On the opening day of Tokyo Game Show 2026, yosp representative Yoshida Shuhei and 4Gamer Editor-in-Chief Okada Kazuhisa held a dialogue, reviewing the growth of Japanese indie games over the past decade and discussing the conditions needed for the industry's continued development. Both agreed that Japanese indie games have heated up rapidly in recent years, and developing indie games has gradually become a viable career choice.
Yoshida Shuhei stated that about ten years ago, there were still very few people in Japan making indie games professionally. The insufficient market size also made it difficult to advance localization for excellent overseas titles. At that time, many developers and supporters relied mainly on personal passion, and the effectiveness of promoting their works often depended on whether someone was willing to put in the effort.
Both see the Nintendo Switch as a major turning point for the development of Japanese indie games. Nintendo promoted indie titles through initiatives like "Indie World," and with the console's widespread adoption in the Japanese market, indie games began reaching a broader audience of general players. Okada Kazuhisa mentioned Sakuna: The Rice God, while Yoshida Shuhei cited PICO PARK; the latter had limited PC sales initially but saw its influence expand rapidly after the Switch version was released.
The process by which Japanese titles gained attention overseas was also a key topic of discussion. Yoshida Shuhei mentioned Downwell, noting that following the successive successes of Sakuna: The Rice God and ENDER LILIES: Knights of Redemption, Japanese indie games began to form a more distinct overall impression. Okada Kazuhisa regarded Cave Story, released in 2004, as an earlier representative title; it spread via English patches created by overseas players and later launched on home consoles.
Discussing the characteristics of Japanese indie games, Yoshida Shuhei believes that developers prioritize their own convictions and are not easily swayed by trends. Both pointed out that this tendency toward weaker commercial awareness and creation driven more by personal interest has laid the foundation for many unique works. By around 2023, the composition of indie developers had expanded to include former employees of major studios, students, and part-time creators, with some outstanding students from game-specific vocational schools also choosing independent development.
Looking ahead to the next phase, Yoshida Shuhei focuses on whether publishers and funds can continue to provide support. He views the entry of companies from diverse sectors such as Shueisha, Kodansha, PARCO, and Sanrio into the game publishing market as a positive change, but also expresses concern that some management teams lack understanding of games and judge projects solely by numbers. Okada Kazuhisa, meanwhile, highlights the difficulty developers face in starting their second project after completing their first, listing assistance for these creators as a key challenge for the future.
Looking ten years ahead to the Tokyo Game Show, Yoshida Shuhei hopes to see significant changes in the lineup of large booths, with today's indie developers growing into larger-scale enterprises. Okada Kazuhisa hopes that "indie games" will eventually become a standard concept requiring no special distinction, fully integrating into the industry much like the internet has.