Despite 2020 being a challenging year, we were blessed that the game industries keep growing to produce new games, especially in Indonesia! This year, Indonesia was able to create a lot of entertainment software with high quality. Here we have the list for upcoming games that might be released in 2021 from Indonesia.

A Space For The Unbound

Let’s start with A Space For The Unbound, a game by Mojiken Studio, one of the finest Indonesian game studios based in Surabaya. We’ve seen their previous magnificent game, When The Past Was Around, in 2020.  This time, you will enter into a surreal story-driven experience in a slice-of-life adventure set in Indonesia’s late 90s. A Space For The Unbound was nominated and won many awards such as “Best Storytelling Award at SEA Games Award 2020”, “Local Cultural Representation Award” from INDIE Live Expo, and Best Art and Grand Prix at Tokyo Game Show 2020. Publisher PQube announced that the game would be released around summer 2021. But not to worry, Mojiken Studio has a free prologue chapter for you to play right now. 

101: Forgotten

Next, we have an upcoming horror visual novel game with the beauty of Indonesian heritages made by Lentera Studio, makers of Ghost Parade. 101: Forgotten will give you goosebumps in a haunted school. Solve the mysteries in the school, and remember, your storyline progress depends on your choice decisions. The artwork’s looks on their website clarify that 101: Forgotten is heavily influenced by Indonesian mythological folklore. There is no official release date, but we hope that devs will give more details for it next year.

Action Time

From the makers of Retrograde Arena, Freemergency Studio comes a new action shooter named Action Time. A game of one tap kills where you can “repair” a sudden game over by rewinding time and undoing death. In each level, when you complete it, you will be able to see your “perfect” replay in a John Wick-esque manner. According to the developers, this game is still in the early development phase, but not to worry, there is a demo version available on itch.io. We hope that 2021 will bring more details about this game. It sure is action time!

Anuchard

Here we have a new RPG game from stellarNull, a studio based in Yogyakarta-Jakarta. It’s called Anuchard and will be a retro-inspired 2D action RPG where you play as the Bellwielder to retrieve the souls of missing people and restore the world’s fallen civilization. Anuchard tells a story about rebuilding a lost world from scratch. It will be released on PC, and there is a demo version available on Steam.

Coral Island

Coral Island may look like a traditional 3D farming simulation game, similar to Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley’s role models. But in this game, you’re not located in the countryside. Instead, you will open your homestead on a tropical island inspired by the Balinese Hindu culture. The gameplay elements seem familiar at first, like taking care of your farm, planting, harvesting, and further developing the island. However, there’s more to it. You’re not only responsible for the growth of your farm, but your goal is to recover The island’s entire ecosystem. You can dive to explore the coral reefs and remove the trash or other harmful substances. All of your actions will take effect on the environment. Coral Island will be released in August 2021. Be sure to check their steam page, and don’t forget to wishlist this game!

CZAR: Decision

The next upcoming title, developed by Glyphis Entertainment, is a fusion of JRPGs and visual novel games. CZAR: Decision’s gameplay consists of a turn-based battle system and visual novel narratives and choices. This game will be available in two different languages, English and Indonesian Language. The developers are planning to release it in Spring 2021. Until then, a demo version consisting of the first arc is available on Steam.

Down Below

A collaboration of Indonesian and Israeli game studios Oray Studios and Headbang Games is developing a new game called Down Below. It is a cinematic platformer with a post-apocalyptic sci-fi hack and slash theme. The story takes place in a zombie apocalypse caused by an unknown virus. How deep can you go further in Down Below? Find out by unraveling the dark truth of the gruesome narrative surrounding a character portrayed like you and me. You can already try the demo version on Steam, which was released on Halloween this year.

Enthrean Radiance: The First Strike

Enthrean Guardian, Eggion, and stellarNull (Makers of the aforementioned Anuchard) are developing a classical 2D action JRPG game. Enthrean Radiance: The First Strike tells the story of a fateful encounter between a clumsy yet optimistic girl Millia Melody and a very competent and foul-mouthed mercenary named Razh Avandrey. From a single contract, we will see their thrilling and long journey ahead. The prologue is available on Steam.

Escape From Naraka

Xelo Games‘ debut title wants to bring us a new mystical world full of Balinese ancient gods and monsters. Previously known as Leyak, Escape from Naraka is a first-person 3D platformer survival game that takes us into a temple full of traps and nasty enemies. Take note that you cannot defeat the enemies; you have to sneak past or outwit them otherwise. Our preview explains that the current demo version of Escape from Naraka’s features wasn’t complete yet, but the game already runs smoothly and plays very well. The full version won’t appear on Steam until March 15, 2021.

