In the spirit of Malaysia Day last week, indie game enthusiasts across the country and beyond gathered on Youtube to watch the Malaysia Direct 2023, the very first digital showcase of independent games made in Malaysia, hosted by the 20m Podcast.
The 25-minute showcase featured well-loved games, brand new releases, and upcoming titles from 11 developers and publishers across the country. Viewers got to hear directly from the developers themselves as they shared the local references in their games, their inspirations, and overall thoughts towards the Malaysian video games industry.
To give back to the community, the 20m Podcast are also giving away Steam keys from now until 23rd September 2023. All you have to do to join is subscribe to the 20m Podcast Youtube channel and leave a comment on the Malaysia Direct video.
If you’re looking for your next Malaysian indie game to support, check out the full list below!
1. Gigabash (Passion Republic Games)
GigaBash is a multiplayer arena brawler with gigantic film-inspired kaiju, larger than life heroes, earth-shattering special attacks, and fully destructible environments. Inspired by the chaos and creativity of titles like Power Stone, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and War of Monsters, you can play as either a rampaging Titan or a Titan-hunting mecha — or in the latest Godzilla DLC, you can even play as Godzilla, Gigan, Mechagodzilla, or Destoroyah!
Wishlist or buy the game on Steam
2. The Company Man (Forust)
Battle the corporate machine in The Company Man, a 2D action-adventure platformer where you can hit your crazy coworkers with a keyboard, shoot your evil bosses with emails, and of course, survive all the tortures of working life with the good ol’ bean juice. Learn the quirks of each department, from the air-conditioned ice lands of accounting, to the mountains of paperwork in human resources, beating every floor on your quest to be CEO!
Wishlist or buy the game on Steam
3. Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open (Cellar Vault Games)
Third Eye Open is a coming of age story about a young girl with the ability to see spirits, presented in a stunning, living “paper theatre” style inspired by the Joss-Papercraft of Soutehast Asia. Will this burgeoning power be a blessing or a curse? Will you be able to save your family and unravel the mystery at the heart of the adventure?
Wishlist or play the demo on Steam
4. Rhythm Doctor (7th Beat Games)
Rhythm Doctor is a one-button rhythm game where you heal patients by defibrillating in time to their heartbeats. But beware – every patient has unique illnesses based on complex music theory: polyrhythms, hemiolas, irregular time signatures… if you don’t know what they mean, don’t worry. The game is designed to make you learn music and rhythm theory without even realising it!
Wishlist or buy the game on Steam
5. Simulacra 3 (Kaigan Games)
The town of Stonecreek is haunted. People keep disappearing into thin air, leaving nothing but an eerie symbol behind. You are the intern at the local paper, tasked with assisting the town’s star journalist, Ruby Myers, on her investigation into the disappearances. With a missing victim’s phone as your only lead, use it to unlock the truth in the third entry of the acclaimed horror series, SIMULACRA.
Wishlist or buy the game on Steam
6. Once Again (RB Wolf Games)
If you could travel through time, who is the first person you’d meet? Once Again is an interactive story about a boy who spends his summers wandering between past and present. After meeting her, his summer will never be the same again. Who is she, and what journey awaits you?
Wishlist or buy the game on Steam
7. No Straight Roads: Encore Edition (Metronomik)
Start a rock band and end the EDM empire in No Straight Roads, an action-packed adventure that mashes together rhythm-infused third-person combat with a kick-ass soundtrack! No Straight Roads: Encore Edition is an enhanced version that features a festive-focused update, brand new content, expanded musical tracks, a new opening cinematic, and over 500 pieces of fan art to view and collect.
Wishlist or buy the game on Steam
8. Ondeh Ondeh (Metronomik)
Metronomik’s second game, Ondeh Ondeh, is currently in the works. Named after the popular dessert in Malaysia, the game will still be audio-centric like No Straight Roads, but teases a weirder and more fantastical approach.
Follow the game’s development on Metronomik’s Twitter
9. Midwest 90: Rapid City (Hidden Chest Studios)
Midwest 90: Rapid City is a single player, story focused survival-tycoon game where you build and protect your all-American restaurant that serves Monster Meat Dishes. Unravel the mystery behind the monsters, dive into deep narratives with memorable characters, and tip the balance between moral ethics or self-serving profits that will ultimately lead to the survival or destruction of Rapid City.
Wishlist or play the demo on Steam
10. Overhours (CtrlD Studio)
From building makeshift traps, to defending her new friends from danger and taking back precious time. Overhours is a single-player action tower defense game that plays like an isometric shooter with tower defense elements, set in a dystopian media agency that steals time. One employee, together with an unexpected ghostly partner, is trying to retrieve it all.
Wishlist the game on Steam
11. Katana Rama (Ghost Machine)
Katana Rama is a mobility based, fast paced action game where you play as a hacker program, with the mission of breaking out of a digital security system. Lay waste to all that stands in your way.
Wishlist or buy the game on Steam
If you missed it, you can watch the full Malaysia Direct 2023 here:
