My Reactions to the 2026 SEA Games Showcase

Hello! These are my (semi-)live reactions to the 2026 South East Asian Games Showcase (SEAGS) which premiered just yesterday, June 6, 2026, 11:00 P.M. GMT+8. I say "semi" live because I couldn't actually watch the premiere live; I was asleep. Still, as a Filipino, I've been pretty excited to catch one of these, so check these games out with me!

 

 

Watch the SEA Games Showcase here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68FDpVkWoTo 

 

Note that these are hastily written first impressions, so these thoughts are fairly less organized than what you may usually find in my blogs. Also, I might not be able to write about every game in this hour-long showcase. I'll probably only include announcements that interest me, personally. That's all the more reason for you to watch the showcase yourself!

 

Full Release: "TCG Card Shop Simulator" (by OPNeon Games)

 

 

 

I've tried TCG Card Shop Simulator before. I did not know it was in Early Access, or that it had not yet properly released. From my limited experience with TCG Sim, I thought it was fine, with nothing necessarily notable going for it. I feel that it released during a time ('24–'25) when simulators were once again enjoying a brief peak in the genre's sinusoidal popularity pattern, especially with the release of titles like the 'YouTuber game' Supermarket Simulator and the Breaking Bad-inspired, somewhat satire Schedule I.

 

I can't tell if TCG Sim is the predecessor to Supermarket Simulator, or if it's the other way around, or if they both follow a common ancestor. It's hard to tell precisely because these games hardly innovate on top of each other; these 'simulators' all basically feel like the same game to me. Though, I will give TCG Sim some applause for making its own Pokemon rip-off, called "Tetramon", and even a functional TCG battle system inside a glorified clerk simulator. They did not have to go that far, so props.

 

Upcoming: "NO STRAIGHT ROADS 2" (by Metronomik)

 

 

 

An 'action-music' adventure, huh? Reminds me of Hi-Fi Rush but dashed with the style of Psychonauts. Though not with the polish of Psychonauts, which I could tell even from this short teaser in the showcase. I mean, I can see the gameplay lag in some of the clips. The aesthetics put on display are definitely interesting. A ragtag group of what looks like pop-punk band artists going through a dark, neon corridor, a subway station, then a purple, shining aquarium-like hall populated by jellyfish and mantises? A floral world? What happens in this game? I ask bemused, but also curious. I've personally never heard of NSR, let alone its sequel, but NSR and NSR2 look intriguing enough to go into my wishlist, for sure. 

 

Demo Release: "Nightmare Circus" (FairPlay Studios) 

 

 

 

3D isometric action games are back on the menu? Or, actually, have they ever left? I'm not so familiar with the genre. Nightmare Circus looks less like a nightmare and more like a charming display of tomfoolery to me. Looks straight out of a children's toy set. It seems to revolve around a lasso that you wind around enemies to pull or strangle them. I'm definitely checking its demo out. 

 

Upcoming: "Am I Nima" (HO! Games)

 

 

 

"HO! Games"? More like, Ho! Ly! Shit! this is what I'm talking about. A blend of unique concepts that, for once, has nothing to do with deckbuilding, roguelikes, survival, or imperialist warfare. Am I Nima is a psychological horror game where you combine words to prove that you really are Nima... or not! You then select any word/s you've found to answer Nima's mom, which I presume is how you move the story forward. I'm already fond of the mystery and thrill inherent to the concept of figuring out the main character's identity, but to layer that on top of essentially Infinite Craft gameplay (which is essentially Doodle God gameplay) is one hell of a move. This is one of those games that can easily be a hit or miss, but it's just too unique not to have your interest be piqued. Certain wishlist.

 

Demo Release: "Cable City" (jean.dev)

 

 

 

This game is like the result of someone who played Super Mario Odyssey, thought to themself: "What if the cable wire capture was an entire game?" and then actually made it. You know what, fair.

 

I always have a soft spot for platformers, be they 2D or 3D. This one especially speaks to my heart given its low-poly visual style and outlines that I could only describe as having negative anti-aliasing. Is that possible? Everything looks so crunched up, it's almost like a PS0 game, were such a console exist. I'm very curious as to the technical details on how to make 3D environments look like this. Is much of this done in post-processing (i.e., shaders)? I like it and would love to make something in this style myself. Oh, and Cable City is a Filipino game, so you know I'm going to try it with that basis alone. 

 

Upcoming: "Neko Station" (Sunny Syrup Studios)

 

 

 

It's one of those desktop idle games! I couldn't tell you where I first saw these cropping up. I remember first seeing marketing for a desktop idle game on Twitter a few years ago at this point, though I'm sure it had existed prior. Since then, I feel like these sorts of games have become more popular, not only by demand but by supply.

The truth is when a game sits at your desktop at all times, it kind of has to be passive in existence. This is probably the reason why idle games (which are passive by design) are such good fits with games that integrate themselves in your desktop. It has to be entirely frictionless and peripheral, something that does not disturb you while you scroll, something that is out of the way.

 

Given all that, the detailed pixel art of Neko Station and its cuteness definitely makes it hard to look away from. Sorta the opposite of what you want with this type of stuff? Nevertheless, I can see the appeal. The trailer in the showcase even had a music track full of cat meowing noises, so Sunny Syrup Studios are really doing their damnedest to reach their fur-loving target audience. And even though it doesn't include me, that audience should certainly be alerted to this game's existence.

