Cover Story: Forging the pixel path

This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 25, 2024 – December 1, 2024
The gaming industry may be ruled by giant corporations and their blockbuster triple-A games, but there’s another side to it — one that thrives on creativity, innovation and daring new ideas. This is the indie scene, where developers, especially those in emerging markets such as Malaysia, are carving out their own space in an oft-overlooked segment of the industry.
Yet, it’s far from a smooth ride. For local indie game creators, the journey is rife with challenges. They grapple with a shortage of skilled talent, limited visibility and the ever-present struggle to secure funding. But it’s hurdles like these that fuel their ingenuity, pushing them to innovate and take risks in ways the big studios can’t afford to.
Going beyond game creation, many indie developers are actively building networks, nurturing local talent and working hard to inspire investor confidence. It’s all part of their mission to shape a sustainable, innovation-driven industry that can stand the test of time.
But crafting a successful game requires more than just a sharp business acumen. It’s about cultivating a passionate community grounded in collaboration, creativity and self-sufficiency.
In this feature, Digital Edge speaks to four indie game developers who candidly share the lessons they’ve learnt on their journey. From navigating the challenges of limited resources to embracing the highs of creative freedom, their insights reveal what it takes to thrive in the growing indie game scene.
Descent, a real-time tactics RPG (Photo by Kotakoren)
Going back to the fundamentals, Kotakoren founder Lee Han Cheon stresses the importance of having foundational skills, be it in game design, art or programming. He thinks that aspiring developers, who have honed their skills, will be the greatest selling point in the gaming industry.
‘So, for me, fundamentals are the key for every discipline, especially for games at least. [That] is what I firmly believe in,’ says Lee.
Lee established Kotakoren in 2020 after having worked with studios like Streamline Studios and Lemonsky. He wants to revive the old school experience of nostalgic pixel art games that consist of challenging levels with complex mechanisms through his game, Descent.
Descent is a real-time tactics role playing game (RPG) in which players lead a party of adventurers into new undiscovered realms inspired by rich Southeast Asian lore. The game is still under development and a release date has yet to be determined.
‘Games right now are targeted towards the masses, which is fair as you want more players on it. But for indie developers, I think we have the privilege to say no to that and go for a different route. So for us, we decided to bring the old school experience back to modern audiences,’ says Lee.
From a developer’s perspective, modern-day games catering to the general masses also result in the level of entry to game creation being relatively lower. The only downside is that the market will begin to see a number of games with the same nature.
Additionally, the desire and ability to stray from the beaten path might not be something that major investors or publishers would be interested in because it takes a long-term investment to make it work.
‘That is when indies come in. Our development budget is relatively low and we can afford to take these off-track decisions. Indies are different because we cater to ourselves rather than to a big market,’ says Lee.
Indie developers have the advantage of not being pressured by investors or shareholders to conform to market trends. This freedom allows them to experiment with unique and innovative game concepts.
As a consequence, the indie community is a rich source of diverse and original gameplay experiences, setting it apart from the more mainstream triple-A titles.
‘In Malaysia, if you want to go off on your own, most of the time, you will see the developer or founder to be someone who already knows how to deal with game engines, so they have programmed stuff already,’ says Lee.
The main challenge that Lee notices is the lack of good talents in programming. A secondary issue is market availability. Good programmers are already working with the bigger studios and indies cannot afford the rates for highly capable programmers.
‘We have to work with simpler projects and hopefully build a longer-term bond with the programmers to grow with them. The skills will grow and eventually most studios will make bigger games,’ says Lee.
On the flip side, game artists are easily found locally but there still isn’t a lot of expertise in game design due to demand in the local studios. In Lee’s experience working with several local studios, the availability and demand for game designers is very minimal.
‘Designers are rare. I’ve been on the lookout for designers for about six months now. If I’m working on probably a less complex project, I think they would fit 100% but I’m working with extremely complex systems, so they might struggle with finding the right balance of complexity and user fun as well.’
Lee says many game designers do not grasp the fundamentals as local courses do not incorporate this in their curriculum.
