At the Place Where the World’s “Heat” Gathers – Tokyo Game Show 2025 Indie Exploration Report [Part 1]

Hello, I am Mob from the Negorabu team at SKOOTA GAMES.

Recently, I was at the venue of the world’s largest gaming festival, the “Tokyo Game Show 2025,” held at Makuhari Messe. The overwhelming wave of people filling the venue, the sounds and lights resonating from the gigantic booths, and the dazzling new titles showcased by well-known major publishers… The sheer intensity of it all was truly worthy of being called a “festival,” incomparable to any other event.

Amidst this massive flood of light, I found myself naturally drawn to a small area that quietly radiated a strong individuality, namely the “Indie Games” section. I thought that it was precisely because these indie games were displayed alongside AAA titles on such a grand stage that their inherent charm and underlying strength would become more vividly apparent.

The Tokyo Game Show is a place where games from all over the world gather, transcending Asia. Not only Japanese works but also games from various countries shine in the same space here.

In this report, I would like to share my encounters with six indie games that felt particularly special on this grand stage of TGS, divided into two parts: the first and the second.

In the 【Part One】, I will first introduce three works that particularly caught my attention with their unique gameplay and worldviews.

Thank You for Your Application: A Quiet “Reality” Confronted Amidst the Noise

As I wandered around the massive hall, feeling a slight dizziness from the sounds and lights resonating from all directions, the first indie game area I visited was the interview simulation game “Thank You for Your Application”, which was also selected as one of the “Selected Indie 80” by TGS. The booth, slightly removed from the noise, bathed in gentle light from the window, exuded a mysterious calmness, as if it were the only place connected to the real world within this festival.

The player in this game takes on the role of the protagonist “C89,” who has just graduated from university. It is a strange world where people are referred to by code names instead of their real names, and working adults wear machines on their heads that resemble televisions. To avoid losing his visa, he (the player) becomes an interviewer for a certain company, coldly selecting students who are in the same position he was just yesterday, following a manual.

The structural irony of having to cut someone similar to oneself in order to survive. And the unreasonable evaluation system that one only learns about after becoming an interviewer… During gameplay, I was filled with a very complex emotion of “interesting, yet somehow uncomfortable.” In stark contrast to the glamorous booths around, this game quietly confronts the cold reality of modern society. I found myself in that feeling.

After the trial play, I was able to talk a little with the developer. “This game is based on my own experiences, but it is by no means a story exclusive to China,” he said. The struggles that young people feel during job hunting and the loneliness felt while reading emails from family. Such emotions may be universal, experienced by anyone across national and cultural boundaries at least once.

In this venue, the Tokyo Game Show, where games and people from around the world gather, the fact that this single game from China conveyed such a universal and piercing message is remarkable. This may be the power of indie games that never fades, even amidst the glamour of major titles.

This game is currently available as a demo on Steam. The complex aftertaste of “interesting, yet somewhat awkward” cannot be easily expressed in a single phrase. I hope you will experience it for yourself.

Sabakistan: The Dog Country – Overcoming Language Barriers and the “Atmosphere” of a Totalitarian State

Next, I would like to introduce an adventure game from Russia, ‘Sabakistan: The Dog Country‘. I later learned that this game is based on a Russian comic.

The story is set in the mysterious dictatorship of “Sabakistan,” which has kept its borders closed for a long time. With the rehearsal for the funeral of the great leader, this country invited journalists from around the world for the first time. The chameleon journalist “Henri Pascal” begins dangerous reporting to uncover the secrets hidden by the state.

To be honest, the localization into Japanese still had some awkward parts. However, the “atmosphere” that this game portrays is so powerful that it more than compensates for that. The striking art style that is unforgettable after one glance, the intricately depicted cityscapes, and the occasional high-quality animations… Even without fully understanding the meaning of the words, it painfully conveys how “abnormal and suffocating this world is” through the screen.

This atmosphere extended beyond the game itself. The booth displayed portraits of the leader, staff wore sharp suits, and players who finished the demo were handed commemorative badges. Personally, it reminded me of the portrayal of North Korea in some Korean films, but thanks to this thorough production, I felt like I was truly experiencing the role of a journalist infiltrating Sabakistan.

What was particularly interesting about the gameplay was the mercilessness of how the consequences of choices lead immediately to ruin. For example, when trying to give a tip of gratitude to a hotel cleaner, that act catches the eye of the surveillance, resulting in an instant game over. I was made to experience the harshness of this dystopia firsthand. (In the local demo, the save function didn’t work well, but the staff kindly assisted each time, which was the only saving grace.)

If the localization is further refined in the future, I feel that this work will not just remain an adventure game but will become a wonderful piece that allows players to experience a dictatorship realistically and prompts them to reevaluate their own values. It is said to be scheduled for release in 2026, but until then, I would like to read the original comic and learn more about this mysterious country in advance.

PVKK: Planet Defense Cannon Commander: The Absolute Ruler of “Experience” Beyond Reason

Now, closing out the 【Part 1】 is the ‘PVKK: Planet Defense Cannon Commander’ which has come from Germany. There may not be much need to elaborate on this game, as its presence in the Selected Indie area transcended reason.

The development is handled by a German studio called Bippinbits. They are known for creating special exhibition equipment that embodies the game’s world into the real world, such as the realistic battle table of ‘Buckshot Roulette’ and the experience booth modeled after a house door from ‘No, I’m not a Human’. I have seen such interactive booths at several events, but this massive control panel that was seated in the indie game area was on a different, overwhelming scale.

The content of the game itself is relatively simple, involving intercepting threats to the planet with a massive defense cannon. However, the essence of this game lies beyond that. A massive hunk of iron, weighing as much as 300kg, embedded with countless buttons, levers, meters, and monitors. Standing in front of it, actually gripping the levers, pressing the buttons, and firing shells with a thunderous roar that resonates in your gut. This absurd yet exhilarating “experience” is everything this game has to offer, which I encountered at this year’s TGS.

To be honest, it is still uncertain how much of this experience can be replicated on home PCs or consoles. However, such doubts seemed trivial. Bringing this amount of equipment from Germany to Japan, especially to the indie game area, and asserting “this is the experience we want to create” with such a strong will. That passion and obsession, akin to madness, captures our hearts in a way that is completely different from the enormous advertising budgets of AAA titles, yet equally or even more compelling.

I can only express my gratitude for being able to have such an “experience” with a pre-release title. I sincerely look forward to the day I can once again become the commander of this cannon in the final version, and hopefully, to reunite with this hunk of iron at some domestic or international event.

At the End of Part One

Now, we have introduced unique indie games from three different countries: China, Russia, and Germany. How did you find them? Sharp simulations that cut through the absurdities of modern society, intense worldviews that transcend language barriers, and overwhelming “experiences” that go beyond logic. Each approach is completely different, yet all of them shone with a brilliance that rivaled major titles within the grand festival of TGS.

In the upcoming 【Part Two】, we will introduce three more wonderful works from another country. Until then, see you again.