 

Upcoming: "NOL" (Team NOL)

 

 

 

A first person horror game in the style of Japanese horror manga. Eughhh. That's the sound I'm making as I'm looking at this game, and it is by all means a compliment. It's the spiritual equivalent of MOUSE: P.I. For Hire but for the first person horror genre. I just hope it holds up on other aspects that matter. I don't play much horror myself (my heart can't handle it, literally), so I pass this one to horror lovers out there to check out and chew on.

 

Demo Release: "MEANINGLESS RANDOM NUMBERS" (Nikko Nikko)

 

 

 

THIS GAME IS BY A FILIPINO DEV? What the fuck?! I saw this game on my Twitter timeline a few months ago and had bookmarked it out of interest. Didn't even know of its origin! AND ITS DEMO IS OUT?! I will be playing this after I finish watching the showcase.

 

This game looks to me like a dice-rolling, score-maximizing incremental horror game that has religious and capitalist themes. It feels stylistically similar to 10,000 SWORDS AGAINST HEAVEN, which is also a Filipino game (highly recommend, btw); combined with some hints of half-tone/risograph that I personally commonly see in graphic design. Mechanically, it feels similar to other dice-based score-maximizing games I've played, like Deviled Dice and Dice of Kalma which both seem to sprout from Balatro in my eyes. How accurate that assessment is, I'm not sure, but MEANINGLESS RANDOM NUMBERS is certainly worth a try. I will definitely be playing its demo after finishing the showcase!

 

Full Release: "Kulo Niku: Bowl Up!" (Gambir Studio)

 

 

I recently read this one article by Doreen G. Fernandez on the indigenization of Filipino food, and one of the key points that can be absorbed throughout that article is that food is much more than just for eating. It is culture of the masses, formed, adapted, and continuously reiterated throughout generations. It's truly a beautiful thing, and you can see simulations of that said culture in cooking games. Japan's Cooking Mama, Philippines' Soup Pot, and now Indonesia's Kulo Niku, I hope. Unrelated to the showcase, but there is also an upcoming game (that grew trending on Twitter) called Bancho the Chef which may see the fusion of Asian and African-American cuisine. All these foodstuffs are pieces of culture, and when put in video games, create for a digital way of representing the production of local cultures, which can then be chewed on and absorbed by players all around the world. 

 

The funny part is that Kulo Niku is not the only cooking game featured in this year's SEAGS, for there is also Kooeh and perhaps even Dungeon Hotpot. Personally, I'm hoping to be able to play Filipino cooking games in the future!

 

Upcoming: "Kidbash: Super Legend" (Authentic Remixes, Fat Raccoon)

 

 

 

Indonesian Mega Man! I'm not gonna lie, finishing Gravity Circuit had left a big, Mega Man shaped hole in my heart, so I'm actually rather giddy for this one. It looks abundantly cute, following a style similar to that of the Powered Up remake of the original Mega Man, in that it's more cartoony and somewhat 'chibi'. It's adorable, though, and pretty fitting for a game with a clearly young intended audience. I kinda feel like a child watching this, and I'd love to try it when it comes out.

 

Upcoming: "Growing my Manhole" (GearByte Games)

 

I've played Hole.io. I've seen Donut County. I suppose it should not be surprising whatsoever that such a concept—a giant hole swallowing stuff and becoming bigger and bigger—should be turned into an incremental game. It's weird, because really, this thing should be horror or have a horror equivalent. A massive, gaping hole on the surface of the Earth should terrify any human being. I would not want to fall in such a thing. But I guess we've decided that it's more fun to instead play God with such a manhole, look at it from a top-down perspective, and control its insatiable journey of swallowing everything. I guess we simply prefer domination. Swallowing manhole. Okay, I'll stop talking about this game before it starts sounding weird.

 

Demo Release: "Montabi" (Mankibo, Akupara Games) 

 

 

I've played a few games published by Akupara, and so far they've been a hit or miss on me. Behind the Frame and Rain World are games I absolutely adore, though I find Sorry, We're Closed and Universe for Sale to be pretty good, and The Darkside Detective to be sorta okay if only quite corny. Nevertheless, for some reason I'm always excited by an Akupara game. They do seem to seek out game concepts that are actually unique, and for that I always respect them as publishers.

 

With that, the concept of Montabi is that it's a monster-taming, deckbuilding, strategy game—possibly roguelike? This one stood out to me because of its comic-like visual design and its presentation, in which they really pulled out the raps to explain the names of the 'Montabi' monsters. Gives huge Donkey Kong rap vibes, and I love it from the onset. Definitely checking this one out.

 

Upcoming: "Memoirium" (GoldenGratus)

 

 

 

Oh, this one looks like it rocks. Yet another Filipino-developed game, and like Am I Nima from earlier, it's also another OuterSloth published game. But this one intrigued me for its gritty, macabre violence that juxtaposes with characters watering flowers and taking care of cats, all in the same, dark, PSX-like environment. Reminds me somewhat of Pseudoregalia and Bloodborne PSX. According to the game's Steam description, it is about looking into "dreams", "liminal spaces", and "subconscious landscapes." I personally don't believe that my dreams look like this, but I have been definitely made curious anyway.

