TOKYO REPORT: Unique Low-Budget Indie Games Draw Attention in Japan

Tokyo, Nov. 25 (Jiji Press)–Indie video games developed on modest budgets by individuals and small teams are gaining traction in Japan for their innovative ideas and variety often absent from major studio titles. Advances in development tools have helped lower barriers to entry, spurring a surge in creators and driving rapid market growth. Competition has intensified, however, and only a handful of titles achieve commercial success. Legal challenges, including copyright protection, have also come to the fore. The Tokyo Game Show 2025 took place in September at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, east of Tokyo. A short walk from the towering booths of major publishers such as Square Enix Co. and Sega Corp. was the Indie Game Area, a cluster of compact stands outfitted with little more than personal computers and monitors. A total of 374 exhibitors from Japan and overseas showcased their works there. The titles spanned a wide range of genres–adventure, puzzle, combat and narrative-driven games among them. Many projects were rough around the edges but carried a distinct handmade charm. Visitors lingered to play and traded lively conversation with the developers, including those behind the screens. The Audience Award Grand Prix at the Sense of Wonder Night 2025 indie game contest went to “and Roger,” a narrative game told from the perspective of a girl reeling from her father’s disappearance. Its creator, 28-year-old Japanese developer Yona, said of his ambitions, “I want to create games that carry messages infused with my own feelings.” The rise of indie games reflects how the development landscape has evolved. Digital storefronts such as Steam allow players to discover, buy and play titles from around the world, making it easier than ever to publish and sell a game. At the same time, modern game engines, which bundle the tools needed for game development, further lower barriers to entry for aspiring developers. They include Unity, which enables users to create 2D and 3D games for free. Efforts to secure the next “golden eggs” are accelerating across related industries. To discover and nurture young creators, major publishers Shueisha Inc. and Kodansha Ltd. now offer end-to-end support, guiding projects from the planning stage and after a game’s completion helping monetize the intellectual property through publishing and merchandise. According to market researcher Mordor Intelligence, the indie game market worldwide was worth about 4.7 billion dollars in 2024 and is projected to double to around 9.4 billion dollars by 2029. Breakout titles that have emerged from the indie scene include “Minecraft” and “The Exit 8,” with the latter adapted into a feature movie. Even so, most games are lost in the daily flood of global releases. “As the number of titles grows rapidly, strong promotion is essential to get noticed. The bar for producing a hit is high,” said Shunji Mizutani, executive producer of Playism, an indie game distributor. In some cases, disputes over copyrights and trademarks surface after a game’s release. Akinori Nakamura, a Ritsumeikan University professor and expert on the game industry, suggests that indie developers often lack the organizational resources to manage legal risks. “Despite their ability to create groundbreaking titles at a speed large companies cannot match, they face the possibility of litigation, including over portrait rights,” he said. Such concerns are expected to be a focus of efforts to support industry development. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]