The Best Games of BitSummit 2024

I wandered the floors of Japan's best indie game festival, saw some rad games, and caught COVID in the process.

Thousands of indie game fans braved the humid Kyoto weather this weekend to attend BitSummit, the premiere indie-focused festival in Japan that is renowned for meshing the most creative and experimental games with the mainstream. This year the festival was much larger, covering two floors of the Miyako Messe convention center, the biggest revelation for me was seeing the Nintendo booth. Instead of peddling the newest Mario Party of Princess Peach showtime, games like Exit 8 were front and center, which really felt like a big deal. Indies are gaining ground, and while BitSummit has always been more of an indie-centric affair, it really felt like a triumphant moment for an industry that has faced incredible turmoil in recent months. So I wanted to share some of the cool games that I discovered while skulking the show floors between shifts at the booth I was running. If any of these strike your fancy, be sure to throw them on your ever-growing Steam wishlist and show them your support.

Sulfur

Developer: Perfect Random
Store page

Sulfur has been on my radar for a while now, but this was the first time that I had seen it with my own two eyes, and now I cannot stop thinking about its clean design choices. A modernized old-school adventure shooter, Sulfur kinda looks like it might be a Roguelike shooter, but after sitting with the game on the weekend, it feels more towards a BLOOD WEST kind of RPG adventure. The gunplay feels great, and watching others play at the show only solidified that this one has legs. There's a demo out right now on Steam, so while you're clicking that wishlist button, you can check it out yourself.

Whisper Mountain Outbreak

Developer: Toge Productions
Store page

Whisper Mountain Outbreak aims to bring the tension and drama of a classic survival horror game into the world of a co-op PvE adventure. Set in a rural town in 1998 when a great evil is unleashed, you will need to work with your crew together to survive. They were showing this off on PC and a Steam Deck, which is always a bonus as someone who games a lot of on the Deck. But what really caught my attention is this is that this really reminded me of an isometric take on Lone Survivor, and I am always down for more of that nonsense. Definitely excited for this one.

Dear Flower

Developer: Popiicorn
Store page

I don't have a huge amount to say about Dear Flower, because the art really speaks for itself. Walking around a sea of games on the show floor, it's lively black and white hand-drawn style really captured my attention immediately. It looks like a cute point-and-click adventure with some light puzzles, but it brought a smile to my face as I watched some keen punters playing for a few minutes. Immediate wishlist for me, keen to see what it is all about.

Demon School

Developer: Necrosoft Games
Store page

Tactical RPG set against the backdrop of a school on a mysterious island. You play as Faye, the last practicing demon hunter who collects a merry band of misfits to help them defeat a troupe of weirdos who are straddling the line of the real and demon worlds. Pulling from Persona, there seems to be a lot of downtime and relationship building, but the tactical battles and vibes are what really pulls my attention. There's also a demo on Steam for this one, so I recommend checking that out.

Cyber Paradise

Developer: DDmeow Games
Store page

A cyberpunk neon Roguelite that's all about bringing your dog back from death via cybernetics feels like dangerous territory for my emotions, but watching the smooth combat and interesting chill moments in the demo of Cyber Paradise this weekend really sold me. This one had a pretty successful Kickstarter campaign, and currently has an Open Alpha demo ready for you at the Steam Page. Definitely not for everyone, but I think it might be for me.

Moonbase Lambda

Developer: Thunderfox Studio
Store page

Indie Alien Isolation set on an abandoned moonbase with a delightful low-fi green art style that makes you feel like you are playing a forgotten relic from days past. That about sums up my feelings on Moonbase Lambda, an instant wishlist as soon as I saw it on Friday at BitSummit. This game looks like it has the perfect balance of puzzles and hiding from your enemies, and I really hope it has the intrigue to carry it into greatness. Watching this one with much anticipation.

Unyielder

Developer: Trueworld Games
Store page

Unyielder looks incredible. These folks were actually on the booth next to us, so I spent plenty of time watching punters trying to land the best combos as they ran the gauntlet of its particular brand of Roguelike shooter hell, and I was mesmerized each and every time I watched a run. The gameplay just feels so fluid, much like the first time I played DOOM (2016), it just feels like an extension of you, which is no small feat for any game to accomplish. Excited for this one to drop some time next year.

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Aside from the whole COVID and getting stuck in Kyoto thing, this was by far my favorite BitSummit I have attended, and dare I say it, one of my favourite events ever. It was rejuvenating to see so many teams pushing out some truly incredible games, a nice reminder that amongst all the darkness, there is definitely some light left in the industry.There will be no Indie Release Dispatch this week as I need to recover. But thank you as always for reading, and if you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with a friend. Last week I also pushed out a review of Anger Foot, a super fun and absurd game from those folks over at Devovler. Consider giving that a read.

If you want to help with my COVID recovery, and help fund our costs, I have a Patreon or KoFi page. Current raising funds for email server hosting, and a copy of Conscript so I can write a review while sick!