 

Upcoming: "Sepak U – Sports Fighting Game" (Good Knight Collective)

 

 

This is what I love about Filipino games, man. What the fuck is going on in this image. Why is a grandma fighting a blob chicken in a game of sepak (or kick volleyball)? Why is this game being played on the side of the street, with sari-sari stores right across? Why is Godzilla fighting a giant chicken?! I don't know, but this game is just so lovely. It reminds me of Hyper Gunsport combined with Smash. The chaos and action are delectable, and the game glints of polish. And the humor of "Sepak U" sounding like the Filipinized version of a cuss, intentional or not, is not lost on me. Very excited for this one!

Upcoming: "prove you're human" (sunset visitor)

 

 

 

From the same creators of 1000xRESIST, for which I have heard many a good praise. I've seen clips of 1000xRESIST, and it's the type of story-heavy game that I truly quite enjoy. prove you're human seems to take the sincere chokehold its predecessor had on the cybernetic future and take it to the next level: by tackling the AI problem at its heart. Gosh. Yes. So much yes. I'm really, really interested in playing this one. And also 1000xRESIST!

 

Demo Release: "Dungeon Hotpot" (Renala Games)

 

 

 

I liked Dungeon Hotpot because even though it's a cooking game, it looks quite a bit more involved than your usual game. It seems like there are stats to keep track of and balance along with requests, and it's all set in what seems to be a dungeon for adventurers (or prior to one?). There's a demo out, so I'm willing to try it.

 

Upcoming: "WORK WORK WORK" (Mojiken Studios)

 

  

 

A pixel-art adventure mystery game that clearly derives from VHS ARGs. I'm not so much a big fan of VHS-style games nowadays, but I used to hold them close to my heart; so much so that I used to (try to) make horror video content in the VHS format style. Those projects didn't really turn out so good, in retrospect. To be honest, I can see the analog style being nothing more than dressing, even here in WORK WORK WORK. I'm interested in the game because of its premise of a mysterious company with weird secrets. There is potential breeding ground for satire and mockery of 'productivity'-based company/work culture. I could only hope that it taps into those elements and not get lost in the ARG/sensational internet mystery sauce.

 

Upcoming: "Until Then: Afterimages" (Polychroma Games)

 

 

 

I've already talked at great length about Until Then ever since I featured it in my four favorite indie games list, so let me tell you all a story, instead. Did you know I've actually interviewed one of the founders of Polychroma Games and director of Until Then, Mickole Nulud? It was part of my Filipino (school subject) project for high school, where my groupmates and I sought to document the thoughts and perspectives of prominent local developers on the rising Filipino gamedev industry. Sir Mickole was kind enough to accept my group's interview, and I was the one who took to ask him our questions.

 

I found out a lot in that interview. I had so much fun asking the questions. I even went beyond our question script and asked stuff that just came to my curiosity. If I remember correctly (and, note, that interview is years ago by now. I probably don't remember it well.), the gist of what we discussed in that interview is that now is an exciting but scary time for Filipino gamedev. As far as we are locally concerned, much of gamedev is unexplored territory. It is a quickly rising hobby and industry, but there's currently not enough support, especially from the public sector. There's not a lot of local courses on gamedev, for instance. Still, Sir Mickole admits that the situation now is better than it had been before, and hopes that more and more will be given opportunities to pursue it as a viable career. There is struggle, yet with struggle, there is hope.

 

Final Remarks 

 

Looking at the SEA Games Showcase, I can feel that struggle for game developers not only in the Philippines but in South East Asia as a whole: that struggle to be seen, recognized, and supported locally and worldwide. Game development is a tough process, and many (if not all) of the games showcased here are made by solo developers or relatively small studios. For us SEA developers, this is one of our biggest platforms where we have the opportunity to shine. And looking at the roster of games this year, shine we did indeed.

 

I know that I've skipped over quite a few titles from the showcase. I'm only one person, and my writing stamina and general interests do not—and possibly cannot—cover all. That's why I ask upon you, the reader, to check out the SEA Games Showcase for yourself, and see what strikes your fancy. Spread the word, share to your friends! As a small developer myself (who dreams of being featured in a SEAGS one day), I can tell you that every bit of engagement and word-of-mouth means a lot to us. Remember: the torch is ours to carry, the future ours to bear. 

 

Truth be told, this is the first SEA Games Showcase I've ever watched. I only found out about the event through recent involvements. Fun fact, I met with Sir Agu through not one, but two talks I attended lately. He's the founder of Bad Game Jam and also the animator or one of the animators for the opening cutscene of the SEAGS event. Sir Agu is how I found out about SEAGS.

 

I'm so proud of how far we've come, to be honest. Usually, I'd ask people to play locally produced games (especially Filipino games) on the basis that they're locally produced. I'm so proud to see that we're now nearing or at the level of production prowess that our games could look, and be, just as fun as generally more popular games from other countries. I hope that all these games and more grow to be successful. I'd love to prove that the struggles associated with the origin of a game does not usurp that which transcends it: the passion of creation, and the joy of play. 

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some demos to check out. :P

Four Short Filipino Indie Games!

The Philippines is a country that's almost impossible to love. It is perhaps the embodiment of wasted potential; worms ate the country inside-out, and now it's exiting the global sphincter as a massive piece of shit.

