Indie games have never been hotter and what better way to enjoy them than during the hottest time of the year in Japan at Bitsummit. Held annually in the city of Kyoto since 2012, Bitsummit is Japan’s biggest independent game festival. This year’s edition felt better than ever with a curated exhibition of games from all around the world. Here are six indie games that caught our eye!

Bashful Adoration by Kittywampus

Bashful Adoration is a 3D platformer featuring four competitive witches who are all in love with the same crush! The game features “bombastic” (described by the developers themselves) combat, expressive movement mechanics and a cute storyline about love, rivalry and friendship. We truly love how adorable this game looks and feels combined with its smattering of PvP chaos. Kittywampus are seven game developers who hail from New Zealand. Definitely a team to keep your eye on, for this game and whatever they’ll be working on next!

A Date With Death by Two and a Half Studios

This is a game we’ve had our eye on for a while now and we were so excited to see it at Bitsummit! A Date with Death is a visual novel and romance chat simulator where players date Death himself. Create your own character, customize your apartment and chat the day and night away with a devilishly handsome reaper boy. We first fell head over heels for the Grim Reaper himself through the game's gorgeous character art and stylish trailer. But it was the captivating dialogue that kept us wanting more of this bona fide babygirl.

Hellheart Breaker by BattleBrew Productions

“The monster girls you date grant you newfound powers, and the girls you don’t… Are the bosses you fight!” - Shawn Toh, CEO and Design Director at Battlebrew Productions.

Dungeon crawlers are dime a dozen these days, but the premise of Hellheart Breaker certainly has us intrigued. Set in an Asian-themed underworld (not unlike 1920s Shanghai), you awaken with no memory and must quickly get to know the inhabitants, learn new abilities and potentially fall in love — all to save the city you live in.

Hellheart Breaker is being developed by BattleBrew Productions, the same studio that brought the addictive rogue-like meets restaurant simulator, Cuisineer. While Hellheart Breaker still remains in early development, we’re excited to follow its progress.

Panthalassa by Meia Calça

Embark on a point-and-click underwater adventure in Panthalassa, a game set in a unique, alien world. Players take on the role of Magellan, an AI set on a quest to uncover the memories of their body’s previous owner. Find out where you are, whose body this is and where home is, if there even is one for you. Panthalassa is inspired by point-and-click adventure games from the 90s and early 2000s, taking players through different interfaces, puzzles and shapes all in this mysterious world. With its abstract and heavily stylized art direction, there's no denying that this is the only game of its kind on the market.

Thank You For Your Application by IceLemonTea Studio

If you’ve ever been stuck in the hellcycle of applying for jobs, Thank You For Your Application might be a relatable title. This is a narrative-driven interview simulation game told through the perspective of a fresh graduate. In the game, you’ll be tasked with screening resumes and sending thank you letters to the many unsuccessful applicants, all on top of keeping your own life afloat with bills to pay. What might seem like just another document-checking game is filled with bittersweet realities of the current work climate: layoffs, fake hires and the threat of robots taking over jobs.

MOMO Crash by Skoota Games

We love quirky rhythm games and this definitely fits that bill. MOMO Crash is a rhythm action game about purifying souls through the power of thighs. Players will control the thighs of three different anime girls to pinch the flowing souls in a rhythmic beat while kicking away evil viruses that have somehow been able to sneak in. Did we mention there are also cats you can let rest on your lap? The gameplay might seem simple enough but adding all three of these different mechanics to the game’s fast-paced soundtrack definitely created a lot of chaos during our playthrough of the demo.

When asked what the inspiration of this game was, the developer responded saying ‘I love anime girls. And I love thighs,’.

Incredible Indie Games At Bitsummit 2025