Check Out the Winners from INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022!

TOKYO – Dec 4/5, 2022 – INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022, the sixth entry in the biannual live digital showcase connecting indie game fans all over the world via a two-day broadcast in English, Japanese, and Chinese, has once again broken viewership records. Viewers worldwide have tuned in for the introduction of more than 200 games, including world premieres, launch announcements, other exciting reveals, and the third annual INDIE Live Expo Awards ceremony.

Winning titles include:

●     Game Of The Year: Unpacking (Witch Beam, Humble Games)

●     Trailer of the Year Award: STRAY - Launch Trailer (BlueTwelve Studio, Annapurna Interactive)

●     Most Addictive Game Award: Vampire Survivors (poncle)

●     Best Short Game Award: Unpacking (Witch Beam, Humble Games)

●     Most Stream Friendly Game Award: Needy Streamer Overload (WWS playground, xemono)

●     Best Game Feel Award: Neon White (Angel Matrix, Annapurna Interactive)

●     Theme Of The Year Award: OMORI (OMOCAT, LLC)

●     Rule of Play Award: 7 Days to End with You (Lizardry)

●     Local Cultural Representation Award: A Perfect Day (Perfect Day Studio)

●     Rediscovery Award: Potato Flowers in Full Bloom (Pon Pon Games, PLAYISM)

●     Late Bloom Award: Raft (Redbeet Interactive, Axolot Games)

●     Best New Characters Award: Needy Streamer Overload (WWS playground, xemono)

INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022 broadcasted a special segment dedicated to the reveal of the debut title from Fahrenheit 213, a new studio founded by Yosuke Shiokawa, best known for his work on celebrated titles like Kingdom Hearts II (Lead Planner), Dissidia: Final Fantasy (Concept Director), and Fate/Grand Order (Creative Director). The studio’s first title, TSURUGIHIME, is an RPG in a fully hand-drawn world coming to PC in 2024.

Other announcements include the Steam Early Access release of psychological visual novel Mindhack by VODKAdemo?, and the launch of MUTAN’s asymmetrical 3-vs-1 party game Goonya Monster. New content for the 2D adventure game BOKURA was revealed by Kondansha, and a number of upcoming Switch releases were announced, including Rakuen by Laura Shigahara and published by 8-4, as well as horror pixel RPG Ib by PLAYISM.

Sekai Project surprised fans with a release date for Alice Escape!, coming to Steam for PC, and Shueisha Games provided viewers with fresh information on the upcoming deckbuilder RPG The Tower - To the Bottom (Working Title). A new trailer was revealed for the highly-anticipated open-world co-op survival game by Pocketpair, PalWorld, and Aniplex announced a new local multiplayer game mode for the award-winning hand-drawn scholar adventure RPG Time: The Legend of Wright.

The INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022 Steam event will remain accessible until Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 - 3:00 JST, offering discount prices for titles that took part in ILE Winter 2022 or previous editions of the show.

“We are blown away by the amazing community we have been building over the past three years which contributed over 3,000 votes to 2022’s awards program. Thank you to all who have given their voices to vote for their favorite games.” said Ryuta Konuma, Founder of Ryu’s Office. “We couldn’t have done it without our audience, judges, and sponsors. Their endorsement empowers us to bring these fantastic games to a dedicated audience, and we will continue our efforts toward growing our show, strengthening our support, and providing game developers the visibility their work deserves.”

For a list of each game showcased during INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022, check out this list here.

Rewatch DAY1 and DAY2 of INDIE Live Expo 2022 on YouTube.

Developers and indie game enthusiasts interested in information about future INDIE Live Expo events and opportunities can sign up for the INDIE Live Expo Letter here.

For more information, please visit the INDIE Live Expo website, follow @INDIELiveExpoEN on Twitter, and search for #INDIELiveExpo on social media.

About Ryu’s Office

Ryu’s Office offers in-depth marketing solutions for smartphone, console, arcade, and PC games in Japan. They are particularly focused on the planning and production of numerous live broadcasts based out of Japan for the gaming industry.

To learn more, visit the official Ryu’s Office website.

Article by: Susan N.