 

This can be seen in the country's gaming ""industry"". Despite brimming with talent, the nation as of yet still sees 'gaming' as equivalent to 'gambling sites' and 'offshore' or 'outsourced work'. As the country's potential economic growth gets continuously squandered by political powers, the potential of the country as an artistic forefront is squandered by the overwhelming cultural powers brought by the globalized world. The path that a creative must walk in this nation hangs in the balance. It is our imperative to pull ourselves forward by the bootstraps. Therefore, as a Filipino game developer myself, it is my prime mission to seek out, participate with, and contribute to the local gaming scene, one so underrepresented and undervalued.

 

You will notice a common theme, of sorts, with the four games I shall recommend today. In some ways, they all grapple or play with Filipino identity. Unlike the gaming titans of the 'developed' world, who can afford to remove any trace of identity to maraud a globalized audience, works from the countries who own smaller pieces of the global pie tend to keep and even highlight their local/cultural identity. The Philippines is a prime example of this. Filipino artists and creators are almost behooved to be assertively Filipino; in part to scream into the world of our existence, and in part to understand our identity in the first place, a problem still unsolved by a nation still colonized. I will highlight how Filipino identity manifests in the four games. But I like to view this Filipino-ness not as weakness, but as opportunity, and importantly, beauty.

 

This is really why I want to show off local games: I think they're beautiful. They tug my heart in ways that are feverishly close. Somehow, it's like these games are not stranger to me, like I could freely let them into my home. Because they are my home. Because despite the shittiness of it all, art remains. We remain. I hope I can convince you to love what remains. 

 

If you've been craving a bit of the Pinoy taste, these are short titles with lots of variety and could be good places to start. Combined, they'll take barely an hour to finish. Without further ado, here are four short Filipino games that I've played throughout the week which I quite liked.

goodbye by artsybarrels

CW: Depression, Suicide

 

 

This one hurt. This one really, really hurt. Playing goodbye does not take much time, but as I'm sure you could piece together, it's about a young person on their way to commit suicide. Tread lightly with this one, please, and stay safe out there.

 

I've read a few stories like this one in the past, but this is the first time it's ever hit like this. Being told that I am loved in my mother tongue—by a fictional mother—is a spear chucked right into my soul. 

 

To understand this short game, one must understand the state of mental health awareness in the Philippines. Here, mental and emotional health are still severely underdiscussed and misunderstood. The largely conservative and 'resilience'-centric culture does not recognize depression. From my experience, depressed friends and peers are viewed as the problem rather than the ones facing a problem; they are 'lazy' and 'lacking in willpower'.

 

As well, institutions lack the capability to handle or address psychoemotional problems. Academic institutions, for instance, uphold rigid laws not designed to handle challenges in well-being, so 'support' or 'assistance' systems merely end up becoming apathetic apparatuses whose existence likely only comes from compliance. In-campus 'guidance' clinics or counselors—if they exist—may not be well-trained or funded. Top-down, the whole thing is a societal and structural nightmare. Those who suffer from mental health issues must go through hoops to get the assistance that they need, that is, if they hadn't yet been demonized by people around them. The fact that the mother and father of goodbye's main character are responsive to them is important, but it's too little too late, which really sadly is quite often the case.

 

There is an alternate route in the game, if the player may choose it, which is to break down and open up to the mother at the beginning before attempting. This underlines the importance of having support systems who are willing to listen to you, hug you and help you in times of need. If you are struggling through a mental health problem/crisis, try to find people you can trust. Try to consider contacting key hotlines. For now, know that you're not alone. 

 

If you want more lighthearted games which still pull your heartstrings, artsybarrel's other games are definitely worth checking out. I recommend pauwi sa amin, which barely takes two minutes. 

You can play goodbye here: https://artsybarrels.itch.io/goodbye

  

DOT (Tuldok) by Murushii Studios

 

DOT describes itself as a "short existential dread horror game that was made in one day" and it certainly fits that entire bill. It is a 5-10 minute long game where you click on dots that appear randomly on the screen. As you click on the dots, the gray background gets enveloped by black streak marks until your whole screen becomes black, at which point Filipino-dubbed narration occurs, telling you that you have become the dot. After this narration ends, the game cuts to a first person 3D platforming section through a long, dark corridor, which ultimately ends with you going into a gray screen: the same gray screen that greets you at the start of the game.

 

Murushii Studios has a knack for 3D, low-poly horror games. I had half a mind to include one of their most popular games, Christmas in our Fears, which features a twisted caricature of Philippines' very own Jose Mari Chan. It even parodies the title of one of Jose Mari Chan's albums, Christmas in our Hearts. What I liked about Christmas in our Fears is how it showcases the uniquely local art of caricature, which in gaming blends perfectly with the mascot horror genre. 

 

But I chose to higlight DOT because it spoke to me in different ways. The first reason is that it is rather unique. Its premise moves away from the primarily 3D/mascot horror that would fit in Murushii's wheelhouse. DOT's concept and its narration are gripping, and the limited use of 3D in the end, I find, does not take away from its simplicity, but rather complements the game's abstract nature and cosmic dread. There is someone, something out there who is looking for you, hovering over you, waiting to click on you, the dot that you have become. The only way out is through. For the narration portion, though, might I recommend putting the narration along with the dot-clicking section? Interweaving it with the clicks? See Daniel Foutz's Video Tennis for prime inspiration on what I'm talking about.

