Singapore’s indie game developers are receiving the recognition they deserve with Video Game Nation, a new eight-part documentary series celebrating the local gaming scene as part of SG60.
Helmed by local content creation studio No Average Joe (NAJ), the series will explore the stories of the studios and individuals behind the curtain of game development in one of Singapore’s most surprising creative industries, and is produced as part of SGStory’s Our Singapore, Our Stories campaign, which commemorates 60 years of nationhood.
Spread across eight themed episodes, each running from four to eight minutes in a vertical social-media-friendly format, Video Game Nation explores what goes on behind the scenes of local gaming darlings such as Cat Quest (The Gentlebros), Sedap! (Kopiforge) and Let’s Build a Dungeon (Springloaded), with each episode focused on the journey of a different locally-developed title, and covering what makes each tick, from bedroom prototypes to studio launches and everything in between.
“Video Game Nation is really a collection of underdog stories,” said NAJ Managing Director Joe Peter. “Singapore-made games often only get noticed when they go global, but there are plenty more that thrive in their own ways. Games born here, shaped by the Singapore experience, built with equal parts creativity, grit, and heart.”
Video Game Nation’s eight episodes will also be categorised into four themes, released progressively over 8 to 9 November, with the full list of episodes and their descriptions listed below:
Heavy Hitters
- The Gentlebros: Cat Quest trilogy
One of Singapore’s biggest game exports, fur real. How The Gentlebros clawed their way into the global spotlight with a cat-themed action RPG. - Springloaded: Let’s Build a Zoo / Let’s Build a Dungeon
Build a zoo. Build a dungeon. Build a global following. The studio behind some of Steam’s weirdest and wildest management games shares how it all started and why they kept going.
Incredible Iterations
- General Interactive: Chinatown Detective Agency
Inspired by Carmen Sandiego and powered by a love for the Lion City. A remote team builds a cyber-noir detective game with a Singapore soul. - AT-AT Games: Ghostlore
What if Southeast Asian myths met classic action RPGs? What started as a love letter to Diablo became a modern indie hit handcrafted by two developers.
Coding Catharsis
- Landshark Games: Zen Koi series
It began with koi doodles in a notebook during a seminar. It became a chill mobile hit that proves you do not need explosions to go global. - No Average Joe: Owe Money Pay Money / Own Time Own Target
Fed up with errant clients, a film studio channels frustration into two over-the-top games inspired by retro classics. A little bit of therapy and a whole lot of revenge.
Makan Mania
- Battlebrew Productions: Cuisineer
Fight monsters, serve hotpot, and cook up mayhem. A last-roll-of-the-dice roguelite from one of Singapore’s most recognisable indie studios. - Kopiforge: Sedap!
A student project turned full release. First-time developers tackle food and identity, and cook up something truly sedap.
Video Game Nation is now available on TikTok via @sgstory.sg, and on SGStory’s official website, with additional behind-the-scenes clips available on Instagram.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
