The Sense of Wonder Night 2023 is an indie game competition in the Tokyo Game Show 2023 event. Learn more about the featured games and the awards they won.
Sense of Wonder Night 2023
An Award Show for Indie Games
Sense of Wonder Night (SOWN) 2023 competition seeks out excellent indie gaming concepts that inspire wonder, surprise, or a feeling that the world will change. It is available to indie game creators from all around the world and is hosted in conjunction with the Tokyo Game Show (TGS).
Game Selection Process
793 games participated in Sense of Wonder Night (SOWN) 2023 with 80 titles making it through the initial cut. From there, eight titles got to the finals. The developers of these eight titles were given a chance to present their ideas to a panel of judges that come from the competition’s sponsors.
Game Awards and Winners
Top 8 Finalists
| Game Titles | Country |
|---|---|
| Give Me Toilet Paper | Japan |
| Out of the World | Japan |
| My Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog | United Kingdom |
| Tiny Drive | Japan |
| It’s a Wrap! | France |
| Ecosystem | Ireland |
| Retro Gadget | Italy |
| Oddada | Germany |
The 8 finalists were divided into two categories: Something is Missing category includes games like Give Me Toilet Paper, Out of the World, Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog and Tiny Drive. The games in this category have made experimentation on either their gameplay, technological update or a reminiscent of the past.
The other category, Like a Tool, Like a Game includes games like It's a Wrap!, Ecosystem, Retro Gadget, and Oddada, The games in this category are focused on using tools or gadgets within the game to complete tasks.
Best Technological Game Award - Tiny Drive
| Tiny Drive | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Portalgraph | Japan |
| Platforms | Portalgraph |
| Tiny Drive is a pseudo-hologram driving game made with Portalgraph. Portalgraph is a device that uses a 3D projector to create the appearance of a VR space. Images by Portalgraph can be projected on a wall, a desk, and other even surfaces. The game allows players to drive a little car around collecting sweets and avoiding rocks. | |
Best Experimental Game Award - Give me Toilet Paper!
| Give Me Toilet Paper! | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Takahiro Miyamura | Japan |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch |
| Give Me Toilet Paper! is an action game in which you stick a joycon into an actual roll of toilet paper and roll it on a board. That’s your controller. Roll your toilet paper left or right, and guide the toilet paper roll inside the game through a series of traps and other obstacles so that, eventually, you get to a man who’s desperately in need of your help. | |
Best Arts Award - Oddada
| Oddada | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Oddada | Germany |
| Platforms | PC |
| Oddada is a music exploration game where you can make your own song. This game allows players to playfully explore music and place things or objects within the platform to see what happens. Players can change rhythm and melody, adjust tone heights, and make their own music loop. The songs in the game can be saved and shared with others. Available for wishlisting on Steam. | |
Best Game Design Award
| It's a Wrap! | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Chanko Studios | France |
| Platforms | PC and Nintendo Switch |
| It's a Wrap is a challenging 2D puzzle platformer set in 1980s Hollywood, where you play as both the director and leading star in low-budget flicks. But there’s a catch: You’ll need to synchronize the actors and objects to ensure proper timing. On top of your directing duties, you must remember your script and play through the scenario without "dying." | |
Best Presentation Award - Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog
| My Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Space Colony Studios |
| Platforms | PC |
| My Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog is a beautiful retro visual novel that’s inspired by retro mecha anime from the 80's and 90's. The game uses traditional point-and-click adventure mechanics where players will have to use their mouse to navigate various locations on their ship and interact with other characters. | |
Audience Award Grand Prix Winner - Tiny Drive
Tiny Drive won the Audience Award Grand Prix, with Give Me Toilet Paper getting the Audience Semi Grand Award. Social media users were asked to vote for the game they wanted to win by going to Twitter and sending "piko" or smiling face emojis for the game they liked. Tiny Drive won a trophy and $3000, Give Me Toilet Paper won a trophy and $500.
Sense of Wonder Night 2023 Sponsors
This year's sponsors include Sony Entertainment, Nintendo, Kodansha, Happinet, indie Game incubator, Elsa, and Benq. Contest winners can get cash awards, publishing deals, and mentoring opportunities as prizes.