 

The second reason I chose DOT is quite funny. The first section of the game, where one clicks on dots on the screen, reminded me of an analog horror video I made titled Follow the Red Dot. In that video, the viewer must look for an ever-shrinking red dot on the screen, before coming to a jumpscare when the red dot is so small it's practically invisible. It's a stupid video, yet it's my most liked video. I just thought the resemblance was funny. There really is no such thing as an 'original idea', huh? 

You can play DOT (Tuldok) here: https://murushii.itch.io/dot

 

CRINGR by Kulam Studio

 

What happens when you combine 2010s meme humor, contemporary 'brain rot' humor, and Filipino memes and kanal humor, and package them in a Tinder-style game? You get... whatever the fuck this is. CRINGR is the stupidest and worst game I've ever played. It's amazing. I was laughing crying for ten minutes after I finished.

 

I love this game and the way it encapsulates Filipino meme culture. Pinoy humor is a thing hard to describe, but you'll know it when you see it. Slapstick, absurd, full of references, slightly unhinged, but most importantly, Filipino meme culture is incredibly vibrant and staunchly political—a beautiful resonance with the nation at large. CRINGR embodies most of this in its never-ending stream of meme dating profiles, killing you not in one punchline but by death of a thousand cuts. Right when you think it stops, the laughter just keeps on going. Perhaps the only thing missing in CRINGR is the political nature of Filipino meme culture. Photos of Kitty Duterte's wake-and-bake or Senator Bato dela Rosa's attempted escape from an ICC warrant would have been cherries on top.

 

Notable, too, that CRINGR was made for the Manila-based Bad Game Jam. I got the amazing opportunity to listen to one of the founders(?) of Bad Game Jam, Agustin Crisostomo (@agooseteen), who was invited to speak at Ateneo de Manila University. His talk piqued my interest to the jam. The Bad Game Jam focuses not on making good games for players, but on cultivating a fun creating experience for the developers, even if the end result is a 'bad game'. It appraises video game development as an artistic process and a communally shared experience rather than a production of commodity, which is something I can get behind. If you're interested in more games like CRINGR, where the developer/s clearly had fun in making the game, definitely peep the Bad Game Jam and its submissions. I'd love to throw my hat in the ring and join the jam this year myself.

 

You can play CRINGR here: https://tokwalover666.itch.io/cringr

 

Biyaya Baybay by SpiralDaisies

Biyaya is a Tagalog word that means 'blessing', and this small yet home-like game is just that. In Biyaya Baybay, you play as Biyaya who goes out with her friend Himig (melody) to the beach. On the beach, you interact with booths, buy Himig some flowers, collect some shells, then end the hang-out by going home. This game feels down-to-earth. Its soothing chiptune music, pastel colors, and quaint slice-of-life story paints a simple picture in a way quite reminiscent to home.

 

I like Biyaya Baybay for three reasons. The first is that it's a girly game—notably, it's a submission for the Girly Game Jam #2—in a tropical setting, but it silently does away with the typical exoticization prevalent with works of such kind. Biyaya Baybay treats its Filipino beach as home, as yet another place for commerce or activity, than something of a tourist destination. Likewise, its 'girliness' is depicted as status quo, virtually normalized in a local context that would normally delimit or ostracize it. 

 

Secondly, if I'm not mistaken, Baybay is a GB Studio game! We don't see this particular style very often, especially where I'm from. As a pixel artist myself, I love seeing works in the Gameboy graphics style.

 

Thirdly, I like the way it plays with language. If the proud translations of "biyaya" and "himig" in the game's description are not proof enough, its "Filipino first" (translation second) approach to dialogue puts the local tongue front and center, making it the primary language of the text. This is an especially important decision to have made in a global, mostly Western game jam context. It is thus quite proudly Filipino.

 

With all that being said, the creator of Biyaya Baybay admits that the game is unfinished due to game jam-related time constraints, and it shows. The runtime is rather short, plus the bugs and lack of signposting make it abundantly clear that there were more planned for this game initially. In the future, I would love a game in this style that is more fleshed out, polished, and complete.

 

You can play Biyaya Baybay here: https://spiraldaisies.itch.io/biyaya-baybay

 

A Surprise Fifth Game?! Ligayang Litrato by team 'Peanut Butter and Bread'

 

Wait, what?! A fifth game?

 

Actually, this article was originally meant to have five games, the fifth one being Ligayang Litrato by team 'Peanut Butter and Bread', made for the UP Computer Science Guild (UPCSG) 2026 game jam. Problem is, I couldn't complete the game! You'll see why in a moment.

 

Ligayang Litrato is a simple game about restoring lost images. To do so, you must cast a spell using the red amulet (see image above) and say the three necessary requirements: (a) the nature of the restoration you're attempting to make (is it restoring something lost or removing something added?); (b) the type of damage done to the picture (was it a coffee stain, was the image torn? etc.); and (c) what is the name of the subject in the photo? I got to Lola's third photo (see image above), but unfortunately I could not figure out who the man in the photo is! I don't think Lola says his name. I'm supposed to listen to what Lola is saying, but there's no way to reread her dialogue after she's finished talking. Worse yet, I have to redo the previous two photos to get a chance at the third one every time I mess up. Am I missing something?

