Variety is the name of the game, but it can be easy to lose sight of underrated indie gems and passion projects from smaller developers that are often buried under the hype for big studio hits. To cultivate and further encourage the spirit of creativity in the field, Xbox has extended a helpline in its ID@Xbox programme, allowing individuals to self-publish their works.
Honouring its annual tradition of spotlighting upcoming projects from talents in Asia and Southeast Asia, the gaming juggernaut returns with a 2025 slate featuring familiar and new names alike. Indonesia’s industry darling Toge Productions, who made history by becoming the first studio in the region to be nominated for a category in The Game Awards, leads the charge with new turn-based tactics role-playing game (RPG) Kriegsfront Tactics, joined by the following:
- 13Z The Zodiac Trials (Mixed Realms, Singapore)
- Agni: Village of Calamity (Separuh Interactive, Indonesia)
- Nightmare Circus (Fairplay Studios, Thailand)
- Vapor World: Over the Mind (Alive Inc., South Korea)
Here’s the brief lowdown for all five titles, each rooted in their own unique stylings and charm.
13Z The Zodiac Trials
Hailing from Singapore, 13Z The Zodiac Trials features a mixed bag of Hades and Devil May Cry influence that puts Chinese mythology into focus. The hack-and-slash roguelike amps up the kinetic energy, thrusting players into a celestial trial of grit, speed, and power. And if you fail? Rise stronger, upgrade your skills, and become the 13th Zodiac…alone, or with up to three other friends.
The game is scheduled to release on PC via Steam and Xbox consoles in Q2 2026.
Agni: Village of Calamity
Designed for fans of atmospheric survival horror like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, Agni: Village of Calamity brings a localised twist to the formula. At the core of the narrative is Agni, a determined investigator from a covert Indonesian police unit who defies orders to uncover the truth in a remote village. But the scares are only the beginning, as player choices will also lead to serious, branching consequences…
The psychological nightmare is “coming soon” to PC and major consoles.
Kriegsfront Tactics
Kriegsfront Tactics represents Toge Productions’ foray into the waters of alternative history and turn-based tactical action. A love letter to genre classics like Front Mission, XCOM, and Darkest Dungeon, the title is centred on leading a mech squad on a mission behind enemy lines that’s descending into horror and madness. Expect metal-crunching cinematic combat, mech customisation, squad-building features, an alternate 1970s Southeast Asian setting, and plenty of strategical flair.
The procedural mecha RPG launches soon for Steam and console.
Nightmare Circus
It’s puppeteering fun over at Nightmare Cirus, where a whimsical journey through the twisted realm of nightmares awaits. The objective here is for players to make it back to the real world, armed with the Puppet String mechanic for navigation and the Collision Combat system, which unlocks an array of tools to smash, crash and slam into obstacles and hostile enemies.
The action-adventure game is set to hit PC via Steam, PS5, Xbox, and the Nintendo Switch 2 at an unannounced date.
Vapor World: Over the Mind
Highly evocative of Lies of P and Salt and Sanctuary, Alive Inc.’s Vapor World: Over the Mind is a narrative-driven, Souls-like platformer immersed in moody hand-painted art. The action-adventure title inspired by 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice follows a boy drawn into a twisted dream with no way out, where dream entities known as Projections stand in his way. Break them, extract their cores, recall memories, and grow in power.
The upcoming jaunt is “coming soon” to Early Access on Steam, with a full release planned for Linux and major consoles.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