‘If you don’t have your design fundamentals in order to draw references and apply them properly, it would just be a direct copy and it might not work for the game you’re working on.’
Being able to make individual clean codes is very important for a programmer to go far in game development.
‘Same with artists as well. There are structural methods that can break down art into its own fundamentals. This will allow game developers to reproduce the same results using their own skills,’ says Lee.
He acknowledges that local educational institutions have an obligation to have students be market ready when they graduate, but doing so would mean their fundamentals taking a hit. Focusing on current trending software will cause the students to suffer in their later journey as they would not be able to find jobs that distinguish them from the rest.
From real-time tactics RPG to nostalgic pixel puzzle games, Malaysia’s indie gaming scene is one to look out for (Photo by Hidden Chest)
When it comes to developing games, networking and marketing are equally important. Lim Kwang Meng, founder of Skyfeather Games, learnt that the hard way.
Skyfeather Games started out in 2018 on its maiden offering, Exist.exe. The pixel art RPG utilises puzzle mechanics to alter its environment to solve the game. Exist.exe is slated to be released in the first quarter of 2026.
‘One of the biggest mistakes that I am still paying for now is the marketing aspect for my game. Back then, we didn’t have the knowledge of doing so but looking back right now, it affects the way we source for funding and publishers,’ says Lim.
Naturally, investors or publishers will look for more security in a project they want to invest in. For games, game developers will need more traction on their wish list on Steam. Steam wish lists allow users to bookmark games they are interested in and receive notifications for sales and releases, while developers can gauge interest and predict sales.
‘Back then, I didn’t want to approach a publisher with a Steam page with a very low wish list count because we did not have an in-house marketing person. We did not have the necessary marketing materials to push our game out, either. That was why we did not have our page up at first,’ he explains. ‘Investors or publishers will want to see more online interactions from game developers, from how many followers you have on social media platforms to how many users have wish-listed your game on Steam.’
Lim emphasises the significance of local game conventions in providing opportunities for students to learn, network and gain practical experience, which ultimately contributes to their growth as game developers.
‘In recent years, the students have had game clubs at schools, and they are even organising their own game showcases, which help a lot. This is because they can see and experience what game showcases or small game exhibitions feel like, and be involved in the process of organising it.’
Being able to sit in on panel talks and learn from local game developers is crucial as it allows aspiring game developers to share their own experience and thought process in their game development journey.
‘Aside from my skill set as a programmer, if I’m serious about approaching a career in the gaming industry, knowing people and knowing more about their journey is very important. In the long run, networking matters a lot — that’s why having all these small to large-size conventions locally would be very helpful for the students,’ says Lim.
On the bright side, the indie game community seems to have each other’s backs. He compliments the International Game Developers Association Malaysia for helping organise several different conventions to help connect learning students with industry-level game developers.
With a vision to stitch up the Malaysian game industry, Kesh Ganesparan, founder of Hidden Chest Studios, is working towards bridging the gap between talent, funding and industry collaboration. His goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem that empowers local developers and attracts global recognition.
Hidden Chest Studios was founded in 2020 after a dinner conversation between friends, which inspired Kesh and his partners to come up with Midwest 90: Rapid City, a post-apocalyptic restaurant tycoon game. The game is still under development and does not have an expected release date yet.
‘I was having dinner in my friend’s restaurant in Aman Suria (Betty’s Midwest Kitchen), Petaling Jaya. I was just imagining what if monsters came and tried to attack the restaurant while one was running it,’ says Kesh.
Hidden Chest Studios has come a long way since then but not without its fair share of challenges. As an indie game developer, Kesh started his journey with the help of grants from Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
‘As indies, you don’t work with a big budget, unless you have friends or family who can help with funding for the project. The best place that we can go to start up is MDEC, which offers the digital content grant every year. However, it is only a jump-start. So we have to look at the whole thing as an ecosystem,’ says Kesh.
In Malaysia, where many live at the crossroad of cultures from the East and the West, innovation and creativity can run deep and inspire many. With their freedom, indie studios can be experimental and take risks.
