Gaming

Indygo: A game that talks about depression

Published

October 25, 2017

Leez

Indygo is simple, quick, and easy, but it cuts deep.

It’s an immersive point ‘n’ click game designed and illustrated by Fine Arts Academy students, members of Pigmentum Game Studio, that dabbles into the topic of depression like no other.

Straightforward gameplay

No fluff, no bluff. This game starts with a befitting trigger warning. When you first play the game, it already sets you in a miserable mood. All the graphics are half-recklessly sketched in black and white; the music is slow and sad; and the voice over is deep and dull.

The game cuts quickly into the plot: You play as Thomas, a famous painter struggling with depression. Thomas refuses to leave the confines of his small room while he encounters letters from his girlfriend Ana who desperately tries to help him. What you decide to do with every passing day, how you choose to respond and what you choose to do in-game, will affect how the story unfolds.

Cruel suspension of disbelief

When I first played the game, I had the gutted feeling that if I didn’t play it safe, Thomas would kill himself. Most people can easily dispense their suspension of disbelief and handle the game distant from the protagonist which can make the game boring.

The truth is Indygo has no incentive, and in that sense, the game grounds itself to the sinking reality of depression: no incentive, no sense, nor any will to do or simply be.

Easy play, tough decisions

I’ll confess: I was irrationally emotionally attached with Thomas. He was a character that needed help and I did anything I could to make sure he would cheer up. Unfortunately, halfway through the game, I became morbidly curious to see how far the game would push its realism, so I purposefully played to see if he’d kill himself. And, the result was mortifying.

The game doesn’t really take long nor is it challenging. You can probably finish the game in an hour, so it encourages you to play more than once after each play-through with this prompt:

Dangerously oversimplified?

There’s a sickening myth that it’s tough for any medium to hit the soft spot where people address mental health without either trivializing it or romanticizing it. Despite that, the worse route would be to scrap all effort and disregard the issue altogether.

Mental health isn’t just complex due to varied and undetermined causes, symptoms, and treatments; it’s been time and time again been swept under the rug, as much as it’s been stigmatized; not to mention, how certain people question its legitimacy. It’s a tough topic to address and how Indygo presents it can seem too simple, but it gets the point across well with its simplicity.

Not everything is as gloomy as it seems

Indygo shows genuine concern for both you and the character you play.

As Thomas’ story unfolds, you’ll find Ana, his girlfriend, desperately trying to help. Besides the trigger warning in the beginning of the game, you’ll also find a subsection in the Menu where they delve into what depression is and ways you or anyone can seek and be of help.

Should you play the game?

I say, try it out. When you’re not high-strung and on a self-destructive tirade, go ahead.

Take the trigger warning seriously and don’t forget that it’s just a game. Keep in mind that despite it being just a game, how you take it lightly shouldn’t be carried over to how you treat people with the condition in real life.

Indygo was released on October 24, 2017. It’s available on Steam for US$ 5.99.

[irp posts=”21299″ name=”Best Video Games of 2017 (Q3 Edition)”]

Gaming

Microsoft dictates that a new Fallout game is coming

Microsoft cancelled an Avowed sequel to focus on Fallout.

Published

July 10, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Bethesda used to be a bastion for RPG experiences. Today, however, the company prefers living off its older properties such as Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76. For a while now, the question has been: When will Bethesda release a new game in either of their two biggest franchises? Well, according to a report, a new Fallout game might be coming soon.

As of late, Microsoft has been restructuring its studios. In fact, the company might shut down the studio behind the Dishonored series and the upcoming game based on Marvel’s Blade. Now, as part of that reshuffling (via Bloomberg), Obsidian Entertainment has been told to cancel a sequel to Avowed and focus on a new Fallout game.

It’s a huge change. Microsoft has notably stayed away from its more popular franchises for a while now. The latest Fallout game is still Fallout 76. The latest Elder Scrolls game has been in development for a long, long time now. Only DOOM, via last year’s The Dark Ages, got a new title recently.

To be clear, it’s unknown whether we’re getting the true Fallout 5 or another iteration of the online 76. If it’s really the fifth mainline entry in the franchise, it’s coming at a very opportune time. The franchise is currently on a high, riding the popularity of the TV series of the same name. Fans will surely enjoy a follow-up.

To fuel things further, Josh Sawyer, the director behind the universally lauded New Vegas, is reportedly spearheading the production of the new game.

Gaming

HoYo FEST 2026 details announced; tickets on sale from July 16

Join the celebration

Published

July 9, 2026

GadgetMatch

HoYoverse’s annual flagship fan celebration in Southeast Asia, the HoYo FEST, as officially been announced with tickets selling starting July 16.

Fans across Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Singapore can enjoy four days of interactive experiences, live entertainment, and more activities featuring HoYoverse’s famed titles:

Genshin Impact
Honkai Impact 3
Honkai: Star Rail
Tears of Themis
Zenless Zone Zero

In addition, the gathering will spotlight a first look at the upcoming Honkai: Nexus Anima. The game will be offered at the Experience Zone so visitors can be among the first to try through limited hands-on sessions.

Fans can expect the following experiences at each HoYo FEST:

Check-in Zone: Kick off your journey with activities across all six titles, plus exclusive freebies
Game Booths: Jump into immersive mini games inspired by the aforementioned titles
Hands-on experiences for Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero
Merch: Grab fan-favorite HoYo FEST merchandise from event-exclusive standees and pillows to Character Giftboxes and more
Artist Alley: An even larger creative hub for artists and fans to showcase, sell, and share HoYoverse-inspired art
HoYo FEST Stage: Feel the excitement with Open Stage performances, the Cosplay Runway Walk, and vibrant community showcases

Tickets will be available in the following categories:

1-Day Pass
1-Day Fast Pass with priority access and exclusive collectibles
4-Day Pass (3-Day Pass in Singapore)

Venue details:

Bangkok: Central Ladprao, BCC Hall
Ho Chi Minh City: Sky Expo, Hall A4
Jakarta: Pondok Indah Mall 3, City Hall
Kuala Lumpur: Pavilion Exhibition Centre Bukit Jalil, Hall 1-3
Manila: SPACE at One Ayala, Hall A-D
Singapore: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hall 403

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced available worldwide now

It’s available on all major platforms.

Published

July 9, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Last year was the year of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the franchise’s first Japan-themed entry. This year, however, the series is coming back to the one of its most popular worlds outside of Japan: pirates. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is now available on all major platforms.

Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, Black Flag Resynced brings players back into the boots of Edward Kenway, a vagabond pirate turned assassin. As he navigates the mysterious battle between Assassins and Templars, he travels the entire Caribbean and meets iconic pirates like Blackbeard and Anne Bonny.

This time, the 2013 game has been reengineered from the ground up using the latest Anvil engine. Besides amazing graphics, the remake has updated combat, new characters, and more narrative content.

Starting today, players can get Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Ubisoft Store, Ubisoft+, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

The Deluxe Edition packs the digital-only edition with the Master Assassin Character Pack and the Master Assassin Naval Pack. Meanwhile, the Collector’s Edition includes the Deluxe Edition and a catalog of physical goodies (Edward’s Figurine, an Edward wearable metal brooch, an exclusive SteelBook, a cloth map).