A solo indie game that depicts the chaotic world of dementia patients through gameplay.
Taipei Game Show Indie Game Awards 2026 Judges Were “Brought to Tears” by the Touch
Winner of the Grand Prize and Best Audio Awards, the highest honor for a Japanese indie game in seven years.
‘and Roger’ from Japanese indie game developer TearyHand Studio won both the Grand Prix and Best Audio awards at the ‘Taipei Game Show 2026 Indie Game Awards (IGA),’ Asia’s largest indie game awards ceremony, earning the honor of being a double winner.
Selected as the best among 515 entries from 51 countries, “and Roger” is a visual novel game told from the perspective of a family living with dementia. Its deeply moving narrative and perfectly integrated soundtrack earned it unanimous praise from the judges. Some judges even confessed to “shedding tears” while reviewing the game, sparking a buzz.
Reality as experienced from the perspective of a dementia patient: “The gameplay speaks for itself.”
“and Roger” is a point-and-click interactive visual novel game set in the perspective of Sophia, a woman with dementia. Developed by Japan’s TearyHand Studio and published by Kodansha Creators’ Lab, the game delivers a powerful emotional impact in its short, approximately one-hour playtime.
The game begins with a normal morning routine. A girl wakes up and heads downstairs to find a strange man sitting on the sofa where her father should be. He demands that she “take her medicine.” A chaotic situation unfolds, with no clue as to who he is or where her father is.
The core of the game is interaction through “unmarked buttons.” Players must perform everyday actions, such as washing their hands or brushing their teeth, by pressing unmarked buttons on the screen. They must remember which button corresponds to which action and complete the actions in the correct order. This “clumsy and confusing” control directly conveys the confusion and frustration experienced by people with dementia.
As the story progresses, the player witnesses Sophia reminisce about her youth, when she met, fell in love with, and married Roger, a bakery worker. It is eventually revealed that the “strange man” in the house was none other than Roger, Sophia’s husband, who, due to dementia, was unable to recognize him.
The game ends with a quote from 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Solo developer Yona: “I wanted to let the gameplay speak for itself.”
TearyHand Studio is the project of Japanese solo indie developer Yona. “I wanted to create a game that was more than just a visual novel,” Yona explained. “I wanted to express the protagonist’s situation, background, and emotions through the gameplay itself, not through other means.”
“When gameplay replaces speech, or when the gameplay itself starts to ‘speak,’ that’s the core of the game narrative,” Yona explained in an interview with gaming media outlet Remap. “That’s why we wanted to keep the text to a minimum and tell the story through interaction.”
The game’s visuals were created with Adobe Illustrator, aiming for a “simple but very cute” visual style that conveys the characters through minimal lines and expressions. Yona revealed that during development, each scene was drawn in “manga-style panels” and each gameplay concept was sketched “one by one on paper.”
Yona’s biggest inspiration came from Florence, released in 2018. “It’s the greatest game I’ve ever played,” she praised, “and it taught me the value of storytelling through games.”
Storytelling centered on religion and faith, exploring universal themes
TearyHand Studio is a developer committed to faith-based storytelling, guided by the motto “Works for His glory.” Yona debuted in 2023 with the puzzle platformer “In His Time,” and “and Roger” is their second game, exploring the universal human experience through faith.
Perfect harmony of play and sound, winning both the Grand Prize and Best Audio Award at IGA 2026.
‘and Roger’ shared the Best Audio award, recognizing that sound served as a core element of the gaming experience rather than simply a background.
The judges stated that “the sophisticated controls and music completely immerse the player in the story,” and that “many judges were ‘brought to tears.'” They also praised the game for its exceptional story, which remains deeply engraved in the mind even after the game is over.
The soundtrack, utilizing a wide range of sounds—from cute, upbeat melodies to oppressive, crescendoing audio assaults, to ominous silences and ticking sounds—intensely reflects the protagonist’s state of mind and the circumstances of each scene. The music, story, and gameplay were praised for blending together to create an unforgettable experience for gamers.
A string of awards at global award ceremonies, including a nomination for the prestigious BAFTA.
This isn’t the first Taipei Game Show win for “and Roger.” Since its release on July 23, 2025, the game has quickly gained global attention.
It first gained attention in Japan by winning the Audience Award Grand Prix, Best Arts Award, and Best Presentation Award at the Sense of Wonder Night Tokyo Game Show in September 2025.
In December 2025, it won the Emotional Impact Award at Six One Indie’s Indie Game Awards, and was honored with a nomination for the ‘Game Beyond Entertainment’ longlist at BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), one of the world’s most prestigious game awards ceremonies.
It was also recognized in the ‘Best Simulation Game’ category at the ChinaJoy Indie Game Awards in July 2025.
Critics praised the game, saying it “proves that games are a medium for artistic expression.”
Gaming publications have lavished praise on “And Roger,” naming it one of the best games of 2025. Game Informer praised its “fresh and delightful way of conveying emotion and hardship” and called it “a powerful example of the power of video games as a storytelling medium.”
Kotaku said, “It feels clunky and frustrating at first, but play through it and you’ll understand why,” and “I can’t overstate how special this 60-minute experience is, and how well it integrates game design into its storytelling.”
Indie Hive said, “The tactile use of color, hand-drawn artwork, demonstrative sound design, winding, well-written narrative, and inventive, relationship-building gameplay create a tactile intimacy between player and protagonist,” and called it “an emotional, stimulating, disorienting, but ultimately endearing experience.”
Award-winning special, 30% off until February 11th
To celebrate its award, “and Roger” is being offered at a 30% discount on Steam and Nintendo Switch until February 11th at 2:59 PM KST. This discount, down from its regular price of $4.99, allows more players to experience this moving masterpiece.
The game supports Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese (Traditional/Simplified), French, German, Italian, and Spanish, and domestic gamers can also fully enjoy the story with full Korean subtitles.
Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3308870/and_Roger/
Deep empathy through games, demonstrating the artistic potential of indie games.
The success of ” and Roger ” is a prime example of the potential of indie games, which prioritize authentic narrative and emotional depth over commercial glamour. By tackling dementia, a socially significant but under-represented topic in games, the game demonstrates that games can transcend mere entertainment and deliver profound messages as a medium of artistic expression.
In particular, the unique approach of conveying the patient’s confusion and pain through the gameplay itself is significant in that it presents a unique way of expression that only games can provide, something that is impossible with other media.
With this award, solo developers Yona and TearyHand Studio have demonstrated new possibilities for Japanese indie game development, demonstrating that faith-based storytelling can transcend boundaries and resonate with universal emotions. The moving narrative and artistic excellence of “and Roger” are expected to serve as a significant milestone, indicating the future direction of indie games.
