On Saturday, Indonesia was impacted by a volcanic eruption that has killed at least 15 people and left dozens injured, missing, and displaced. An established news site has shared their trustworthy charities to help those affected by this tragedy, listed below. Our thoughts are with the victims.
Indonesian Indies: Switch Games
In addition to current events, I follow the game development topic on Twitter to stay up to date on Switch games that are in development or coming soon. I ended up finding (At)YadonEnt, which covers games from Indonesia. I’ve played several excellent games from Indonesian developers – some without even knowing they were Indonesian games! I wanted to learn more about upcoming Switch games from Indonesia, and (At)sarahhana came to my aid. After some additional research, I’ve got a list of over a dozen Indonesian-developed Switch games!
Some Background
The Republic of Indonesia encompasses more than seventeen thousand islands; its population rivals that of the United States at approximately 275 million citizens as of 2020. Indonesia’s national motto is “Bhinneka tunggal ika,” which means “unity in diversity.” The country’s coat of arms features the Garuda, a mythical eagle that can apparently represent creativity, among other things. I find that appropriate given the amount of creative Indonesia content I’ll be covering in this article.
According to this article on localization in Indonesia, the country comprises 40% of the general games market in Greater Southeast Asia, and it’s the number 16 game market in the world. While there are 700-800 languages spoken in Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia is considered the official language with approximately 35 million native speakers and 150 million who use it as their second language. The localization article indicates that the majority of the population consists of Sunni Muslims, and therefore certain cultural values must be taken into account. Gambling, for example, is deemed both illegal and immoral. This article states that the Indonesian people are very spiritual, very close with family, have prominent legends and myths, are extremely appreciative of the arts, and tend to be a celebratory people.
Here is a fantastic article about the last decade of game development in Indonesia by the founder of Indonesian game company Toge Productions, which has developed and published several games we’ll examine in this article. And since we’ve mentioned them just now, we’ll start off this article on past and future Indonesian Switch games with Toge Productions!
Toge Productions 🌱
Toge Productions was founded in 2009. They’ve made multiple high quality, enjoyable Switch games – one of which is a favorite of mine – and have paid it forward by establishing the Toge Game Fund Initiative, which provides developers with up to $10,000!
These are Toge Productions’ games available on Nintendo Switch:
Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk is a fantastic visual novel/simulation game in which you own a café in an alternative fantasy version of Seattle. You get to know your customers – whether they’re elves or orcs or mermaids – as you serve them their beverages. I absolutely adore the art style and was in love with every second of my ~6 hour playthrough. I became very fond of all of the characters and their designs (I think my favorites had to be Freya, Aqua, and Hyde).
The game seems to be pretty popular – and rightfully so; a sequel has been announced and I am ridiculously excited for it! A vinyl was produced for the game, as well as an adorable (limited) plush version of Freya that I very unfortunately missed out on at the time. 😭 This is definitely one of my favorite indie games on the Switch console, so be sure to download the demo and check it out!
Azure Saga: Pathfinder DELUXE Edition
Developed by MassHive Media and published by Toge Productions, Azure Saga: Pathfinder DELUXE Edition is another game in their catalog that I enjoyed. It’s a futuristic turn based RPG inspired by JRPGs from the nineties. The art is well drawn, I liked the music, and the plot was pretty interesting in my opinion.
MagiCat
MagiCat is a super cute side scrolling platformer developed by Kucing Rembes where you play as a magical kitty trying to recover a stolen artifact. There are 7 worlds with 63 levels (so I’m assuming 9 levels per world?), and there are a variety of secrets to discover as you explore the world of MagiCat! Apparently there are multiple skills and different colors you can unlock for your kitty character – I love customization, and cuteness, so this looks right up my alley cat? Lol !
She and the Light Bearer
She and the Light Bearer is a fairy tale/poem point and click adventure game developed by Mojiken Studio, with the soundtrack from Pathetic Experience contributing to the game’s emphasis on art, poetry, and music. You’ll play as the Little Firefly, who must solve riddles and puzzles to find and awaken “the Mother” in the forest. The colors look vibrant and the art looks cute, so I’ll have to check this out further!
My Lovely Daughter & My Lovely Wife
GameChanger Studio developed My Lovely Daughter and the upcoming My Lovely Wife, which were further brought to life on Switch with the assistance of Neon Doctrine – formerly known as Another Indie – as well as Toge Productions.
My Lovely Daughter is described as an alchemist simulator where you play as Faust, an amnesiac alchemist whose daughter has tragically passed away. Unable to cope with his loss, Faust performs forbidden alchemy in attempts to bring his daughter back to him. Create homunculi that will help you in your experiments, sell their remains to help fund your research, and try to recover Faust’s memories as you try to get his daughter back. There are multiple endings to unlock. This sounds like a much darker, macabre version of the Atelier series, and while horror games aren’t usually my cup of tea, this certainly sounds intriguing enough to give it a try! My Lovely Wife will also be coming to Switch, but this time you’ll play as a man who wants his wife back. This one will also add dating simulation to the mix!
When the Past was Around
When the Past was Around was developed by Toge Productions and published by Chorus Worldwide Games. It’s an adventure point and click puzzle game about love, loss, and heartbreak. The main character, a girl in her twenties, ends up in a world with “disjointed rooms from memories and time” alongside her lover. You must solve puzzles to unlock not only the door to the next room, but the secrets there as well. It looks charming, and there’s a demo, so check it out!
Rising Hell
Developed by Toge Productions and Tahoe Games, and published by Chorus Worldwide Games, Rising Hell is a a vertical rogue-lite platformer in which you must battle demons and try to escape hell. Unlock characters and different talents to use as you jump around the pits of hell, chain combos, and listen to some heavy metal music. Will you be able to escape the procedurally generated hell before permadeath sets in? Try out the demo and see for yourself!