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INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022 Reveals Show Times, Content, and Award Nominees

TOKYO — November 15, 2022 — INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022, the sixth entry in the biannual live digital showcase connecting indie game fans all over the world with more than 57.5 million total views, reveals the show times, first content, and third-annual INDIE Live Expo Awards nominees. The two-day event takes place Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4 at 1:00 AM PST / 4:00 AM EST / 10:00 AM CET / 6:00 PM JST, broadcast in English on YouTube and Twitch with separate Chinese and Japanese broadcasts.

DAY 1: Let’s Play will focus on titles that viewers can play right now, including new content for released games, major updates to Early Access titles, and showcases of hidden gems for new audiences to discover. INDIE Waves will feature short-form, rapid-fire presentations from more than 200 titles. Additionally, notable personalities from the indie game world will provide recommendations on some of their favorite titles.

DAY 2: Awards will focus on showcasing upcoming games and honoring the best current games. This broadcast will feature INDIE Live Premieres, with new title debuts and fresh reveals from previously announced games and more quick hit INDIE Waves for unreleased games. Additionally, a new INDIE Studios Around the World segment highlighting games and studios from a particular country will debut, with more show content and segments to be revealed ahead of the event.

DAY 2 also features the reveal of the INDIE Live Expo Awards winners, honoring the best in independent games from Oct. 2021 to Sept. 2022. A panel of experts from the worldwide media and games industry helped determine the nominees listed below, with all games eligible for the Game of the Year and joining the ranks of previous grand prize winners Road 96 and Hades. The public can voice their opinion beginning today until Dec. 3 at 11:59 AM JST at this link.

“Our panel did an exceptional job at making our nominee list aim to represent what we love from indie gaming, both the prominent titles that made an impact along with some lesser-known hidden gems,” said Ryuta Konuma, Founder, Ryu’s Office. “We hope this spirit carries on throughout our two days of INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022, where we can provide fun surprises of all kinds for indie game fans all over the world.”

INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022 takes place Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4, with the broadcast starting at 1:00 AM PST / 4:00 AM EST / 10:00 AM CET / 6:00 PM JST each day. The English language broadcast on YouTube and Twitch will be hosted on both days by indie game content creator J-mon and Kaori “Kaotan” Horiuchi, bilingual Japanese idol member of AKIHABARA Backstage Pass and Twitch streamer. Atsugiri Jason, an American comedian based in Tokyo, will join the DAY2 broadcast.

Further information concerning the participating guests of INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022, show segments, sponsors, and more will be revealed soon on the INDIE Live Expo website. Please make sure to follow @INDIELiveExpoEN or #INDIELiveExpo on social media for more details and the latest information.

INDIE Live Expo Award 2022 - Nominees

Most Stream-Friendly Game Award

•  Needy Streamer Overload (WWS playground, xemono)
•  Poppy Playtime (MOB Games)
•  The Complex: Found Footage (IsarL)
•  Trombone Champ (Holy Wow)

Best New Characters Award

•  Needy Streamer Overload (WWS playground, xemono)
•  STRAY (BlueTwelve Studio, Annapurna Interactive)
•  Cult of the Lamb (Massive Monster, Devolver Digital)
•  DEEEER Simulator: Your Average Everyday Deer Game (Gibier Gamer, PLAYISM)

Best Game Feel Award

•  Have a Nice Death (Magic Design Studios, Gearbox Publishing)
•  Neon White (Angel Matrix, Annapurna Interactive)
•  Rogue Legacy 2 (Cellar Door Games)
•  F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch (TiGames, bilibili)

Theme of the Year Award

•  Fashion Police Squad (Mopeful Games, No More Robots)
•  Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk (Nikita Kryukov)
•  Needy Streamer Overload (WWS playground, xemono)
•  OMORI (OMOCAT, LLC)

Rules of Play Award

•  7 Days to End with You (Lizardry)
•  A=B (Artless Games)
•  Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate (PUNKCAKE Delicieux)
•  Who’s Lila (Garage Heathen, IndieArk)

Local Cultural Representation Award

•  RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (DeskWorks, Aniplex)
•  The Witch Of The Ihanashi (Fragaria, Seikei Production)
•  A Perfect Day (Perfect Day Studio)
•  Paper Bride (HeartBeat Plus)

