Games of 2022: Indonesia
In 2022, the Indonesian games economy will continue a trend that has already emerged in recent years. In no other country in Southeast Asia, so many games are produced for different platforms, as in Indonesia. Sure, due to the sheer volume, not every title always meets expectations, but unique gems are constantly created. Our release list counted more than 50 titles this year, so we focused on the most promising games. There are still 25 great games from Indonesia that we can look forward to. All other games will be briefly discussed at the end of the article.
So, without further ado, these are Indonesia’s most anticipated games of 2022:
A Space For The Unbound
The time has finally come this year, and the long-awaited adventure A Space For The Unbound is finally set to be released! Developer Mojiken and publisher Toge Productions are creating a game in which we handle the fortunes of a girl and a boy with supernatural powers, following a story about anxiety and depression set in 1990s Indonesia. Mojiken had already proven with their previous games, When The Past Was Around or She & The Light Bearer, that they have a knack for extraordinary storytelling in games and a keen sense for audio-visual design. A Space for the Unbound presents itself beautifully again, this time in the unmistakable pixel art style. After a postponement, the game is now scheduled for release later this year on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly
And once again, Toge Productions: The worldwide indie hit Coffee Talk gets a follow-up with Hibiscus & Butterfly. Again taking over the role of the barista, we start our night shift at the cozy eponymous café in Seattle. We prepare warm drinks for the customers we have grown fond of and listen to their stories. Add to that a lo-fi soundtrack, latte art, and the hipster’s wet chill-out dream is complete. The sequel’s name indicates that we can now also prepare exquisite tea specialties in addition to coffee. So far, Coffee Talk 2 sounds like more of the same formula, which doesn’t have to be wrong because it was already excellent. However, we would still like to see one or the other innovation and are curious if more will be announced. Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on Steam later this year.
Afterlove EP
Staying with Coffee Talk, the next game comes from the actual creator of the cult hit, Fahmi, who recently went into business for himself with What Comes After. Now cooperating with publisher Fellow Traveller, the long-lost Pikselnesia label has been revived for Afterlove EP, a narrative adventure with dating and rhythm elements. Afterlove EP tells the story of musician Rama, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery through modern Jakarta. The protagonist processes the breakup from Cinta, his ex-girlfriend, with the help of music. Sounds like the perfect hook to include rhythm and dating elements in the game. The modern interpretation of the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana is scheduled for release in summer 2022 for the PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 & 5.
Biwar Legend of Dragon Slayer
Biwar Legend of Dragon Slayer is also eagerly awaited and is finally due to be released this year for the PC on Steam. With the support of an Epic Mega Grant, the Devata Game Production team is working flat out on the action-adventure that impresses above all with its combination of Indonesian folklore from Bali and Papua. This is particularly evident in the detailed island landscapes and the weapons and armor, but also in the story in which we take on the role of a Papuan boy searching for the dragon that killed his parents. Classic action-adventure gameplay awaits us with a mixture of exploration, combat, and puzzles. There is no exact release date yet, but the developers are also working on an implementation for consoles.
Anuchard
A 2D action RPG in which we resurrect a lost civilization. Does that seem familiar?. Right! Because if you’ve played the classic Terranigma from SNES, Anuchard should be right up your alley. It’s no coincidence as developer stellarNull explicitly names the game as an inspiration. Above all, Anuchard wants to expand the strengths of the great role model and relies on a credible world that is set somewhere between our reality and a fantasy and in which magic plays an important role. As the Bellwielder, it is our job to bring back the lost residents of our village. We fight against monsters and solve puzzles in complex dungeon facilities. In addition to the pretty 2D environments in watercolor style, we particularly like the direct combat controls, which feel pretty powerful thanks to the weapon’s knockback ability. In early 2022, you will be able to see on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch whether Anuchard can do justice to its role model.
Coral Island
Its massive success on Kickstarter has shown that Coral Island is already a fan favorite. Now developer Stairway Games “only” has to deliver, a task at which many other crowdfunding projects have failed so far. However, things are looking suitable for Coral Island, as regular updates from the developer show that this year’s release is very likely. At its heart, the game is a typical Stardew Valley-style farming sim. Still, the studio incorporates cultural influences from Bali and focuses on environmental protection, which will play a central role. So we tend our farm while at the same time exploring and protecting the coral reef, which is of paramount importance to the island’s ecosystem. The pretty 3D comic graphics and the generally light-hearted tone put a crown on Coral Island. If nothing else comes up, the game will be released for PC on Steam in 2022.
