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