BitSummit delivered something for everyone during 10th edition

The image of independent games has undergone a makeover in Japan over the past decade.

It was not that long ago that when people thought of indie games, they had visions of low-budget, subpar titles that had been cobbled together and were hard to play. These days, however, there is a light shining on the indie scene and a realization indie titles can be just as polished and fun to play — if not more — as games with bigger budgets and more people working on them.

The creativity of the indie scene is also evident. Indie developers are mostly not beholden to risk-averse studios that strictly adhere to known formulas they know will sell. Developers have the freedom to bring their own visions to light — an allure has even led some famous creators into indie development.

So while bigger studios can easily fall into the trap of pumping out sequels and similar-looking games, the indie scene is keeping things fresh with games that run the gamut of themes as creators make the games they want to make.

Shows like BitSummit, which focuses on indie titles and takes place annually in Kyoto, have helped change the public perception. The event celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month, with a little of something for everyone.

“About 250 games were submitted, and we selected 89 games out of that," says John Davis, one of the BitSummit organizers. "You add the sponsor games (and) there's probably about 130 different games to play.

"The quality level, I think that people have been away from these events for so long, so everyone was really focused on — alright, we're gonna do something really nice, and we're going to have a nice booth and put a lot of effort into our game.

There was a lot to see at BitSummit, and here are a few titles that caught our eye.

Ninja or Die (Steam, Nintendo Switch)

Ninja or Die is an adrenaline rush. This flashy, high-octane roguelike from Nao Games moves at a frenetic pace and revolves around a simple mechanic — jumping.

Everything is done by jumping, from zipping around stages to dealing damage to enemies. A dotted line moving up and down shows the trajectory of each potential leap, and when it is in the desired position, players hit the appropriate button and watch the ninja take flight.

Players can charge heavier attacks that land in small bursts of light and take out multiple enemies with the right timing.

"I just thought it would be unique and fun to move only by jumping," says Ninja or Die creator Nao Shibata.

Each stage features items that can make the going smoother, but as these are randomized, no two playthroughs will be the same.

Planned for PC and Nintendo Switch

Different Strokes

This relaxing title puts the brush in the players’ hands, allowing them to create their own works or alter what is already there. The original and altered versions are both available afterward.

All the art in the game was created or altered by other users, and it can be fun to explore and view the vast array of designs on display — ranging from complex pieces to squiggly lines. There are characters who mostly exist to populate the gallery and provide a few one-liners, but the main stars are the creations themselves.

Not every game has to be about adventures and battles fought in dystopian lands or great evils to defeat. Sometimes something mellow that is as hands-on or hands-off as you want it to be is all it takes to have a good time.

Available on PC and web browsers

NeverAwake

Dive into the nightmares of a girl stuck in a never-ending slumber in this shooter from Neotro Inc.

Players battle a litany of enemies based on things the sleeping girl hates, such as vegetables and other seemingly everyday objects that have taken monstrous forms.

The level design has a mellow, dreamy feel, and rather than being on a predetermined path, players can fly around the screen in any direction. NeverAwake is a twin-stick shooter in the vein of other bullet-hell games, and controlling the main character while shooting feels fluid. Players can also find various equipment to upgrade their arsenal on this journey through the subconscious.

The game won the Vermillion Award as the top game at BitSummit this year.

Planned for PC, Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch

Paper Cut Mansion

One of the first things you notice about Paper Cut Mansion is the art style. Everything is made out of cardboard, and the art style has a gritty feel suited to a dark and rainy night, which serves this game — centered around exploring a mysterious mansion — well. The characters look slightly off-putting as cardboard cutouts, and some areas, even when well lit, are teeming with shadows. It is like watching the characters from Paper Mario explore the mansion from Resident Evil.

The game features various puzzles to solve through exploration or performing tasks for the characters around the mansion. Some jobs force you to deal with enemies, others are as simple as putting a bullet in a photo a character commissioned of himself and then found ugly.

The main character, Toby, mysteriously awoke in front of the titular mansion one night and the goal of the game is to collect clues and uncover the building’s various secrets.

Planned for PC and consoles

Dragon Drop

It all comes down to the last dragon standing in this party game from Cloudy Games LLC.

Up to four players compete as dragons on rows of cubes that disappear when players breathe fire on them. The goal is to burn away the row another player is standing so they drop into the void below. The premise is reminiscent of Fall Guys, but on a much smaller scale.

The BitSummit build featured local multiplayer, but an online mode could be added once the title is released.

The game may be simple, but things can get frantic with multiple players running around trying to drop each other off the board.

Players choose from a number of different colored dragons and a surprisingly robust selection of hats to outfit them. Players can choose from a number of stages, some featuring quirks that impact the action, such as stages with a narrow board or permanent holes cut out that players can fall through.

Planned for Android, IOS, Linux, Mac, PC, Steam, Switch, Xbox One

Bat Boy

Bat Boy is a 2D platformer that feels like an homage to the side scrollers of years past.

The titular Bat Boy is on a mission to save his teammates — other sports-themed heroes — from the clutches of evil.

The main character’s bat is his main weapon and also the key to exploration. A couple mighty swings will spell the end of most enemies, and hitting springs will allow the player to bounce vertically up the map. Most of the enemies in the demo were bright pink pigs armed with spears, but there were also pigs in baseball uniforms with pitching animations and lobbed balls at the main character. Players can either avoid these baseballs or hit them back, although sometimes the pitchers were accompanied by a second enemy that fired the ball right back at the player.

The game feels like a marriage of the ”Super Sentai” superhero genre and baseball — Bat Boy can take down enemies like a superhero and hit bombs like Shohei Ohtani. The 2D background also gives it a definite throwback appeal to the days of Mega Man and similar old-school action platformers.

Planned for PC, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X