Parakacuk: Raise Your Gang
“Hopefully,” says developer Gamecom Team, Parakacuk should be released in 2022. “Hopefully,” we say, “Gamecom has learned from its mistakes this time around.” This isn’t meant in an unfriendly way at all. Still, the studio’s previous games (A Day Without Me, Babol The Walking Box) were engaging initially but suffered significantly from immature game design and bugs. Parakacuk sounds like the team’s most ambitious title so far because, in the third-person action-adventure, we not only fight our way through an Indonesian high school, we even lead our own gang. It sounds kind of like “Yakuza light” in an Indonesian setting, and if the team manages to work to increase their technical qualities, then that’s precisely what we could expect. After the restrained player feedback on an early game demo, the concept and the graphics were revised again so that a surprise for PC and consoles may await us in 2022. “Hopefully.”
Petit Island
It almost seems as if developer Xelo Games had had enough of dark dungeons and deadly traps but had to go back into the sun and just relax. There’s no other way to explain the change in style and genre because Petit Island is an entirely different game to last year’s hit, Escape from Naraka. Petit Island is a 3D adventure where we, as cute animal creatures, explore an island reminiscent of Bali and explore the animal and plant world. The first artworks show a colorful style that focuses entirely on cute creatures. According to the developers, the project will be bigger than expected, but there hasn’t been any actual gameplay yet. Nonetheless, Petit Island is slated for release later this year for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, and PC.
Fractured Core
From the sunny island beach, we head to the cold streets of a futuristic Berlin. In the year 2105, as Michael, a so-called Raven Operator, we embark on a mission in a dark cyberpunk world. Fractured Core is a classic RPG in which we explore the city from an isometric 2D perspective, complete quests, and do turn-based battles against all kinds of opponents. The developers of Engram Interactive rely on a branching story and several playable characters. The game was announced for PC a long time ago, but we already thought it was a failure since the project has been so silent. However, the developer has confirmed that they are still working diligently on Fractured Core and are aiming for a 2022 release. A playable demo has also been released on Steam.
Who Is He: Let Me Out
Why the developers of Who Is He: Let Me Out called themselves 4Happy Studio of all things is a mystery. Neither the premise nor the game’s main character seems really “happy” to us. This horror game is all about 10-year-old boy Alvin, who is trapped in a spooky village and is being pursued by demons. Luckily, Alvin can communicate with the spirits and gets help from his younger sister and his pet spider. We can also control the little critter ourselves, which is necessary for some puzzles and probably finally excludes all arachnophobic players as potential customers. Everyone else can look forward to an exciting and also a bit scary adventure that will probably be released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox consoles this year.
Fragmented Memories
This list eerily continues with Fragmented Memories, an adventure slash visual novel that tells a psycho-horror story about a man searching for his missing wife in an abandoned town. He switches back and forth between the real world and a dream world and collects clues. Sounds a bit like Silent Hill only in 2D, and thanks to the beautifully drawn graphics by Indonesian Comic Artist Gear.Azre, it also looks appropriately appealing. According to developer Platonic Game Studio, Fragmented Memories will be released for PC on Steam in early 2022.
Grammarian, Ltd
“Gramarien is a gam abouwt korect the speling and synthaxes.” Somehow, this text would look like this if it weren’t for the grammar validators to check all written documents for errors. Developers Algorocks and Simpleton want to make a game that appeals to non-grammar enthusiasts and pros alike and intends to spark our language enjoyment. However, it is not just a pure learning game, but also tells a story, includes a simple management part, and, of course, homework (puzzles) that is becoming increasingly complex. So, especially if you found all the spelling and grammatical errors in this article, put Grammarian, Ltd on your wishlist. But absolute noobs can also look forward to this beginner-friendly game, which will be released for PC on Steam and mobile devices in early 2022.
Potion Permit
We’ve had Potion Permit on our list of the most promising titles since its announcement at Gamescom 2019. Now, almost two and a half years later, we would like to finally hand over a “Release Permit” to the developers. We, as magical chemists, are looking forward to healing the residents of the small village of Moonbury. Playfully located somewhere between life simulation and role-playing game, in Potion Permit, we explore a beautiful pixel world, diagnose the diseases of the inhabitants, collect raw materials and hopefully brew healing potions. The game already gets bonus points for having a dog as a companion! Potion Permit is coming to PC, Nintendo Switch, Playstation, and Xbox consoles this year.
