Welcome to our weekend segment, where we showcase recent or upcoming Japanese indie titles that share a specific theme. This week, we’re taking a look at some cozier indie titles, because as much fun as it is arguing with others in multiplayer, sometimes you just want to kick back and let your mind unravel.
Finding Polka
Finding Polka is a walking simulator that follows Frendy and her Dachshund, Jazz. One day, the two spot a French Bulldog that looks just like Polka, a dog Frendy had in her childhood. Frendy and Jazz end up chasing after the dog, which leads them on an adventure of exploration and discovery.
Programmed, designed, and illustrated by lidlocks, Finding Polka’s hand-drawn ballpoint aesthetic draws your eyes to every corner of the screen. From a bustling city to the farthest reaches of space, each location is filled with interesting objects and characters.
The game’s lack of dialogue encourages you to interact with everything you see. Engaging with characters usually involves you giving them a high-five, whereupon the two of you will become friends. There are also several mini games to take part in, such as minigolf, whack-a-mole, watermelon splitting, and volleyball. While not all of them are required to progress the story, they are fun and definitely contribute to the game’s relaxing tone.
Finding Polka is set to release sometime in the third quarter of 2026 for Windows (Steam). A free demo is available on the platform.
Sticker DECO
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at scrapbooking but found the hobby too expensive or messy, then Sticker DECO is right up your alley. Developed by Studio Mimosa, the game lets you collect over 1,000 stickers and decorate your own scrapbook without any of the excessive monetary costs or cleanup.
Joining you in your scrapbooking efforts are over 50 animal friends with sticker collections of their own. If you find something in their collection that you like (or if you happen to have stickers that they want), you can initiate a trade. A trade’s success depends on several factors, such as the animal friend’s sticker preferences, sticker rarity, and even the current weather and time of day. Repeated trades with companions also increase your friendship levels, which can result in better deals. Aside from scrapbooking, this bargaining aspect is another of Sticker DECO’s unique gameplay elements.
You can also acquire stickers via the in-game gacha system. Instead of real money transactions though, the system uses “Coins” which can be earned by playing the game.
Completed pages in your scrapbook can be immortalized by taking screenshots with the in-game camera. You can then choose to share them on social media, where you can make them available for all to see.
Sticker DECO is set to release in the fourth quarter of 2026 for Windows (Steam).
Pastel☆Parade
Unlike some of the upbeat rhythm titles we’ve covered before, Pastel☆Parade is more on the relaxing side. As a group of four friends, you explore a colorful world and engage in activities that have you matching inputs to the beat of 30 original songs.
Each activity lasts roughly a minute and lets you play it an infinite number of times. Instead of a traditional interface, the characters’ animations serve as feedback as they do everything from playing basketball to shredding it out in a full-fledged band. While the narrative isn’t the focus of the game, a short story takes you through four different areas.
Developed by matsufriends under the Pastel Parade Project name, Pastel☆Parade is available for Windows, macOS, SteamOS, and Linux (Steam).
KOTONOHA Lernado
A spin-off of the yuri isekai novel The Expression Amrilato, Kotonoha Lernado is an isekai language learning game. Together with Rin (a Japanese high school girl), Ruka, and a few other girls, you learn the language of Juliamo in hopes of making communication between yourselves easier.
Juliamo takes inspiration from Esperanto, the most successful real-life constructed auxiliary language. Since the location that Kotonoha Lernado takes place in is comprised of people from other worlds (called “Vizitantos”), Juliamo was constructed as a way for them to communicate.
Featuring 28 characters, learning Juliamo is a matter of connecting letters to corresponding symbols. You’ll also learn the usual topics, such as numbers and time, which can be challenging. If learning Juliamo isn’t your thing, the game also has lessons that teach Esperanto.
Though Kotonoha Lernado can be enjoyed by anyone, those who played The Expression Amrilato will appreciate it more. Since much of the visual novel centers on Rin and Ruka’s relationship as they learn Juliamo, players can use Kotonoha Lernado as a way to further their language learning. Many of the characters from The Expression Amrilato make an appearance, complete with their original personalities and voices.
Developed by SukeraSparo, Kotonoha Lernado is set to release soon for Windows (Steam).
Quiet Express: Cabin 909
If you’re looking for a relaxing game that’s not necessarily all smiles and sunshine, Quiet Express: Cabin 909 offers a good balance of cozy and moody. As a passenger aboard the transcontinental Quiet Express, you are on the search for the mysterious Cabin 909 – a cabin that others claim does not exist, but you know in your heart to be real. With a weeklong journey ahead of you, you explore the train, talk to the passengers, and discover more about their lives and worries.
How you spend your time is up to you. You can direct all your efforts to finding Cabin 909, talk to strangers to learn more about them, or simply take in the scenery. The train has to make stops, and passengers will embark or disembark at different stations. Given that your time with them is limited, it is in your interest to talk with as many people as possible.
The cycle begins anew at the end of your journey, only this time with new passengers, cabin arrangements, and scenery. These will allow you to interact with items and people that you may not have had the chance to interact with previously. This gives new runs some surprises of their own and incentivizes you to pay close attention to the train’s contents and inhabitants.
Developed by Studio 909 and Kazuhide Oka, Quiet Express: Cabin 909 is currently in development for Windows (Steam).
Those are five indie games to help you unwind. We all have different ways to relax: be it scrapbooking or learning a new language. While not all of these activities are for everyone, there is enough variety here to help get you started.
