Xbox Once Again Supporting Cracking Indies From Asia
Just like last year, Xbox recently held an online show for media to check out some of the indies and developers they are supporting out of Asia. This year Xbox presented five games that all looked fantastic. These games came from a range of genres and Asian cultures and showed that the indie dev scene is clearly strong in the region. My thoughts on all five games are below, but I want to add that I feel these sorts of initiatives should be applauded and encouraged. Microsoft has a lot of problematic things going on, in both business and the wider world community, but I can’t deny their commitment to supporting small development teams through programs such as this.
13Z: The Zodiac Trials
13Z: The Zodiac Trials a new singleplayer and co-op roguelike from Mixed Realms burst onto the the virtual stage in this presentation with a flurry of action and colour. It immediately grabbed my attention with its stunning art style and presentation. But style means nothing if there is no substance, thankfully though it looks like this one has the gameplay to back up the looks.
Sporting a 3rd-person melee action base, players are taking the role of a fighter who is trying to become the 13th Zodiac and to do that they must face the existing 12 Zodiac Guardians. Players will have to fight, befriend and even follow these guardians to reach their goal and of course, being a rogue-like, each death only makes the player stronger. It is a great setup for a game in this genre and if the development team can nail the story elements they could really position 13Z at the top of the very crowded genre.
I really liked the look of this one, the combat looks great, it has style for days and the developers spoke about it with a clear passion that has translated into the gameplay shown. This one will be one to keep an eye on when it launches mid-2026
AGNI: Village of Calamity
This one is for all the old-school Silent Hill and Resident Evil fans out there. AGNI: Village of Calamity is a fixed perspective third-person horror title that was clearly inspired by the classics of the genre.
Set in Indonesia, players take on the role of Agni, an investigator for an elite Indonesian police unit. Agni begins an investigation into a secluded village which kicks off a tale that uncovers dark secrets and forces her to face supernatural creatures of nightmare and the dark parts of her own mind.
As far as horror setups go, this is a solid one and frankly from the footage it looks like the developers, Separuh Interactive, have absolutely nailed the tone. This is a creepy-looking game that had me on edge even in the pre-recorded gameplay footage I was watching.
There will be everything you expect from a survival horror title. Puzzles, tight inventory, exploration and combat, it really is playing a “best of” when it comes to the genre. It probably won’t win any innovation awards, but it isn’t trying to. It is just trying to be a great survival horror experience and it looks like it is succeeding. This one is still a long way off, but keep an eye on it horror fans, it could be special.
Kriegsfront Tactics
Mecha-tactics are back with this one. A turn-based roguelite that is leaning into games like Front Mission and Xcom set in an alternative history 1970s Southeast Asian conflict, Kriegsfront Tactics has a super clear idea of what it wants to be.
If you have played other tactics games you know what to expect but there are some nice changes here that fans of the genre should welcome. Terrain is destructible and forests can be used to hide units. This should open up some interesting tactical uses, especially once players have gotten a handle on the gameplay.
Perhaps the biggest change however is line-of-sight aiming. So there is no chance percentage of a shot hitting. If your unit has line-of-sight, they will hit. This should eliminate some of the frustration people feel in games like Xcom.
The game sports a PS2-era graphical style that gives it a nice bit of charm and the gameplay is looking tight. I am particularly keen on this one but sadly it isn’t going to land on my console before the end of 2026.
Nightmare Circus
What happens when you mix Bastion with Little Nightmares? Well, I feel like Nightmare Circus would come pretty close to that combination. A creepy, isometric action game, Nightmare Circus comes from Fairplay Studios and it is looking like a fun little game with some really cool gameplay elements.
Players take charge of a string puppet stuck in a creepy circus looking to escape and this setting brings about the key gameplay mechanic, the strings. Your puppet’s strings can be used in traversal, as a weapon or to solve puzzles and it promises to add a nice twist to the gameplay.
I also love the way the story is being presented in “Paper Mario” style cutscenes. It adds to the whimsical nature of the game while still maintaining a level of creepiness that it is clearly striving for.
Nightmare Circus is coming in 2026 and it looks like it could be the perfect jaunt for a handheld system like a Steamdeck or Rog Ally.
Vapor World: Over the Mind
Finally, we have Vapor World: Over the Mind which is another attempt at bringing the tough souls-like experience into the realm of 2D platformers. A difficult goal but one this title looks like it could achieve.
The first thing that struck me is just how good this game looks. It is stunning. There is a real hand-drawn feeling to everything that is going on and it really evokes gothic cinema from the likes of Tim Burton. The art team have nailed this one which in my mind was the best-looking game of the show.
The gameplay looks pretty much how you would expect it to, so it is hard to comment much further. This sort of game really requires hands-on time to determine how it is shaping up, but I will say that all the elements look like they are there.
Another one that is coming in 2026, I feel like this once could be a real hit if they can nail the gameplay.
