New Games from Singapore in 2020

What games can we expect from the Southeast Asian metropolis of Singapore in 2020? In addition to many new titles from aspiring solo developers and studios, we also note continuity and progress, because some developers have been routinely publishing high-quality games for years. With gamescom asia, Singapore is finally getting a games convention of international format – the perfect stage for game developers from Singapore and all of Southeast Asia. You can read which games we think are particularly noteworthy now.

There Is No Tomorrow

We start with a rare process: The release of There Is No Tomorrow has been rescheduled early to January 15, 2020. Who would have expected this in times of frequent postponements! Solo developer KOEX couldn’t wait any longer and presents with There Is No Tomorrow a 3D action adventure with survival elements, which is strongly inspired by the classic PlayStation game The Last of Us. The first reviews on Steam for the game which focuses on story and horror are positive, so the year starts well for games from Singapore!

Gordian Quest

Here we have the first postponed game. Gordian Quest was supposed to launch in Steam’s Early Access program in December 2019, but was delayed to January and now to March 20, 2020. The developers of Mixed Realms (Makers of Sairento VR) must have discovered the need to further tweak their mix of tactics-RPG and deckbuilder. Gordian Quest already looks very pretty and we are excited to see if the game will be able to hold for its own against its major role models Darkest Dungeon and Slay The Spire.

Crossfire

In the second quarter of 2020, we will then be dealing with the next genuine indie title. With Crossfire, developer SEET promises us a fast-paced top-down shooter in which the players won’t shoot at all. Instead, one must avoid the opponents’ shots so that they kill each other. We are motivated by various power ups and the neon-colored arcade look. Crossfire will be released on Steam and is an exciting experiment to keep in mind.

Chinatown Detective Agency

Our personal highlight will only launch towards the end of 2020 but promises to be a real cracker. As the Singapore-based Chinatown Detective Agency, we explore Southeast Asia and the world and solve the mystery surrounding a shady global conspiracy. The beautiful pixel style already suggests it and the developers General Interactive (Terroir) also confirm that the game is inspired by the classic adventures around Carmen Sandiego. But they also promise to spice up the investigative gameplay with fresh ideas – we are looking forward to experiencing the Singapore of 2032 in 2020 already. Chinatown Detective Agency will come out on Steam.

Sushi Wildlands

This game takes the gameplay concept from the widely popular Slime Rancher and puts it in a Japanese sushi setting. Sounds crazy? It is: The valuable ingredients for our sushi live in the wildlands and must first be caught and then grown on our farm. Whether we enjoy this concept again depends on whether developer Mezmedia Studios can bring in enough ideas of its own. One of them could be that we can manage and set up our own restaurant. Sushi Wildlands should appear on Steam towards the end of 2020, but an already-announced Kickstarter campaign could provide the necessary funding beforehand.

PixoCities

Developer Springloaded has already made itself known for unusual little pixel-style games. So, it is only logical that they teamed up with the artist group Eboy for their next title. PixoCities will be a city builder slash management game, which focuses on the aesthetic aspect – the gameplay should not be affected by economic restrictions. It all sounds like a visually appealing and playfully relaxing affair. We’re looking forward to getting lost in the urban pixel canyons on Steam and Nintendo Switch in late 2020.

What else?

Wow, what a line-up for 2020 from Singapore! As always, we end our preview with promising games that we either don’t know enough about or where the 2020 release is still questionable. It starts with two top AAA titles from Ubisoft Singapore. The open-world pirate game Skull & Bones was initially postponed indefinitely, but was now scheduled to appear officially in fiscal year 2022. It seems more realistic that we receive Gods & Monsters this year, the adventure set in ancient Greece in which Ubisoft Singapore is involved as a co-developer. Both titles should not only appear for the PC [Epic Games Store Affiliate Link] but also for consoles (PS4 and XBox One). Maybe we can also expect a release for the next-gen platforms PlayStation 5 and X Box Series X. In addition to these two titles, there are also two little gems that should be kept in mind. For Android and iOS, Becoming Bytes is a game in which we raise, collect monsters to fight with them. Then there is Oslo. At the moment, only the developers know what kind of game Oslo’s Big Day Out will be. The game, planned as a puzzle adventure around the cute polar bear Oslo, is currently in its third iteration phase. We are excited to see what awaits us here in 2020!