and I was able to capture quite a rare scene.
Hello, I am Mob, part of the Negorabu team at SKOOTAGAMES. It has become my daily routine to quietly enjoy the aroma of brewed coffee in between typing on the keyboard.
Recently, I visited the indie game exhibition focused solely on novel games, “DREAMSCAPE#3”, held at Shinjuku Lumine Zero. This event, which gathers games centered around “reading,” is quite niche, yet it is filled with profound charm. The venue was enveloped in a quiet enthusiasm from creators and players who love stories.
In this report, I would like to introduce three unique novel games that I encountered at DREAMSCAPE#3, which particularly captivated me. Even though they are all categorized as “novel games,” their methods of expression and themes are incredibly diverse. Let me share with you the encounters with these works that will make you unable to stop turning the pages.
Today, I absolutely will not get drunk! : A night of home drinking, swaying “friendship” and “true feelings” beyond the glass
First, I would like to introduce the work “Today, I absolutely will not get drunk!” created by Machihachi Chiyo. Just from the title, it evokes a sense of familiarity, as if I have experienced something similar (laughs), creating a sense of closeness.
The story’s protagonist is a 20-year-old university student named “Arima.” He aims to adjust his drinking pace while having a home drinking session with his friend Tatsumi, trying to continue the conversation without getting drunk, making it a rather rogue-like adventure game. Despite the cute pixel art characters, if you accidentally drink too much, it’s an instant game over, and you have to start over, which adds a slightly harsh difficulty that, conversely, fuels the desire to challenge “this time for sure!”
As noted on the official site, this work also contains what is known as BL elements. However, even for someone like me who is not well-versed in that area, the interactions between the characters were heartwarming, and I enjoyed it as a refreshing moment of youth. Yet, what makes this work interesting is that it doesn’t end there. The characters’ behaviors and lines at unexpected moments evoke curiosity about “what will happen next…?” thanks to the BL elements, creating a delicate balance that stimulates the player’s imagination and conveys the depth of the story.
Surprisingly, “Today, I absolutely will not get drunk!” is currently available for free on “Novel Collection.” With a playtime of about 5 minutes, it offers a compact experience, yet there are three different endings, each with conditions that are worth contemplating, making it a well-crafted work that doesn’t feel like it’s free. The detailed movements of the characters’ pixel art also grow on you the more you see them.
Every time I encounter various games at events, I think about how “just an interesting game” and “a game you want to talk about” might be slightly different, even though they seem similar. This work is precisely the latter, where each player interprets different emotions from the characters’ casual remarks and actions, wanting to share that with someone… it feels like a work that has that “space” to do so. According to the developer, Machihachi Chiyo, there are plans to release new works for free in the future. If you feel even a little interested after reading this article, why not join Arima and Tatsumi for a home drinking session?
Zakurou Danchi: The “rules” lurking in everyday life and the ominous gaze through the surveillance camera
Next, I would like to introduce the first-person horror adventure “Zakurou Danchi” created by Kijinago. A flyer posted somewhere in the city reads “Now hiring day shift security guards for apartment complexes,” along with several strange “rules.” Just from this, do you understand? Yes, it is a work that strongly evokes the taste of “Napolitan horror stories.”
The player, for some reason, will work as a day shift security guard at “Zakurou Danchi” for ten days. The main tasks include checking surveillance cameras in the security room, responding to visitors, and patrolling the complex. However, there are several strict rules that must be followed. “Always greet the residents,” “Always have visitors write their real names on the guest list,” and “Never speak to the woman in white clothing.” Breaking these rules brings about an indescribable danger, threatening to lose the peaceful daily life that has been enjoyed until now… it was a solid Napolitan experience that conveyed that sense of foreboding.
The game controls are very simple, using a point-and-click method. However, despite this simplicity, the calm color scheme dominated by black and red that covers the entire screen, combined with the cute character designs and the incongruity of realistic backgrounds, constantly gives players an indescribable eeriness and a sense of pressure that “something bad is about to happen.” The grainy footage from the surveillance cameras, occasional startling sounds, and the residents’ cryptic words… the gradual feeling of being mentally cornered is truly a quality horror experience.
skillful.