Rage in Peace
Rage in Peace is a side scrolling adventure game developed by Rolling Glory Jam. Timmy is an actuary who has frequently pondered the way he will die. His ideal way of going? A peaceful death at home as he sleeps, no drama, please and thank you. Unfortunately, the Grim Reaper shows up one day with bad news for Timmy: he’s scheduled to die that day by having his head cut off. Timmy will have a chance to at least change the method by which he dies, but he’ll have to avoid the traps and obstacles preventing him from getting home safely first! I was generously provided with a review code for the game by (At)sarahhana, so keep an eye out for the review in the near future! I’m just “dying” (😉) to play it!
Ultra Space Battle Brawl
(At)sarahhana also provided me with a review code for Ultra Space Battle Brawl, a game by Mojiken Studio that’s described as Pong meets fighting games. There’s a single player campaign for those who can’t or won’t play with friends, and you’ll have more than 10 playable characters that reference diverse Indonesian subcultures. USBB also features some music from Manami Matsumae, who is known for composing music for the original Mega Man. The game looks really unique, and has a demo for you to try.
A Space for the Unbound
Apparently co-published by Toge Productions and PQube, this Mojiken Studio-developed game is a “slice-of-life” adventure game about a boy and girl who live in a small Indonesian town. You’ll play as Atma, a boy with supernatural powers who uses a mysterious book to influence a person’s subconscious and help his childhood sweetheart achieve her dreams. The art style is apparently inspired by Studio Ghibli and Makoto Shinkai, and looks really nice. I’m especially interested in being able to explore a town in Indonesia, so I’m looking forward to A Space for the Unbound’s Switch release date.
PQube
PQube also publishes some great games on Switch, including some from Indonesian developers!
Ciel Fledge: A Daughter Raising Simulator
Studio Namaapa developed another one of my favorite Indonesian indie games on Switch, Ciel Fledge: A Daughter Raising Simulator. Raise Ciel, a young girl you take in, starting in the year 3716. It’s a unique, futuristic simulation game where you spend ten in-game years raising Ciel, managing her health, schedule, and hobbies. Select her classes and entertainment options, which will impact her stats – something important to consider for when she goes on expeditions to the Earth’s surface! With multiple endings and achievements to unlock, there’s a lot of impressive content here! Check out the demo and enjoy the future!
Kitaria Fables
Another Indonesian developer, Twin Hearts, brought Kitaria Fables to Switch this year. It’s a really cute action/adventure farming game with crafting! I loved the different outfits and skins for my kitty purr-otagonist protagonist, and I enjoyed leaving the village to acquire ingredients to help craft new equipment. The game lets you choose between short or long distance combat, with either sword or bow options. Plant crops and sell the harvest to make enough money for provisions. You can even engage in local co-op mode.
Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story
Brought to Nintendo Switch by Agate (a prominent local game company for over a decade in Indonesia), Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story allows you to become a principal of a school for heroes. Develop the school by building facilities and upgrading them, manage your students’ schedules, and help train your students to unlock additional class options for them, such as paladin or scholar. Send your students on independent missions, or accompany them yourself to complete quests. Forge equipment and alliances in this RPG story, and take a “practice test” by downloading its demo!
Potion Permit
In the upcoming Potion Permit by MassHive Media, play as a chemist in the town of Moonbury – population: ~30. The town’s residents will fall ill on occasion, and you’ll have to diagnose their symptoms and brew a cure. Go out and gather the necessary ingredients for your cures, but be careful – monsters lurk in the wilderness, so prepare for real-time combat. Use your personally brewed concoctions to either buff yourself or debuff your enemies. When not brewing or battling, get to know the townspeople and perhaps even develop a romantic relationship with one of them! I love this kind of game, so I’m eager to play this when it comes out!
Additional Indonesian Switch Games!
Tirta
Tirta is another upcoming game from Agate, who also developed the above mentioned Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story. It is based on Balinese culture, and will have you, as the Priestess, explore different ancient ruins and temples in this action/adventure game full of Indonesian culture and lore. Use martial arts and elemental abilities to defeat monsters across the island. This looks really cool, because I don’t know much about Indonesian culture yet. It’s set to release sometime in 2022.
Ghost Parade
Aksys Games helped bring Ghost Parade, a challenging platformer by Lentera Nusantara Studio Corporation, to the Switch in 2019. Play as a little girl who becomes involved in a supernatural battle to save the strange forest she wandered into. You’ll befriend 30 different ghosts that were inspired by Indonesian mythology, and can use their individual abilities to help you out. I love the inclusion of more Indonesian cultural references!
LEGRAND LEGACY: Tale of the Fatebounds
Founded in 2014, Semisoft brought LEGRAND LEGACY: Tale of the Fatebounds to Switch with help from Another Indie Studio (now Neon Doctrine) in 2019. With the help of the Fatebounds, you’ll try to bring peace to the war torn Legrand through turn based combat. In addition to the Fatebounds’ assistance in battle, you can also recruit craftsmen to help you restore the abandoned city of Dumville. Craft better equipment to aid you in important tactical battles, and watch your back – you don’t know who you can trust…
A Day Without Me
Developer Gamecom Team and publisher Silesia Games teamed up for A Day Without Me, a mysterious puzzle adventure game where you will have to find out why you seem to be the only person left in the city; where did everyone go, and why are strange things happening around town? Explore a semi open world and answer these questions and more!
We hope you have enjoyed this article featuring great Indonesian companies and their games! We want to write about more great indie games developed in other countries, so stay tuned for those articles! 🥰 If you’d like for us to cover your games, please reach out to us at switchitongaming@gmail.com
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