9 of 2014’s best indie PC games from Asia

The PC is a much-beloved gaming platform here in Asia. Even today, it’s a cheaper option compared to the pricy console, and offers easy upgrades on top of having a long shelf life. Games for the PC also tend to be cheaper and can endure over decades. So is it any surprise that we’d do a list of Asia’s best indie PC games?

Check out these gems from the region.

DarkEnd (Myanmar)

Myanmar’s first RPG game, and also the first game from the country to be distributed internationally via digital download, DarkEnd was developed on the RPG Maker engine by a small group of hobbyists called Kodots Game Studio. Kodots’ inexperience is very obvious in the game: visually, DarkEnd is the equivalent of a patchwork blanket. But you cannot deny that its detailed character development – both story and stats – and how it fuses dungeon-crawling with an RPG is nothing short of awesome, especially coming from a country like Myanmar. You can pick the game up on Steam, or read our review.

Lurking (Singapore)

Singapore’s golden PC game for 2014, Lurking was developed by a group of Digipen students and has gone on to win awards and acclaim worldwide. A first-person survival horror game, its wireframe visuals get color injected into them when you speak or scream into the microphone. Yes, whatever lurks there in the corner can hear you when you scream. Unfortunately the rights to this gem of a game belong to Digipen, so the original creators have gone on to form GattaiGames and are working on a spiritual successor. You can still try the game out here or read our review, if you’re too scared.

Infectonator: Survivors (Indonesia)

Infectonator: Survivors is the Infectonator game series’ ambitious leap to PC, and boy, does developer Toge Productions do it well. Survivors is still in Steam Early Access, but already features several playable teams, procedurally generated levels, and all the grit and gore of trying to fight your way out of a zombie apocalypse – in 8 bit! Players will need to take control of the survivors, scavenge for items, and blow zombie brains out onto the floor until they collect enough fuel to make their getaway from the city. Try Infectonar: Survivors on Steam, but note that it’s still in development and there will be times things don’t work.

Motte Island (Indonesia)

This Indonesian indie mix between Hotline Miami and a traditional point-and-click adventure game is one of the most unique things we played this year. It’s not going to scare you quite like the next entry on this list will, but Motte Island’s uniquely creepy visuals and its creative monster designs will stick with you long after you’ve finished the game. The story it tells piece by piece as you explore the game’s world is pretty gripping, and its simple cutscenes and lack of voiced dialog only add to the effect. Motte Island is not without its frustrations, but it’s still an excellent game that’s worth the attention of any indie horror or adventure fan. You can read our review or check it out on Steam.

DreadOut (Indonesia)

This game can be summed up in one word: terrifying. DreadOut is developed by Digital Happiness in Indonesia, and makes use of traditional Indonesian ghouls and ghosts to shock the pants off you, Fatal Frame style. While it’s surprisingly short – just one chapter of the game was playable at launch – it’s also worth the scares and surprises. Check out our review or grab the game on Steam. The second act of the game will be available for free to game owners when it releases.

Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition (Singapore)

If you were a fan of Final Fight and Streets of Rage growing up, you’re going to love Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition. It improves on the original Dusty Revenge game by letting you indulge in some local beat-em-up multiplayer action, with two players on the same screen. Dusty Revenge, while lacking in the narrative, is a technically sound game that will make for hours of you getting vengeance for the rabbit Dusty. It was developed by Singapore’s PD Design Studio, and you can read our review or pick it up on Steam.

See: Did you know Dusty Revenge was produced by a multimedia company?

Devil’s Dare (Singapore)

Devil’s Dare has been a game long in the making. A fun, frantic, and unforgiving throwback to old-school beat-em-ups, it’s a game after Dusty Revenge’s own heart, albeit more sadistic with permadeath and the occasional unspeakably difficult moment. Its visuals are done up in pixel art, and the game pays nostalgic homage to the beat-em-up genre that many of today’s gamers have grown up with. If you’re a masochistic gamer, this is a great game for you. Read our review, or pick the game up on Steam. Devil’s Dare was developed by Singapore’s Secret Base studio.

Velocibox (Malaysia)

Described by its developer, Shawn Beck, as a “maso-core” game, Velocibox is an endless runner not for the faint of heart, or of stomach. Players need to guide a box through obstacle courses at top speed, while flipping and flopping the screen to avoid crashing. It was released on Steam, or you can read our review if you’re not maso-core enough.

Lovely Planet (India)

At first glance, Lovely Planet might look like it was made in Japan. A little reading on the internet, however, and you’ll soon realize that it’s actually made in India – in Delhi, to be exact. A colorful twitch-shooter whose aim is for you to complete each level in the quickest time possible presents a tough challenge for those untalented in the FPS arena, yet never brings the player to the point of frustration. This is managed with addictive background music and speedy level restarts, and try as you might, you’re not going to get annoyed that you keep dying. Lovely Planet can be picked up on Steam or you can simply read our review of it.

As with our best-of-2014 mobile game list, this one isn’t comprehensive either. If you know of a great PC game that was both made in Asia and published in 2014, drop us a note via the comments!

See: 16 of this year’s best indie mobile games from Asia

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