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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"Goonya Monster" the Absurdly Cute 3v1 Party Game is Out Now!

TOKYO — Dec. 4, 2022 — Goonya Monster, the asymmetric multiplayer party action game published by MUTAN, kicks off festivities and undead heads today with a surprise 10% launch discount on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, as announced during INDIE Live Expo Winter 2022.

Jump into an adorable world of chibi cuteness brought to life by all-star voice actors such as Shiori Izawa (Made in Abyss, Chainsaw Man), Rikako Aida (Love Live! Sunshine!!), Nogami Sho (Azure Striker Gunvolt), Fairuz Ai (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Chainsaw Man), and Tomokazu Sugita (Persona 5, Fire Emblem).

Grab two friends (and one enemy!) and have a blast as the Busters take on the Monster in an asymmetric 3-vs-1 extravaganza. Team up as the gun-toting Busters and master wild weaponry with shotguns, lasers, flamethrowers, land mines at your disposal to round up the souls of the undead roaming the stage. Collect all the souls to win, but watch out for the Monster controlled by the fourth player!

Unleash an arsenal of special powers as the Monster who will stop at nothing to defeat the Busters. Go super-sized, fire gigantic laser beams, send waves of minions, and use the ultimate “predation” attack to turn Busters into ghosts and steal back the undead souls. Terrorize opponents as an unrelenting Monster and stop the Busters from reviving their teammates! Survive the time limit or destroy all three Busters to win the round.

Japanese rock band SAKANAMON and Goonya Monster theme song creators FAKE TYPE. and Chogakusei will join the cartoony action with their band members to be used as custom skins for both Monsters and Busters starting Thursday, Dec. 8th, 2022.

“Terada Tera’s iconic art style combined with the musical talents we’ve partnered with are a perfect match for a party game,” says Hiroyuki Watanabe, CEO of MUTAN. “We are beyond grateful to have collaborated with FAKE TYPE, Cho Gakusei, and SAKANAMON, and can’t wait to showcase more in-game events we have planned for the future.”

Goonya Monster is available now for $19.99, with a 10% launch discount on Steam, Switch, and PlayStation 5 for a limited time. Goonya Monster is supported in English, Japanese, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese.

For more information, please visit the official website, and follow @GoonyaEN and #GoonyaMonster on Twitter.

About MUTAN

MUTAN is a game development studio that aims to create digital content that captures the child-like excitement of playing a game for the first time, creating new, dreamlike experiences for the next generation of gamers. 

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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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.

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Nominees for INDIE Live Expo Winter 2021 Revealed!

TOKYO – October 21, 2021 – INDIE Live Expo Winter 2021, the digital showcase connecting indie game fans globally which has highlighted more than 800 titles and gained more than 29 million views across three shows, will show off more than 500 upcoming games from across the world on Saturday, Nov. 6, 00:00 AM PDT on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Bilibili in English, Japanese, and Chinese languages.

Chosen by a grand jury composed of game media from all around the world, the public INDIE Live Expo Game Award voting starts today until Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. The nominees include:

Most Stream-Friendly Game Award

●     Valheim (Iron Gate Studio,Coffee Stain Publishing)

●     It Takes Two (Hazelight, EA)

●     Among Us (Innersloth)

●     NKODICE (KSYM)

Best New Characters Award

●     Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon - (Type-Moon, Aniplex)

●     Death's Door (Acid Nerve, Devolver Digital)

●     Chicory: A Colorful Tale (A Shell in the Pit, Finji)

●     Haven (The Game Bakers)

Best Game Feel Award

●     The Artful Escape (Beethoven and Dinosaur,vAnnapurna Interactive)

●     Death's Door (Acid Nerve, Devolver Digital)

●     Jupiter Hell (ChaosForge,vHyperstrange)

●     Teardown (Tuxedo Labs)

Theme of the Year Award

●     Two-Dimensional Code (Eternal Dream)

●     Road 96 (Digixart, Ravenscourt)

●     Say No! More (Studio Fizbin, Thunderful Publishing)

●     Golf Club Wasteland (Demagog Studio, Untold Tales)

Rules of Play Award

●     SNKRX (a327ex)

●     Mini Motorways (Dinosaur Polo Club)

●     Cookie Clicker（Steam version) (Orteil, DashNet, Playsaurus)

●     Before Your Eyes (GoodbyeWorld Games, Skybound Games)

Local Cultural Representation Award

●     Last Stop (Variable State, Annapurna Interactive)

●     Word Game: Episode 0 (Team9)

●     Amaho's Sakunahime (Edelweiss, XSEED Games, Marvelous USA, Inc.)

●     Hot Pot For One (Rachel Li, Qin Yin)

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

Everyone is encouraged to visit the INDIE Live Expo Awards official website and vote for their favorite indie games.

This year’s Winter showcase will feature presentations from prominent companies sponsoring the event such as Cygames Inc, Freedom Games, and Kodansha Co., Ltd, with more set to be added in the coming weeks.

Further information about INDIE Live Expo Winter 2021 participating guests, show segments, and sponsors will be added to the INDIE Live Expo website in the following weeks. Please make sure to also follow @INDIELiveExpoEN on Twitter, and search for #INDIELiveExpo on social media for more details and the latest information.

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