Hello Goodboy
Speaking of dogs: our four-legged friends are the focus of this game! The narrative adventure Hello Goodboy tells an emotional story about a child and his dog Coco. Developer Rolling Glory Jam (What Comes After, Rage in Peace) relies on the current trend towards wholesome gaming. Instead of breaking something, we take care of others, fix things or look for treasures with the help of Coco’s intuition. Hello Goodboy sounds wonderfully heartwarming and looks the same. Later this year, you will be able to take Coco for a walk on Nintendo Switch and PC. Woof!
My Lovely Wife
The next game is also about a special companion. This time, however, we’re not speaking of a four-legged friend, but Succubi, demon-like creatures that are created by magic and dark rituals. My Lovely Wife is the sequel to My Lovely Daughter, released in 2018. It consistently continues the game’s premise, only this time we, as a dubious alchemist, don’t create an offspring but a wife. We then send these to the city to fulfill jobs, earning money and skills, which constitutes the management part of the game. As in the predecessor, the dubious game mechanics in connection with the story should raise moral questions. This concept still had some weaknesses in My Lovely Daughter, which will hopefully be corrected in the sequel. Developer GameChanger has got support for this by experienced publishers Toge Productions and Neon Doctrine. May it be of help because the release on Steam and Nintendo Switch is coming soon.
StellaGale: The Trials of Faith
StellaGale: The Trials of Faith is an arena fighting game that tells a story. Kind of unusual, and that’s true of the game’s visual style, too, with hand-drawn comic panels bringing a breath of fresh air to the genre. As eponymous protagonists Stella and Gale, we must find out what happened to our parents; having to succeed at an arena tournament because the prince will grant a wish to the winners. StellaGale: The Trials of Faith will be available for PC on Steam in Q3 2022. A version for mobile devices is also planned.
Tanasurga
From Rainman Studios and Niji Games comes a narrative-driven RPG called Tanasurga on August 18th, 2022. Translated from Indonesian, the title roughly means “Land of Heaven.” The game itself is less poetic than its title as it puts a strong emphasis on the sheer force of arms. In an alternative WW2 setting, we join three factions as a mech pilots to win the war. We complete missions, upgrade our Mech or talk to colleagues. What is unique about Tanasurga is that it takes a Southeast Asian perspective on the alternative world war. So we can expect some exciting regional settings to fight in!
Kejora
The following information about Kejora should be treated with caution. According to Berangin Creative, the game has undergone some changes and should differ significantly from the previously announced gameplay. Unfortunately, we were not told exactly which changes were involved. Let’s just hope that there will be an official announcement soon. So far, Kejora has been a run & gun platformer with a pretty colorful look, which wants to tell a story set in rural Indonesia of the 90s. We’re excited to see how much of this is left when Kejora comes out in 2022. At least the release window was confirmed to us by the developer.
KISS: K-pop Idol StorieS – Road to Debut
No, we’re not managing an aging metal band; we’re looking for the next hit K-pop idol group. As the group’s manager, we select five talented people to train and support until they achieve great success. Mixing life simulation, manga graphics, and a K-pop soundtrack, KISS promises to be an appealing attempt to wrap the hit pop culture phenomenon in a playful guise. KISS: K-pop Idol Stories – Road to Debut will be released in 2022 for PC and consoles.
Knight VS Giant: The Broken Excalibur
Knight VS Giant has been haunting our waitlists for a while, but this year it looks like the game is finally coming. With “The Broken Excalibur,” it not only got a new subtitle but we were also provided with further gameplay information. In addition to the action-adventure fights, the game concept has now also been expanded to include roguelite and construction elements. Sounds exciting enough that we’re looking forward to the release of Knight VS Giant: The Broken Excalibur on PC and Mac. If you like, you can already try the demo on Steam.
Mala Petaka
This year is going to be really retro with Mala Petaka. The shooter in the style of the classic Doom relies on motley SNES graphics, a pumping 8-bit soundtrack, and of course, on brutal non-stop shooting at aliens. After a demo was recently released, the final version should hopefully come out in 2022. For more info, check out our recent game preview.
Turbo Crash
We don’t know much about this game, but we rarely report on racing games, so we couldn’t skip this one. The previous footage suggests a Mario Kart clone for PC and Android devices. We race as cute animals with online multiplayer and cross-platform play over colorful slopes. Let’s hope that developer Speedometer Studio can prove that Turbo Crash will live up to its role model. A project that many other studios have already failed.
Misguided: Never Back Home
We have already referred to this game as “DreadOut for Mobile” elsewhere, and we will keep this verdict for now. In Misguided: Never Back Home, we control a young woman who looks strikingly like the original protagonist and fight against Indonesian spirits. It’s sometimes better to copy a game than to create a bad homemade version which is why we are curious to see how the whole thing plays out on the smartphone or tablet. According to the developer JEVO Games, in addition to the mobile version, a PC version is now also planned for the fourth quarter of 2022.
While a release in 2022 for the titles mentioned so far is very likely or has been confirmed by the developers, the case for the two upcoming games is not quite as clear. According to the makers, a release towards the end of the year is targeted, but the games could just as well be in 2023. We don’t want to withhold them from you.
Becloudead
Cinematic platformers have not only been very popular since Limbo, veterans among us certainly still remember the classic Another World, which more or less co-founded the genre. With Becloudead, we now have a new representative who mainly focuses on horror and splatter. Developer Headbang Games (Israel), who is working on it with the Indonesian studio Oray Studios, cannot yet confirm with 100% certainty that we will be able to play it this year. We’re also looking forward to it if it comes anytime after. You can already wishlist Becloudead on Steam.
Project Buramato
Of course, it would be great if Project Buramato would come this year. However, this new project by the horror game studio Ozysoft is so pretty and ambitious that a slightly longer development time would undoubtedly help it. Visually, the title is reminiscent of genre greats like Breath of the Wild or Genshin Impact, but we shouldn’t expect a game of this scope. Instead, Project Buramato is a fast-paced action-adventure that, in addition to its real-time battles, mainly focuses on exploring the semi-open open world, which, like the story, is based on the mythology of Borneo. If this premise appeals to you, you should urgently wishlist Project Buramato on Steam.
Don’t worry; there’s more to come
If you thought that was all, you are wrong! Because this year, there are so many games coming from Indonesia that we cannot feature them all in this list. So we had to limit ourselves to the highlights, but we don’t want to withhold the other titles from you either. That’s why there are all other upcoming games here as a practical overview:
| Games | Developer | Platforms | Link | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alone: New Hope | Keris Games Studio | Mobile | Google Play | 15.01.2022 |
| Another Path | MyHand Studio | PC | Steam | 2022 |
| Calico Cafe | Niji Games Studio | Mobile | Website | 2022 |
| Cooking Chef Story: Food Park | Dreams Studio Niji Games | Mobile | Website | Q1-Q2 2022 |
| Dream Light | Uniqx Studio | PC Consoles | Website | Q3 2022 |
| Eternal School Trip | PIXEL KINEMATICS | TBA | Website | August 2022 |
| Great Marble Adventure | NaCl586 | PC | Steam | Summer 2022 |
| Legends of Crystal | GingerSun Games | PC | Steam | August 2022 |
| Ngopi Yuk! | Uniqx Studio | Mobile | Website | February 2022 |
| Project D: Human Arisen | catgames | PC | Steam | 2022 |
| Reach for an Angel | Platonic Game Studio KPP Entertainment YSY Softworks | PC | Steam | Q1 2022 |
| Tower of Guardian | Mostdeep Games | PC | Steam | 30.06.2022 |
| TOXA: Mystical Cloning Powers | PMA Studio | PC | Steam | 2022 |
| Transcendence Legacy – Voidswept | Xurzerth YSY Softworks | PC | Steam | Q2 2022 |
| Wangan Dorifto | Rigged Box Softworks | PC Switch | Q4 2022 |
Games currently in Early Access
We would like to draw your attention to the games that have already been released but are not quite finished. So you can already buy and play the following games, but the final release is still pending. 2022 could be the time.
| Games | Developer | Platforms | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crazy Delivery Rumble | Satriver Studio | Mobile | Google Play |
| Cursed Mansion | Dragon Emperors | PC | Steam |
| DelayedSun | StewardMelvinTang | PC | Steam |
| Don’t Step On Me | Grinsmile Studio | Mobile PC | Google Play |
| Elite Commando Squad: Battleground | Gambir Studio | Mobile | Google Play |
| Legends of Crystal | GingerSun Games | Mobile | Google Play |
| Monster Breakout | Seraph Games Niji Games Studio | Mobile | Google Play |
| Wangan Dorifto | Rigged Box Softworks | Mobile | Google Play |
This concludes our list of most-wanted games for 2022 from Indonesia. To get another glimpse of what we await for 2022 from Southeast Asia, please check out our (upcoming) lists for Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Enjoy!
Which games are you expecting the most for 2022? Have we forgotten a highlight? Let us know in the comments what we shouldn’t miss!