Trailer of the Year Award

•  Fashion Police Squad - Launch Trailer (Mopeful Games, No More Robots)
•  Kenny Washmore - PowerWash Simulator Informecial (FuturLab, Square Enix)
•  STRAY - Launch Trailer (BlueTwelve Studio, Annapurna Interactive)
•  Trek to Yomi - Launch Trailer (Leonard Menchiari, Flying Wild Hog, Devolver Digital)

Best Short Game Award

•  Unpacking (Witch Beam, Humble Games), Vampire Survivors (poncle)
•  Open the Door: A Short Story About Life (Tatsuya Koyama)
•  Kanojokei Seimei Shinkaron Perfect Girl

Rediscovery Award

•  ElecHead (NamaTakahashi, Tsuyomi)
•  Happy Game (Amanita Design)
•  Songs of Conquest (Lavapotion, Coffee Stain Publishing)
•  Potato Flowers in Full Bloom (Pon Pon Games, PLAYISM)

Late Bloom Award

•  ANNO: Mutationem (ThinkingStars, Lightning Games)
•  Raft (Redbeet Interactive, Axolot Games)
•  RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (DeskWorks, Aniplex)
•  Yumeiri (Affility)

Most Addictive Game Award

•  Farthest Frontier (Crate Entertainment)
•  Raft (Redbeet Interactive, Axolot Games)
•  Vampire Survivors (poncle)
•  Yugo Puzzle (QRostar)

All nominated games are also eligible to win the “INDIE Live Expo’s Indie Game of the Year” award.

About Ryu’s Office

Ryu’s Office offers in-depth marketing solutions for smartphone, console, arcade, and PC games in Japan. They are particularly focused on the planning and production of numerous live broadcasts based out of Japan for the gaming industry.

To learn more, visit the official Ryu’s Office website.

Article by: Susan N.

Read More

Game Submissions Now Open for Indie Live Expo Winter 2022!

TOKYO – Sept. 8, 2022 – INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022, the sixth entry in the biannual live digital showcase connecting indie game fans all over the world with more than 57.5 million total views, opens submissions for games to take part in the showcase starting today. Selected titles will be featured in the two-day event on Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4, broadcast in English, Chinese, and Japanese.

Independent game developers and publishers from around the world can apply for free starting today until Monday, October 24, 2022, at 12:00 PM JST / 8:00 PM PDT / 11:00 PM EDT. Applicants can submit one title from their portfolio, whether to reveal a brand new project, share news on an upcoming game, announce major updates for previously-released works, or spotlight a sale for a currently-available title. Please click here to submit and for detailed terms and conditions.

During November, the INDIE Live Expo Office will notify applicants approved to participate in the show. Additionally, companies looking to sponsor the event — with options such as logo placements and special show segments — can inquire here. Among the INDIE Live Expo’s past sponsors are some of the industry’s most prolific names, like PlayStation, Xbox, 505 Games, Cygames, Kodansha, and many more.

The third annual INDIE Live Expo Awards also returns for ILE Winter 2022 with an expanded number of awards honoring titles released from October 2021 to September 2022. The INDIE Live Expo Board and an esteemed panel of judges from worldwide media outlets will determine the nominees to be revealed in mid-November, alongside public voting opening at that time. Previous grand prize winners include Road 96 and Hades.

“Every year, we’re astonished by the response we get when we open up submission, as we see so many incredible titles from talented creators around the world,” said Ryuta Konuma, Founder and CEO, Ryu’s Office. “Doing this show gives us the means to put a spotlight on these worthy creators, and we invite developers and publishers from around the world to join our two-day celebration of independent gaming.”

Developers interested in information about future INDIE Live Expo events and opportunities can sign up for the INDIE Live Expo Letter here. Media and content creators looking to co-stream INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022 can submit an application here for consideration and promotion.

INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022 sponsorship opportunities are also available, with a variety of options for companies of all sizes, with the possibility for video featuring during the event. For more information on these opportunities please visit the informational and submission page here.

For more information, please visit the INDIE Live Expo website, follow @INDIELiveExpoEN on Twitter, and search for #INDIELiveExpo on social media.

About Ryu’s Office

Ryu’s Office offers in-depth marketing solutions for smartphone, console, arcade, and PC games in Japan. They are particularly focused on the planning and production of numerous live broadcasts based out of Japan for the gaming industry.

To learn more, visit the official Ryu’s Office website.

Article by: Susan N.

Read More