However, innovation comes with its own challenges. It must always be balanced with accessibility, which comes from the feedback from players and developers. Feedback is vital not just to improve the game itself, but also to grow as a developer.
‘[Aspiring game developers] need to be interested in knowing how games are made, not just playing them. Do you want to learn to make games or do you like to play games? A lot of people tend to get confused between the signals,’ says Kesh.
Currently a part-time lecturer in Xsolla Curine Academy, Kesh also recognises a talent gap in the gaming industry. His work with the academy is to empower the entire ecosystem by hiring experienced professionals like himself to develop up-to-date programs and train the next generation of game developers.
‘We want to make sure everybody goes to a good place. You don’t want students to come out into the industry full of passion and then get burnt out and lose their hopes and dreams. So we want to build this good ecosystem here because I think that’s really important,’ he explains.
The indie game development scene in Malaysia is also facing a bigger challenge where there is a lack of cohesion. Developers work in silos, isolated from sister industries like movies and animation where they can collaborate and exchange resources.
‘We have the movie industry, but we are not exchanging resources at the moment. The movie industry, they have motion capture which [indie gaming studios] can benefit from. There is no one to tie us up with them. I think we need investor confidence to tie up the whole ecosystem,’ says Kesh.
Investors play a crucial role in shaping the future of the Malaysian game development industry. By supporting local studios and encouraging industry collaboration, investors can help create a sustainable ecosystem.
‘There is a lot of talent in art and programming but they leave Malaysia [for better opportunities]. Investors need to start with the frame of mind of wanting to build an industry. That is what I’m personally looking for in an angel investor, someone who doesn’t just want to build a business, but to build a strong industry here,’ adds Kesh.
Potential investors who are unfamiliar with the game development industry can start by exploring platforms such as Xsolla Funding Club, a matchmaking service for developers, investment firms or groups, and video game publishers.
Kesh believes that by starting with smaller investments and gradually building knowledge, investors can make informed decisions on where to allocate their funds in gaming studios.
Creating games might seem fun but for some, it is an arduous journey fraught with many rejections and failures. With nine years of gaming development experience under his belt, Daniel Loke thinks that having a clear vision and well-rounded thought process is crucial in developing games.
Loke, who has a passion for anime games, created his studio, Alkaline Game, in 2022. He is currently working on a third-person anime shooting RPG called Falling Rain, which brings players into a post-apocalyptic world. The game is slated for release in 2026.
Falling Rain, a third-person anime shooting RPG (Photo by Alkaline Game)
‘I think what some developers are lacking is a certain mindset and thought process where they are just focusing on what they are good at without knowing what the other departments are doing,’ says Loke.
He stresses that holistic education is needed to provide aspiring game developers with the understanding of how to deal with the management of other aspects of game development.
‘We have a lot of different styles of mindsets and thought processes in Malaysia due to the nation’s diversity and I see that as one of our strengths in creative processes. Right now, I just hope there are more people executing those ideas in Malaysia itself,’ says Loke.
While talent is abundant in Malaysia, one of the main challenges lies in many Malaysian studios providing outsourcing services for triple-A games instead of producing their own games.
Loke thinks there is a lack of a product-centric approach that considers the entire lifecycle of a game from concept to launch in the industry.
‘Many are focusing on creating individual components (assets) rather than the holistic game experience. A person who can handle an overall project and manage a clear direction in crafting a unique gaming experience is lacking.’
Loke wants to inspire change in the gaming development industry. His love for games made him realise that he wanted to make a game that could inspire others to do so as well.
‘Games are not just games. They can be expanded out to other forms of media such as entertainment, music, streaming or even manga publications,’ he says.
Creating intellectual property (IP) of games is important for Loke, as creating a holistic immersive experience starting from games will help differentiate its IP from others. This has led to his mission to build strong IP by making more downloadable content and side projects for Falling Rain.
‘The industry is a high-risk, high-reward environment. I believe Malaysia has more of a safety net for people, that’s why not many want to take a risk. But I also believe if you truly believe in what you are doing, just do it.’
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