 

I liked Ligayang Litrato because of its charming artstyle, its assertively Cebuano roots, and its cozy, picturesque vibe that reminded me of Strange Horticulture. But I don't feel quite right including it in the list if I can't even complete it. Perhaps you could give it a shot and try it? If you get past the third photo, scroll down to the "Contact Me!" section of this article and let me know!

 

You can play Ligayang Litrato here: https://moomewie.itch.io/ligayang-litrato 

Some Upcoming Filipino Games I Look Forward To

I realize that all of the recommendations I've given here are short games from one creator or small teams. Most importantly, these games are fairly lo-fi and small in scope, not the types of long-form, fleshed out content one might expect. You can reasonably finish these four or five games within an hour or so. Truth is, we don't have that many 'big, sprawling' video games as of the moment; that's the nature of game development here. Still, some are making upcoming, big strides, and I'm so excited. I'd like to share some stuff I look forward to.

 

 

 

ShaggyBearGames' Lost and Found is a Gumball-style mystery-adventure game that seems to be set in the Philippines. It won GameDev.TV's $500 Indie Fund which makes me happy, because it looks so cool and may just be the 'spiritual successor' to the equally beautiful Until Then. And it's solo-developed! What the hell! Very excited for this one.

Team Soleil's Dogwood is a "cooking action RPG where battlefield is the wilderness and home is the restaurant you built from nothing." I'm pulling from the Steam description because I can't even describe the game. It looks so gorgeous! Not to mention, Team Soleil is a team of siblings who proudly exclaim Dogwood being a Filipino-made game. Super excited.

 

 

Good Knight Collective's Keyboard Warrior Stickman - Typing Beat 'Em Up is a, well, fighting typing game. A "fighting typing game." I have no words. Still, though, this looks tons of fun. 

 

Outside of the medium of gaming, Filipino artists and creators continue to cook, too. A Filipino animated film titled THE LOVERS, which seems to me about lesbian yearning between a chef and a sirena, is planned to premiere at the 2026 Annecy Festival. Of course, I must also mention Forgotten Island, which got quite a bit of buzz when it was first announced. A whole DreamWorks/Universal 3D animated film about Filipino folklore and culture! I find it really, truly incredible. I hope that we can get this level of budget and representation in the gaming space in the future. 

 

As I hope you can see, Filipino games are quite diverse, beautiful, and creative. In my effort of discovering these games, I've come to appreciate more the sheer amount of 'diamonds' that lie in the very big 'rough' that is this country. I hope that you, Filipino or not, can see just how much potential we have and how much we are capable of. This journey of exploration and creation, in a medium and industry still undersupported locally, is truly a matter of national importance. But I want to take it one game at a time. Highlight, talk about, and share one game at a time. Make one game at a time. One story at a time. One artwork at a time. One at a time, this is how we can make change. It's not game over! No, the game is just getting started.

Contact Me!

By the way, if you're one of the creators of the games I've listed here and you want something added, changed, or removed; if you have suggestions for locally produced games I should check out; or if you've some-freaking-how figured out that aforementioned puzzling photo, contact me!

 

My email is arddelacruz@gmail.com, and my discord is @cookiejar2025.

Planescape: Torment - Review and Analysis

NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers, but torment is best experienced blind.

 

The college semester is over, and I can finally start writing again. Let me tell you all of a game I'd been playing over the past two weeks.

 

1. The game logo on Steam.

 

Black Isle Studio's, Interplay's, and later Beamdog's[1] Planescape: Torment is a 1999 CRPG "cult classic." It was published during the so-called 'golden age' of CRPGs, primarily isometric CRPGs. It runs on the same Infinity Engine that powered Larian's Baldur's Gate, and it, too, is a DND-based game, set in the obscure campaign setting of Planescape. However, unlike BG1, Torment is far more story-driven. In it I played as an immortal man, The Nameless One (TNO), who woke up alive in a mortuary for the dead. Throughout the game, I spent my time figuring out everything I could about TNO's nature. Why is TNO immortal? What was his life before his first death? How could he become mortal once more?

 

How can I sell you on this game? Perhaps the premise of an 'immortal amnesiac' may be of prime interest? Yes... the premise alone implies two things of great deal. I shall discuss both as starting points for broader analyses.

 

Philosophical, Full Writing 

For one, the 'immortal amnesiac' implies that Torment would delve into the philosophies, of life, of death, of legions, of the planes beyond. And that it did. On this front, Torment did not disappoint.

 

An example of its exploration of, say, death, would be the faction of the Dustmen, who run the mortuary in which you start the game. They believe that life on the "Material Plane"[2] is fake life, and everyone's true purpose is to achieve "True Death." They celebrate and manage deaths and believe it to be the ultimate end for which people prepare their whole lives. For the 'dusties', death is their god, the central source of meaning which creates the road on which they shall walk. A grim belief system, reflected indeed on the colorless gray-brown of the members' long robes, and the gothic, dark-floral interior of the mortuary. 

 

 

2. The slab in the Mortuary on which TNO awakens. 

 

Starting the game with the Dustmen and their "True Death" serves as a notable backdrop for the main character, TNO, and his central conflict of immortality. I love TNO. He is quite unlike any other RPG main character that I've played. See, this particular main character is far from the first TNO. Every time TNO dies, he reincarnates but forgets everything. Thus, he finds throughout the story that he is but one in a long line of many past versions of him.

