Fueling the Fun! How Developers Brought Their All to TGS2025
Hello! GYAARCon support staff Mio here.
Gamers, rejoice! TOKYO GAME SHOW is back for 2025!
Celebrating its 29th anniversary, TOKYO GAME SHOW (TGS) remains one of the world’s leading gaming events. Held at Makuhari Messe, visitors can try out new and upcoming titles, hunt for merch from their favorite games, or enjoy streamed stage events from home — there are as many ways to enjoy TGS as there are fans.
And I’ll admit, I’ve been counting down the days myself, doing everything I could to be in top form for the big day.
Of course, the people giving it their all aren’t just the ones playing. It’s also a once-a-year opportunity for developers to showcase their work on the big stage. Some even travel from abroad to be at the venue and share what makes their game so special.
One of those people was Choi Daeun, a member of the development team behind KILLA, who spent TGS at the GYAAR Studio booth.
Alongside our on-site coverage of TGS 2025, I’ll be bringing you insights from the KILLA development team, who journeyed across the sea to promote their game!
GYAAR Studio Booth Exhibit Lineup
KILLA (Developer: Black Tangerine)
Algolemeth (Developer: Medium-Rare Games)
Contents
The Indie Game Corner Steals the Spotlight!
KILLA’s Mysterious Allure: People Couldn’t Resist Doing a Double-Take!
Interview with Black Tangerine: The Team Behind KILLA
▼ Highlights of this year’s booth
▼ How the exhibit came together
▼ Connecting with Japanese fans
▼ Promoting KILLA ahead of TGS
▼ Current development status and future outlook
Final Thoughts
The Indie Game Corner Steals the Spotlight!
As always, the AAA titles drew plenty of crowds, but the Indie Game Corner was also buzzing — crammed with people and overflowing with energy!
The number of indie game exhibits increased significantly from around 300 last year to about 400 this year. Among them were 80 titles chosen for the SELECTED INDIE 80, as well as 294 general entries. TGS 2025 clearly highlighted the growing momentum of the indie game scene.
In all the chaos and excitement, booths got creative to get people to stop by, handing out limited-edition novelties or hosting engaging talks.
Take the GYAAR Studio booth’s Algolemeth corner for instance…
Known as “the guy who’s at the booth the whole event”, Algolemeth developer Gunzee2 was there once again, assisting visitors who were trying out his game.
He typically takes a hands-off approach to simply watch and observe, but this time, he made a memorable impression by providing gentle guidance to ensure players could defeat the boss and leave the booth feeling satisfied.
With a soundtrack by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro and gameplay centered on navigating dungeons with fully automated golems, Algolemeth has already built a dedicated fanbase. It looks like those who came to the booth eager to try the game were firmly won over by the developer himself!
KILLA’s Mysterious Allure: People Couldn’t Resist Doing a Double-Take!
The KILLA corner used its decor to bring the game’s dark narrative to life, where the player embarks on a vengeful quest to hunt down La, the culprit who murdered the protagonist’s mentor.
Many visitors who initially walked past couldn’t resist turning back after seeing the barricade tape and cryptic flyers surrounding the booth.
The slightly ominous-looking freebies were also surprisingly effective at reeling people in.
Some were handed shady promo cards with slogans like “We grant wishes” or “Revenge for hire,” which led them to ask staff about the game and queue for a chance to play.
And while this one isn’t shady at all, the KILLA custom tote bag was incredibly popular as well!
For all four days, people were warning each other: “They’re already gone!” or “Go right after the doors open or you won’t get one,” which helped make the booth a must-go first thing in the morning.
Interview with Black Tangerine: The Team Behind KILLA
The GYAAR Studio booth drew a steady stream of visitors, with the line for the KILLA demo barely easing up all day. Even with the developers running around nonstop, we managed to sit down with Choi Daeun — who came all the way to Japan just for TOKYO GAME SHOW — to hear about her trip and get an update on how KILLA is coming along.
Black Tangerine: Team members
Choi Daeun
Yoon Seeun
Chang Jaewon
Choi Dayeon
▼ Highlights of this year’s booth
――Last year, KILLA was exhibited in the SELECTED INDIE 80 area at TOKYO GAME SHOW, but this year you joined the GYAAR Studio booth instead. A lot of people were drawn in by the game’s distinctive atmosphere. Could you tell us what you focused on for this year’s setup?
Our biggest focus was creating a space that would stand out in this wide, brightly lit hall — something that would make people think, “Wait, what’s that suspicious-looking booth over there?” and stop to take a look.
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When I saw the GYAAR Studio booth in person, I realized KILLA had been given a bigger area than last year’s SELECTED INDIE 80 showcase. That made me feel even more determined to grab people’s attention. So I made full use of the character art and barricade tape I brought from Korea, decorating the space to highlight KILLA’s eerie charm and artistic style.