Faerie Afterlight

Let’s get to one of the most visually appealing titles of the next year: Faerie Afterlight by Malang-based Clay Games Studio is a 2D platformer that relies heavily on the contrast between dark and light or good and evil. In the role of Kimo and his fairy companion Wispy, we explore dangerous but beautifully designed environments, improve our skills, and fight opponents. However, we can also use them to our advantage and make them our allies. Faerie Afterlight will be available for PC on Steam and itch.io. You can also play a demo there.

Fallen Legion Revenants

Good news for PS4 and Nintendo Switch players, we have an exciting new turn-based action-RPG exclusive for consoles coming up. Fallen Legion Revenants is developed by YummyYummyTummy. Each hero (so called “Exemplars”) masters different elements and will be equipped with various weapons. You will start as Lucien, the crafty politician who wants to plot a coup against the tyrant. Besides the turn-based battles, dialogues are the other main elements. There are visual novel parts as well, such as choice dialogues determining your progress in the game. Fallen Legion Revenants will be released in February 2021.

Kejora

Berangin Creative is developing its first game under the name Kejora. They will take us to a side-scrolling platformer run ‘n gun in a 90s village environment. Help the villagers by fulfilling their needs, listen to their stories to progress the story, and protect the village from mysterious monsters. The environment design looks beautiful, and their background music is so peaceful. Unfortunately, we have no details about the release for Kejora, but we hope they will have more information for 2021. You can check for updates on their website.

Kitaria Fables

Another delightfully cute combination of action-RPG, adventure, and farming simulation is Kitaria Fables. It will take us to the adorable world of Canoidera, where we will take on the quest of our new animal neighbors. Help them out by fighting the tides of darkness. Explore the dungeons, farm your provisions, bond with the citizens, forge your weapons and armors: Kitaria Fables is coming to Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch in 2021.

Knight vs Giant

Oh no! Wild, mysterious giants and creatures have appeared in the Kingdom of Kabali. As the legendary knight, you must engage them before they terrorize the Kingdom. Fight them in this hack n’ slash action game on Steam! According to Gambir Studio, this game is in the alpha phase of development and almost completed by two-thirds, so they’re scheduled to release the game in 2021.

Biwar: Legend of Dragon Slayer

Coming from Dev.ata Game Studio, a Balinese game developer, is an open-world third-person hack n’ slash action-adventure where we will travel alone in the forest to hunt a mystical perpetrator in a beautifully crafted environment inspired by Balinese cultures. This game potentially has a lot of dynamic abilities and movements. There is no exact release date for Biwar: Legend of Dragon Slayer yet, but according to Octocurio.com, this game will be released on PC, PS4, and PS5.

My Lovely Wife

Our list continues with the creators of My Lovely Daughter. GameChanger Studio is developing a new twisted tale of undying love under the name of My Lovely Wife. My Lovely Daughter told the story of a father who wants to resurrect his beloved daughter. In contrast, in My Lovely Wife, it will be a man who wants to bring back his wife from death. Bear in mind that this is not a story sequel but will continue to improve its management aspects. From the screenshots’ looks, props to the devs for enhancing the graphics for this game. Are you ready to meet your wife again? Do you have what it takes? Explore the story of Jake in My Lovely Wife on Steam, where currently there’s a demo version available.

Crazy Delivery

In our childhood days, some of us may remember a Dreamcast-classic called Crazy Taxi. The good news for mobile gamers is that Satriver Studio is developing a new taxi simulator game with heavy influence from an Indonesian transportation service. This is why we will not drive a cab but instead, we will use Ojek, a local motorcycle taxi. Crazy Delivery‘s fundamental mechanics are looking for passengers and then taking them to their destination. We have no information about the dates, but you can follow the updates on their Twitter page.

Perished Truth

The list continues with another new exciting survival horror game inspired by the Resident Evil series. We present you Perished Truth, which is at the same time a survival horror game with a fixed camera and a story-driven game with visual novel elements. So far, the developers are focused on releasing the demo first as they only showed a video of the demo teaser. We hope to be able to play the demo of Perished Truth in 2021.

Potion Permit

Yes, 2020 was a challenging year, and we don’t know if the pandemic will be over next year. But fear not, Masshive Media (Azure Saga) makes a new game to accompany us through this pandemic in 2021. Potion Permit is an open-ended simulation RPG that lets you become an alchemist. The Medical Association will send you to help cure the people in the town of Moonbury. Potion Permit’s main element is to find the correct ingredients to brew medicine, but beware, as there will be monsters standing in your way. Brew your most sufficient potion to help the villagers in Potion Permit. The game is planned to be released on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox in 2021.

PROJECT D: Human Risen

Once more, we have another open-world game, but this time, you will be stranded on an unknown island. However, in PROJECT D: Human Risen, you did not land there because of an accident. Instead, you arrived on the island because you are a part of a new project that requires you to train to survive in the wilderness. Build a camp, craft weapons, items, and vehicles, hunt animals, explore other islands and find out about the mysteries of a virus. Supposedly, the game was planned to be released in 2020 as an early access game on Steam. But it seems we have to wait a little longer before we can finally play it.