What I found particularly interesting about this game was the presence of that “sense of déjà vu.” The system of confirming visitors on the monitor in the security room and cross-referencing with the list will likely remind many players of the famous “That’s not my Neighbor”, and the element of detecting anomalies through surveillance cameras evokes memories of the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” series. After trying the game, I had a chance to talk briefly with the developer, and I was surprised to hear them mention that they were influenced by these works.
While this “influence” could easily be seen as imitation, the developer does not hide it but rather elevates it to respect, firmly constructing a unique worldview and story. I felt the seriousness of the creator and, above all, a strong passion for “wanting to make games.” Remarkably, the developer has only recently started making games and has created this work through self-study. I am simply in awe of their drive and their sense of interpreting and reconstructing existing interesting elements in their own way. Therefore, it would be a great loss to judge this work solely based on the preconceived notion of “it resembles that game.” If you ever have the opportunity to see it somewhere, I hope you will experience the daily life of “Zakurou Danchi” with your own eyes.
Day Day Neon Tea: Beyond the fourth wall, the “experience” connected by bubble tea
Now, the last game I would like to introduce in this DREAMSCAPE#3 report is “Day Day Neon Tea” created by npckc. Set in the near future, this unique sci-fi novel game involves providing bubble tea to robots and androids. The playtime was about 5 minutes, but within that short time, an unforgettable and intense “experience” was condensed.
When the game starts, the player is asked several questions by a staff robot from the “Robot Regulation Committee,” almost like a psychological test. The story progresses as you answer these questions, but after a while, the staff robot says, “I’ll be away for a moment” and disappears from the screen. At this point, you might think, “Huh?” but the real surprise awaits beyond that.
In fact, on the table of the demo station, there was a pamphlet placed. When I casually picked it up and turned it over, there was a shocking message written in a handwritten style: “Don’t trust the committee!! If the staff leaves and the screen goes to screensaver, tap the top left of the screen! When you’re done reading, turn it back over!” Following the instructions, when I tapped the top left of the screen, a completely different hidden screen appeared, and the story began to roll in an unexpected direction. It was a performance that broke the “fourth wall” where the game world and reality intersect. I was impressed by this setup.
The problematic pamphlet is on the right side of the image.
To be honest, the content I experienced during the trial of “Day Day Neon Tea” might be a bit difficult to imagine as a completed form for PC or console games. It was that kind of work, extremely experimental and conceptual, that shines the most in that specific place and moment of the “DREAMSCAPE#3” event.
However, that’s precisely why this game experience was strongly etched in my memory. After the trial, I saw the creator happily discussing the game’s impressions with other players, and I suddenly thought. Perhaps the true purpose of this game is not just to provide a completed story unilaterally, but to design the “experience” itself, where people connect through the medium of games and share surprises and enjoyment at this event.
npckc has released many unique works in the past, all created with free thinking that does not adhere to existing genres or frameworks. This time, “Day Day Neon Tea” also borrowed the format of a novel game, but its essence might have been something closer to “experiential art.” If there are those who skipped participating in DREAMSCAPE#3 simply because it was an event focused on novel games, I hope they come to know that there were such stimulating and thought-provoking works there.
The “baton” of stories received at DREAMSCAPE
It felt very much like “the exhibition.”
Now that I have introduced three unique “reading” games, what did you think? “Today, I absolutely will not get drunk!” depicts the subtleties of human relationships hidden in trivial conversations during a home drinking night. “Zakurou Danchi” portrays the fear of surveillance and rules lurking in everyday life. And “Day Day Neon Tea” connects reality and fiction by breaking the fourth wall.
What I felt common among these works is that they are not just “interesting stories,” but they possess a “space” and “passion” that prompts players to question something, think, and want to share that experience with someone. Especially because it is an event focused solely on novel games, the creators may have found it easier to challenge deeper, more personal themes and experimental expressions.
The venue did not have loud cheers or flashy performances, but at each booth, developers passionately spoke about the thoughts they put into their works, while players immersed themselves in those story worlds with serious expressions… it was a quiet yet undeniably passionate space. It was a wonderful sight that made me re-recognize the fundamental power of stories.
This DREAMSCAPE#3 provided me with an opportunity to deeply contemplate “what is a story” and “what are the possibilities of telling stories through games.” And I feel as if I have received a warm “baton” from the wonderful works I encountered there and the creators who brought them to life. I must connect this baton to my own game development… with that new determination in my heart, I would like to conclude this report.
