Indie Rise Awards and Indonesia Game Awards
The event also included two awarding ceremonies. The first being the Indie Rise Awards held on Saturday, dedicated to the best idea pitched by up-and-coming talents. The second award ceremony being The Indonesia Game Awards. Held on Sunday, the Indonesia Game Awards is dedicated to Indonesian video game titles that significantly contribute to the advancement of the Indonesian gaming industry.
The winners as follows:
Indie Rise Awards
- New Challenger Award: Wonder Wandelier by Mushroommallow Studio
- Jury’s Choice: Biwar Legend of Dragon Slayer by Devata Game
- The Best Project: Insectbot by Tamatin Entertainment
Indonesia Game Awards
Best Art
Winners: Samudra by Khayalan Arts
Nomination:
- Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2 by Agate Games
- Kohana by Mushroomallow
- Kitaria Fables by Twin Hearts
- My Lovely Wife by GameChanger Studio
Best Narrative
Winner: The Sun Shines Over Us by Eternal Dream Studio
Nomination:
- Samudra by Khayalan Arts
- Ann by Rong Rong
- Kohana by Mushroommallow Studio
- Salah Sambung 2 by Rolling Glory Jam
Best Gameplay
Winner: Kitaria Fables by Twin Hearts
Nomination:
- ConnecTank by Tamatin Entertainment
- Grammarian Ltd. by Algorocks
- Gigapocalypse by Goody Gameworks
- Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2 by Agate Games
Best Mobile Game
Winner: When the Past Was Around by Mojiken Studio
Nomination:
- Wangan Dorifto by Rigged Box Software
- Salah Sambung 2 by Rolling Glory Jam
- Grammarian Ltd. by Algorocks
- The Sun Shines Over Us by Eternal Dream Studio
Best PC/Console Game
Winner: Kitaria Fables by Twin Hearts
Nomination:
- Samudra by Khayalan Arts
- My Lovely Wife by GameChanger Studio
- ConnectTank by Tamatin Entertainment
- Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2 by Agate Games
Game of the Year
Winner: Kitaria Fables by Twin Hearts
Nomination:
- Samudra by Khayalan Games
- My Lovely Wife by GameChanger Studio
- Grammarian Ltd. by Algorocks
- Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2 by Agate Games
The awarding process ended with a special Honorary Award in the memory of Mohammad Fahmi Husni or Fahmitsu, creator of the game Coffee Talk, who passed away earlier in March of this year.
Other Takeaways
At the event, our contributors had the opportunity to speak with some developers. Below are some of the talking points and topics that were brought up.
Funding is still deemed to be the most important hurdle for Indonesian game developers. The data from AGI, KOMINFO, and LIPI shows that many developers still rely on their own personal fortunes to publish their games. So it’s understandable that many of them are dependent on outside sources of funding like publishers or startup incubator programs. Others also work on side projects in VR, creating mobile & web apps, or selling Unity assets to finance their game.
While some game developers already embrace the trend of Web3 games, others are wary. A developer stated that they were afraid that the trend will soon die out. Other developers said that they prefer to find traditional publishers to finance their game as it has proven to be successful for them, and that they still aren’t sure yet on whether funding through Web3 games are “safe”.
Lastly, while the local game market is indeed growing, it is still dominated by foreign games. Many developers are not that interested to tap into the local market. This is something that Cipto addressed on his panel, as he believes that 80 percent of local developers target the overseas market. Interestingly, a developer talked about how they tried aiming for the local market at first, but then found success when their game become viral overseas.
In the end, there were many interesting insights gained from the event. The panels highlighted some of the industry trends and problems relevant to Indonesia in the past few years. The pandemic has clearly affected the industry, but Indonesian developers have proven themselves to be resistant and able to adapt. It is likely that Web3 Games will still be a topic of discussion in the next few years. Funding is still, and probably will continue to be, the most important issue for Indonesian game developers. But events like IGDX look to play a critical role in providing answers to that problem, by serving as a space for developers to meet with publishers, talk with stakeholders, and learn new things from other developers or industry players.
The Indonesian Anime Times | Event Report by Dany Muhammad