Ravensword: Undaunted

Ravensword: Undaunted will take us to the depths of The Forsaken Keep as one of the Deathless Watch Apprentice. Slash multiple enemies until you put an end to your curse and can be buried peacefully within the Hall of the Heroes. Unfortunately, we have no information for the exact release date on this mythological first-person hack and slash game. We expect to receive more details soon. In the meantime, why don’t you wishlist this retro fantasy shooter on Steam?

Samudra

It’s good news for those who were waiting for this game: Samudra will be one of the most exciting upcoming games in 2021. This game is still in development for the full release, but not to worry, we can play this magnificent underwater platformer in the beta demo version on Steam and itch.io. Let’s hope this game can spread environmental awareness for the better of our world.

Senso no Ken: Thousands Layered Edge

Another mobile game is in the house; Senso no Ken: Thousands Layered Edge is an action/fighting game with a beautiful 3D Sumi-e style. Start as a young female assassin, defeat your enemies, and fight against the imperials for the way of the Samurai. Senso no Ken: Thousands Layered Edge has unlockable equipment, skills, and special moves. This game will be released on Android and iOS, but we’ve confirmed the Android version is already in beta status.

Tirta

Tirta is an action-adventure with puzzle elements and a storyline inspired by the Balinese culture. In our preview, read why development studio Agate sees it as “Zelda and Princess Mononoke in Bali.” It remains to be seen whether the game can meet the expectations, but we have high hopes for the game so far. There is no exact information about the release date, but when Tirta comes, it will be for PC and next-gen consoles.

Twilight Memoria

Twilight Memoria will be the last JRPG in this article, I promise! This time, you will play as two kids, Rucifar Demien and Luna Silver, in a fantasy world full of monsters. In a 2D pixelated Japanese RPG style, we explore how they can complete each other to cover their weaknesses. Craft lots of recipes with a unique alchemy system because you’ll never know what you’re going to get. Twilight Memoria has a demo version on Steam and will release in early 2021.

Who Is He: Let Me Out

Dear horror game fans, coming up next is a third-person horror mystery puzzle game inspired by genre classics such as Outlast. All you have to do in Who Is He: Let Me Out is run, hide, and solve the puzzles that block your progress. Find the culprit who is responsible for the disappearance of your mother and other villagers. The game is referenced to be set in Indonesia in the 60s, and there’s even a traditional instrument called “Angklung” included. Unfortunately, we have no exact release date info, but you can play the demo version on Steam.

Rendezvous

Next is a new pixel puzzle adventure game in a cyberpunk environment from Pendopo Studio called Rendezvous. This game will occur in one of Indonesia’s largest cities, Surabaya, but with a futuristic neo-noir theme. The story begins as an ex-agent who is trying to rescue his only family member from a threat. Explore the city to gather clues and solve the puzzles to progress the story. No information about the release date yet, but the developers are focusing on releasing a demo version for Rendezvous and regularly updating their page on itch.io with news. We are indeed looking forward to having a date with this game in 2021! 

Parakacuk

Name a more infamous duo other than high schools and gangs. Gamecom Team (maker of A Day Without Me) develops a new action-fighting adventure game set in an Indonesian high school. This game reminds us of Bully or The Warriors, where we will conquer the whole school by defeating enemy gangs. So far, the game is still in development, but it is confirmed to come by the end of 2021. Since they did release a demo version for A Day Without Me before the full release, this might be happening for Parakacuk as well.

Wiloka: The Beginning

We end our list with an immersive horror thriller: Wiloka: The Beginning is a point and click visual novel where making choices is the main element. The game tells the story of two people, and each of them has their struggles and anxieties. However, soon they will experience something out of the ordinary, which is the core mystery in Wiloka: The Beginning. Currently, this game is still in development, and so far, it’s confirmed to be released early in 2021 on Steam.

Outlook

There are still many more games from Indonesia in 2021, but unfortunately, we couldn’t cover the whole full list. For example, there’s Delayed Sun, an FPS survival zombie game from StewardMelvinTang. We have Alone, a mobile survival game in an apocalypse from Keris Games Studio that has already released a demo version in the Android Play Store. Finally, there’s StellaGale: The Trials of Faith, a fighting game with a story focus from Extra life Entertainment that is still in development.

In conclusion, 2021 will be an exciting year for everyone as there are many upcoming games, even though the world is in a rough situation. We hope this article can prove that Indonesian game studios can make Southeast Asia one of the biggest and essential markets worldwide.

Which games are you hyped the most for 2021? Are there any games missing? Let us know in the comments!

To get another glimpse of what we await for 2021 from Southeast Asia, look at our lists for Cambodia / Myanmar / Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines.