On summer solstice, 2026, a group of unusual games will gather in the hills of Tama City, on the outskirts of Tokyo. These games are made by indie creators working solo, or in small teams. Why do we feel both fear and fascination for what’s unsettling? Come play these games and find out for yourself.
An Exhibition Featuring Unsettling Games
Indie games, passion projects made by solo developers or small teams, serve as a strong medium for communicating highly subjective, nuanced perspectives. Many indie games explore themes such as a feeling of unrest or dissatisfaction towards the world. We believe players can interact with these games as if interacting with a stranger’s dreams and personal sensibilities, giving birth to a rather unsettling moment of empathy. We deliberately chose a local area on the outskirts of the city to highlight the offbeat nature of the event, and are planning to amplify the unsettling atmosphere of the exhibition by designing a large, dark and quiet gallery space. We hope that “Dissonance” can be an event that brings out the wonder of the strangeness of video games, and indie games in particular.
Featured Games
SOLASTALGIA
Developer: Farfama & Sivani
A short interactive visual poem about loss, longing, and dislocation.
Meet Me At Shinjuku Station
Developer: Samantha Low
This is my first time making a game on Bitsy. I decided to make it about my experience as a foreigner living in Japan. I also genuinely have a lot of trouble finding my way at Shinjuku Station, which is really a metaphor for my life here.
Work Life Balance
Developer: LandUni Studio
“Are you truly happy?” — A near-future dystopian RPG of corporate satire. In a world where work is everything,【Work Life Balance】may be the key to happiness — or a crafted illusion. Join the mysterious “Work Life Balance Fellowship” and uncover the truth.
Children’s Garden
Developer: Wellness Mechanism
Sai no Kawara is the hell where children too young to pass on to the realm of the dead arrive. There, they are said to suffer the torment of building stone towers only to have them destroyed by demons. In the program, missions are given to be completed using toys called “onbutsu” instead of stones. By completing missions, participants can earn additional lifespan to live longer in the afterlife.
For the Fish in the Bottle
Developer: makina game
A short puzzle adventure game about rescuing a fish in a strange desert. Solve the puzzles and help the fish. This is a point-and-click game controlled with a mouse.
Reality Control: Fragments
Developer: POST COMMERCIALS: ALLIANCE
Three games exploring the boundaries of reality from the “Reality Control” series will be on display. These include: “Missing Video No. 12” in which you listen to a prophecy on a YouTube video; “AGNOSIA,” a narrative surrounding a dead body in a train that only the protagonist can see; and the upcoming new title “The Heartbeat and Song of a Dead Girl.”
Lull: Rest After Crying
Developer: Tonkobitta
A horror action-adventure in which a young girl carrying a baby on her back attempts to escape a mysterious facility twisted by endless renovations.
Geikotsu
Developer: MBDF
Geikotsu is a deep-sea dystopian RPG featuring Game Boy-style pixel art.
Exorcist: Oldest Tongue
Developer: 727 NOT HOUND
Speak the demon’s true name to win. Let your sins be known, and you’ll die. Master the synergy of countless sacred verses and wait for fate to turn in your favor. A fast-paced, compact game of judgment and luck — where every choice is a gamble.
HAUNTED STREAMER
Developer: Prank Maker
HAUNTED STREAMER is a horror game in which urban exploration meets live streaming. Step into the role of a fearless streamer — always hidden behind a horse mask — as you explore Japan’s most haunted ruins while broadcasting live. Thrills, laughs, and the desire for clout collide in this daringly fresh horror experience.
CultureHouse
Developer: futurala
Seven days to nurture the apocalypse. An adventure game set in “CultureHouse”, the home and research facility of a missing scientist, where you conduct mysterious biological cultivation experiments.
A Passing in the Night
Developer: .iris
Immerse yourself in a third-person adventure in which you take a timed night walk. Explore a reactive and surreal neighborhood where reality bends and spirits lurk in the shadows. Converse with other lost wanderers and reclaim hope in a bleak world.