 

With this take on immortality, Torment implants unto the main character the conflict of the split self. TNO, in all his incarnations, never quite feels like 'himself'. Everything that he is, possibly he had been before. And his past selves? Oh, they hate him. They need him. They help him and stop him, for he is not 'The Nameless One', yet he would say the same to them, to his pasts. And in writing him in such a manner, TNO becomes every character in one. He was thrice evil, once prude, twice good, once shrewd. And, really, what better character is there than all? The splitting of the self reminds me somewhat of the show Severance—outie Mark and innie Mark both know of the other's existence, but individually they claim their self as the 'real' Mark. My TNO, the 'real' TNO. But why should it? Why should none of the previous TNOs, the ones we don't play, be the real one? And in one fell swoop, you and I are thinking about the nature of reality and agency. Philosophy: a great lure.

 

Beyond just its philosophical breadth, Torment's quality shows, of a broader sense, in its writing. I like to describe this game's writing as 'full'. Full not that it's quantifiably sizeable; in fact, it's relatively short for a CRPG (and we may see part of why, later). No, the writing is full in that it leaves no page, no character, no dialogue behind. Full in that everyone had been transcribed soul. Full in that your heart is left full after an hour of play. And it does so with utmost conciseness, wasting as few words as possible, or rather, treating each with equal importance.

 

In writing side characters, for instance, Torment gives you just enough—all that you need—to care. Let me give some of my favorite examples of side characters who appear for no more than a few minutes. A Dustman by the name of Sere, the oldest member of the faction, can be found in a bar. She had grown skeptic of the Dustmen faction when, on the day she had grazed death, everyone around her cheered for her to perish. Likewise, a 'Doubtful Skeleton', seeing the dullness of the catacombs and having been persuaded by a Dustman to die, had regretted clinging onto life. These two characters are two sides of the same coin. They, who individually have little impact on the game on the mechanical level, graciously show cracks in their individual beliefs, and both, when put together, show a haunting sense of alienation from their community and peers. What's more, they are intentionally sitting on the edge of their belief, leaving the choice to you, the player, to give them the advice that may tip them toward one direction or another. Convincing the Skeleton to die or Sere to live will not affect your journey, but it will underline its trajectory.

 

3. Sere the Skeptic, in the Gathering Dust bar. 

Choice matters here. In online discussions that included Torment, I have seen it compared to, or be called the 'spiritual precursor' of, Disco Elysium. That comparison is apt, for the stories and characters of the two are largely shaped by actively made, constant, trickling choices. Your character—your TNO—has a DND-based alignment (Lawful Good–Chaotic Evil) that is affected by dialogue choices, and these choices are neither few nor far between. Even your combat class (Mage, Fighter, Thief, or Priest) is dictated by dialogue, not by a character creation menu. Therefore, abiding by the rules or telling a harmless lie may make or break your Lawful alignment, which in turn may affect the availability of future opportunities. 

 

 

 4. The icon for the 'Neutral Good' alignment.

 

In practice, the differences in what one may experience from each alignment or class are not as diverse as other CRPGs (like Disco Elysium) may allow. Still, I confess that there are many fresh experiences that can be had from repeat playthroughs. Furthermore, it is the dynamic shifting and molding of self through active choice that really set Torment apart. Much like its very multiverse[3]: through choice, you can shift, and through your shift, beliefs can shift, and through the movement of beliefs, the planes can shift.

"If enough people cared... if enough people truly believed that the trees should live, they would."  – Mourns-for-Trees 

Torment's writing is, in many respects, impeccable. It is philosophical, concise, and breathless. It is dark, like the darkness of the manufactured sky that envelops Sigil. But the 'dark' of the matter—the truth—is despite the harrowing torment in the planes, Torment is still wonderfully soulful. It gives even those on the margins of runtime a-plenty time of day, with not a word wasted, not a soul ungiven. 

 

But what of the game's, well, gameplay?

 

Gameplay of Death

The other implication of an 'immortal amnesiac' is that death may play a unique role in the play experience. And it does so in interesting ways.

 

Death in Torment is a way of explaining the all-too-ubiquitous respawn mechanic. When TNO dies, he doesn't inexplicably return to a 'previous checkpoint' as if by ludic magic. The concept of immortality provides answers for this typical mechanical oddity in a manner satisfactory and self-explanatory. Furthermore, special interactions with companions, who stay with you through death and resurrection, can be unlocked postmortem. Oddly, though, Chris Avellone's (lead designer's) manual for Torment states that "death serves to advance the plot," even if there is only one major instance where death is required, per se. In that climactic instance which I won't spoil, death is executed well, but it would've been great to have more moments of "required death," especially for such a thematically tight game.

5. An example of a tattoo.

Indeed, the writing and gameplay of Torment are commendably on the same wavelength. Death is a narrative device and a mechanic. Choice leads to alignment, which allows certain equipment or items to be used. The recurring element of bodily mutilation and desecration manifests in the abundance of tattoos as the 'armor equivalent' which focus on symbolic stat buffs rather than defensive capability. Also, the game's extensive acceptance of violent or nonviolent approaches means, depending on what you want to do, you'll either be doing a lotta talkin'... or a lotta swingin'.

