of the illustrations, I decided to play, and it surprisingly conveyed a depth of world-building. What was particularly impressive was the sound design. Despite the dark atmosphere, the gentle BGM that played throughout made me feel, “I want to wander in this world while listening to their conversation forever.”

The game screen of “ムーンレスムーン,” which I was also able to try. The noisy sounds of the venue mixed with the BGM, somehow restoring a sense of peace in my heart.

The gameplay itself is simple, with no particularly difficult aspects. Rather, it is a leisurely work that focuses on enjoying the girls’ talk in an unrealistic world. The mechanism of not being able to skip conversations and having to move a certain distance to progress to the next conversation is one of the unique charms of this game.

It was a wonderful work that conveyed a strong commitment to sound and production within the simplicity typical of indie games.

Both Are Undoubtedly Anticipated Works: Skill Hockey ＆ Do you like/?

Skill Hockey, which had an arcade-style booth that captured attention from afar.

In the fourth booth, I will introduce two games. First, let’s start with “Skill Hockey.”

This is an innovative game that combines air hockey and fighting games, where you control the puck with the mouse while executing moves with the keyboard. There is a restriction that you can’t use moves when the opponent doesn’t have the ball, making it interesting to choose between quickly scoring or carefully aiming for moves.

And what surprised me even more at the same booth was a title called “Do you like/?”. It’s a murder mystery game being developed for the Game Boy, utilizing a Wi-Fi compatible cartridge to achieve AI generation while fitting within the capacity that runs on the Game Boy… When I heard that, I honestly couldn’t believe my ears.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to play it yet. It’s currently in development through crowdfunding, and funding has already been completed, with a release planned soon. I feel a bit hesitant to introduce a game I haven’t played, but I really wanted to convey the potential this game holds.

While utilizing modern technology, it opens up new possibilities for retro games… It shouldn’t be something that can be done so easily.

I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of evaluation it will receive once it’s released.

Everything is Full of Mystery: くつひも物語

I wasn’t the only one drawn in by the charm of the art.

The last game I want to introduce is “くつひも物語.” Before starting the trial, the creator explained, “It’s a novel-style game, and you can finish it once you understand the content to a certain extent.” However, even after playing until the time limit, I couldn’t fully understand what this game was about.

But strangely enough, even though I couldn’t understand it, I couldn’t help but be curious… it had a mysterious charm.

What caught my eye first was the unique pixel art. It had a strange style that mixed nostalgia and novelty, reminiscent of illustrations from 90s epic fantasy novels. The writing was also distinctive, with a somewhat translated tone. It had a unique resonance that you don’t usually encounter in games.

I even asked, “Is this published somewhere?” as I felt there was something behind this game.

In about 10 minutes of trial time, I grasped that “a mute girl named Love Catch lives with a talking cat and dog, and she has been appointed as a hero to defeat the demon king.” Even though I was supposed to be able to finish once I understood the content to a certain extent, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen until time ran out.

The conversation with the creator also remains a memorable experience. It started with a story about being influenced by the 90s video game “Moon,” and when I asked, “What do you usually do?” out of curiosity about the game’s mystery, I received the surprising answer, “I don’t do anything.”

When I inquired about the artwork that intrigued me, I learned that they finish line art created by AI with their unique processing. That production method is also unique to this game.

It’s a strange charm filled with a sense of “I don’t really understand, but I’m curious.” I am very happy to have encountered a work that makes me want to buy and play it once it’s released.

Reflecting on This Game Dungeon 7

The whiteboard, which has become a characteristic of Game Dungeon. I hope to see you again in May.

This time, I introduced five games, and each one had a unique charm that was a bit different from “normal.” From the sister’s job hunting, the streamer in a horse mask, the girls traveling on a motorcycle, the AI-spun incidents, to the mysterious story of shoelaces.

While the level of completion and volume varies, they all convey a definite “something.” That might be the unique encounters that Tokyo Game Dungeon offers.

Normally, I just make games and go home, but I’m glad to have this opportunity again. Just knowing that there is a place where I can meet such unconventional games is a significant gain for me.

If you enjoyed this report, I hope to bring you more wonderful encounters with great works at the next Tokyo Game Dungeon, but it’s about time to wrap up for today.

Progress on Negolove? …That will be for another time. Thank you for your hard work.