On-site indie game exhibit Tokyo Game Dungeon announced

Written by. Ryuki Ishii based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-02-07 17:00 JST)

Japanese indie game developer Iwasaki has announced a new on-site indie game exhibition called Tokyo Game Dungeon (東京ゲームダンジョン). The first exhibit is scheduled to take place on August 7 from 12:00 to 18:00 (JST) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-Kan.

It’s an exhibition of digital games created by solo developers and small teams. A number of indie game exhibitions already exist in Japan, but Tokyo Game Dungeon aims to differentiate itself from existing ones by making it an event where developers can exhibit their works with a low entry fee of just 5,500 yen (around $48) and a relatively large exhibition space (180 x 90 cm table each). The entry fee for general visitors is cheap as well, only asking 750 yen (around $6.50).

The event organizer Iwasaki is a game developer who started making games in their late 30s. So far, they’ve released multiple free games and organized over 70 meet-up events for developers using Unity.

According to Iwasaki, indie game developers tend to shelve their projects without ever launching them. Even when developers do decide to release them, there aren’t many places or opportunities to market the games, so they get buried and unnoticed. That’s why Iwasaki came up with the idea of holding an exhibition to give developers an opportunity to showcase their works and motivate them by setting a clear deadline.

For those who wish to exhibit at the event, the application process will begin in March through Tokyo Game Dungeon’s official website. If the number of applicants exceeds the available spaces, which is 80, exhibitors will be selected by a lottery. Please note that 18+ games and derivative works are not allowed. Also, exhibitors must be residents of Japan.

Tickets for general visitors will be available for purchase in July. However, if the event gets canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, fees for both exhibitors and visitors will be refunded.

The event is scheduled to take place just a week prior to Comic Market 100, but judging from the event description, we can expect to see different types of games being distributed and displayed.

Tokyo Game Dungeon’s official website can be found here.