Because our participation was confirmed on short notice, most of the decorations were done on the fly. Even so, hearing visitors compliment the booth and seeing them step in and be curious about the game, made me incredibly happy.
▼ How the exhibit came together
――You mentioned that your participation was finalized quite abruptly. Did you have plans to exhibit before GYAAR Studio reached out?
Not at all. With development in its final phase this year, we decided not to apply for SELECTED INDIE 80.
But when GYAAR Studio contacted us with an offer to exhibit at TOKYO GAME SHOW, we were ecstatic. Our reaction was basically, “Really? We’ll go immediately! We’ll get everything ready! Thank you so much!” I booked the flight and hotel right away. We were so thrilled that the extra workload didn’t even register as a concern.
We would have loved for the entire team to come to Japan, but development had to stay on track, so I came alone as the marketing and design representative. Still, all preparations including, the booth setup, were coordinated closely with the team back in Korea.
I sent them photos of the booth when I was setting up, and they were full of praise: “Looks great!” “Really coming together!” Their encouragement made me so happy that I kept adding more decorations… Later, when the team saw the booth on social media, they teased me saying that it looked even better than the pictures I’d sent them (laughs).
▼ Connecting with Japanese fans
――While the booth was clearly very popular, could you share any memorable moments from interacting with Japanese fans who tried out KILLA?
They shared their thoughts on the game with us in Korean using translation tools! We received plenty of compliments like, “I really like the character Rappy!” or “The game’s art and atmosphere are fantastic!”
I’m still learning Japanese, so I couldn’t completely understand every comment, but it was so rewarding to see people express their love for the game despite the language barrier.
While slightly different from in-person interactions, we also watched the relay streams and voiceover videos by the Indie Life Streamers back in Korea. Seeing our game brought to life with real voiceovers had the whole team very excited.
■Relay Stream
■Voiceover Video
▼ Promoting KILLA ahead of TGS
――KILLA has strong potential to draw players in, and its upcoming appearance at TOKYO GAME SHOW was already being mentioned by various game media. Once the decision to exhibit was made, how did you handle interactions with Japanese and Korean media outlets?
At Black Tangerine, we typically start promoting about two to three weeks before any event. We post teasers on our official social media accounts, and then about a week before the event, we reach out to Japanese and Korean journalists we’re in contact with to secure media coverage.
We don’t simply ask them to cover the game, we also prepare the articles ourselves in both Japanese and Korean. For Japanese, we create a base draft using ChatGPT, then have a Japanese-speaking team member refine it and sometimes get journalists to review it too. The goal is to create content that encourages as many people as possible to visit our booth.
――Your enthusiasm for promotion is impressive. What benefits are there when developers themselves handle PR for their game?
Absolutely. The people who know the game’s appeal best are the developers, so being able to convey that directly to players is a huge advantage. You’ll undoubtedly gain more opportunities by being proactive, rather than leaving everything to a publisher.
More importantly, when developers promote their own game, it’s easier to get journalists and PR representatives to listen. That’s why I strongly recommend developers directly engage with both media outlets and users. For us, the commitment to hands-on promotion isn’t something we plan on changing anytime soon.
▼ Current development status and future outlook
――Could you update us on KILLA’s development progress?
We’re in the final stages of development. The story is complete, and we’re making final adjustments to the art. We’re also refining the overall presentation, including sound design, to maximize immersion as we move toward release.
――Lastly, could you share a message for readers?
We hadn’t anticipated exhibiting at TOKYO GAME SHOW this year, since we had planned to focus solely on development. I’m sincerely grateful for all the support we’ve received, from collaborating with streamers and preparing freebies, to setting up the booth.
Even without the recognition from the GYAAR Studio Indie Game Contest, we might have attempted a Japanese launch, but it wouldn’t have drawn nearly as much attention. My aim is to make KILLA a truly compelling game and let GYAAR Studio shine. Thank you so much!
Final Thoughts
Over the course of the four-day event, Gunzee2 and Choi Daeun stood firm at the booth, tirelessly sharing their games with visitors. Beyond their drive to create a compelling game, the event underscored the importance of developers actively promoting their own work.
As the number of indie game exhibits at TOKYO GAME SHOW 2025 demonstrated, indie games have become a major genre within the industry. With so many titles vying for the limelight, clever ways to stand out from the crowd are more important than ever.
We can’t wait to see what GYAAR Studio has in store for their next event!
Exhibit Lineup: Steam Storefronts
KILLA
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2524200/KILLA/
Algolemeth
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2731030/Algolemeth/
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