 

And how could I forget the quality that inextricably ties Torment's gameplay and narrative? Their genre subversiveness! Torment does its damnedest to set itself apart. It avoids tropes as if the idea of 'trope' disgusts it. Writing-wise? It has a reviled hag that's neither pure evil nor misunderstood good; a waning religious preacher as a warrior whose blade depends on the strength of his false faith; a 'brothel' not for sexual lusts, but for debate and intellectual discussion; and a reprehensible main character, physically and morally 'ugly', unlike the vibrant sunshine characters in more popular titles that embody the word 'good'. Gameplay-wise? It has a floating, wimpy skull for a damage-soaking tank; a final chapter that is too hard to complete via any form of combat; and a semi-hidden area that explains in-universe fast travel and features a loving parody of the old, cuboid dungeon crawler style of game. The darkness and chaos seen throughout Torment's through-line taint its every corner. As a result, narrative and mechanical motifs emerge which, while different, all work toward one cohesive picture. Through its incessant uniqueness, Torment becomes an iconoclast of CRPGs.

Of course, gameplay cracks show throughout Torment, and I fear they are my most prominent critique. I'd be remiss not to point out the two major difficulty spikes that appear throughout, three if you count the final area which is so hard I start to think it's intentionally designed that way because I just ran around the swarms of enemies there. The words "gameplay of death" take on a different meaning when I reached the penultimate area and was greeted by: a fetch quest that's about as snooze-inducing as that new Drake triple-album, a poorly communicated 'point of no return' (which I had mistakenly entered...), all in a town smaller than even the beginning area (how's THAT for trope subversion). Turned out, the penultimate area was rushed and bigger plans were once drawn before schedule constraints required it to be shortened and shipped off to a different designer, who may or may not have misunderstood what Avellone meant by "torment." Thus, there is a remarkable decrease in quality at that point, which at least thankfully picks up again near the end. 

6. A key art for the game.

You know what else about the game is killing me? It is lowkey misogynistic. This isn't so much a "prominent" critique as much as it is a subtle and pervading feeling. Of course, such an argument is hard to wrestle with. One may reasonably contend that since Torment's world is one deeply rooted in all manners of evil, the placement of dozens of prostitutes throughout the streets, and the appearance of such quotes like "Women were the reason I became a monk," and "Women have always walked our path with us...and they have suffered, and it is always their choice," which fascinatingly pairs well with, "When you feel, instead of think, there is little room for choice," are all chalked up to 'reflections' of 'yet another evil'. Of course, this 'mirror to society' surely must also explain why the two female companions, one a smart succubus and the other a silver-tongued street girl, strong women in their own right, are both suddenly head-over-heels for TNO, with the latter even carnally desiring him upon first conversation. Certainly, this explains why these two female companions, who are with you for almost half the story, stand at the back of one of the game's key art (see above) while an armored 'Mercykiller', with spikes that protrude so ridiculously far they look like the teeth of FNAF nightmare animatronics, takes up as much of the image as the main character despite having only an hour of screen time. By this point, this 'mirror of society' becomes a 'degrading parody', and, suddenly, in fear of critiquing such an otherwise amazing game, which I too dearly love, we start to treat it like how we would a Murakami novel; we just ignore all of this, at which point the misogyny evolves into 'remnant of its time'.

I'm being harsh to prove a point, but I understand why some may not see this, or me, eye-to-eye. The "misogyny" I say here is not prevalent or visibly oppressive. Rather, it exists under the breath, in the letters of the words. Gender power structures inform this game's idea of 'love'. At least two, and arguably four, female characters would kill themselves for TNO, despite one of them having been manipulated all her life to love him, and the other only knowing him for barely a month. Perhaps it is in that sense where Torment is tormentingly 'real'? I love Planescape: Torment so much which is why I point this out in the first place. For a work of art that hails as 'subversive', could it not have at least done something different in this manner, too? Women are allowed to be their own characters with their own lives and motivations, so we're not failing the Bechdel test or anything. The 'brothel for debate' alone is a great counterexample to what I'm criticizing. Just that when I look at the full picture, I remain somewhat disappointed.

But let me now center myself and give the closing words, for, truly, given all that I have described, Torment remains one-of-a-kind, and for what it's accomplished deserves love and respect all the same.

 

Final Remarks

Planescape: Torment is a special game in the midst of the 'golden era' of isometric CRPGs. It is about an immortal amnesiac who journeys to find his mortality once more, and through it, he learns of the world, the philosophies of life and death, and the nature of belief. Torment avoids the combat-heaviness typical to the genre, allowing one to enact their decision-making to solve problems primarily by dialogue or not. Being story-driven, the game is breathlessly concise, thematically cohesive, and delightfully unique. 

 

It does, however, has its cracks. Sections rush through without depth or substance, the difficulty falters, and a lowkey misogyny stains the dialogue box. In some ways, it is torment in a literal degree.

 

I say these, though, because I love this game. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry a tear or two while playing. It really is one of my favorite RPGs to date. And while it may not be considered a 'monument' of the genre, it is a notable exception to the classic RPG formula, an iconoclastic sui generis. I hope that when I die, I may be reborn having forgotten everything just so I could experience the planes all over again.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Beamdog produced the Enhanced Edition, which is actually the version that I played.

[2] The "Material Plane" is the plane that contains all life and matter.

[3] The planes—well, specifically the "Outer Planes"—are shaped and formed by beliefs in the Material Plane. When beliefs change, the Outer Planes move with.