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

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang partners with global fast food giant

Jollibee GameJoy x MLBB combos launched for in-game rewards, collectibles

Published

May 19, 2026

GadgetMatch

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has leveled up its partnership with the Philippines’ leading fast food chain, Jollibee.

MLBB players may have already secured the Jollibee emote on the popular 5-on-5 MOBA title.

And this time, the campaign is rolling out the GameJoy x MLBB Combos, available nationwide at Jollibee stores until August 19.

This seeks to sustain player engagement through a mix of physical hero card collectibles and exclusive in-game rewards available with every GameJoy combo purchase.

The combos are available in five variants, all priced at PhP 169:

Yumburger
Jolly Hotdog
Special Cheesy Yumburger
Crunchy Chicken Sandwich
Original Cheesy Yumburger

Each combo comes with fries, a drink, and the Peach Mango Pie.

Customers who avail of these combos will then get a GameJoy x MLBB pack, which includes one physical collectible card and a PIN which can be used to redeem mystery rewards within the title.

Players can expect skins, emotes, fragments, avatar borders, and the sought-after MLBB all-skin unlock.

For Jollibee, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang collaboration is a follow-up to its GameJoy x Unipin partnership last year, targeting audiences who are into mobile gaming while offering their affordable menu items.

MLBB is the most-played mobile game in the country, so the promo is expecting a warm reception.

Gaming

Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales set for physical SEA launch

Pre-orders now open

Published

May 19, 2026

GadgetMatch

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is set for a Southeast Asia physical edition launch on June 18.

Bandai Namco and Square Enix announced the developed. In addition, digital editions for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Microsoft Store are now available for pre-order.

Those who place pre-orders will receive Elliot’s Departure Pack, which includes various items that can give the protagonist an edge.

There’s the Departure Brooch accessory, which increases the amount of currency and magicite fragments dropped by enemies. On the other hand, there’s also the Attack Up sword Magicite.

In addition to the standard digital edition, the Digital Deluxe Edition is also available for pre-order, and includes these perks:

Fairy Bangle accessory
Cherry Blossom Anklet accessory
Roselle Ring accessory

Meanwhile, the physical Collector’s Edition comes with the base game, original soundtrack, and desk clock statue featuring Faie.

In The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, the duo of Elliot and Faie traverse a vast world across four ages.

This world is teeming with enemy hordes, hidden caves, and ancient ruins. Elliot can wield seven weapon types, from close-quarters swords to versatile chains and sickles.

Each weapon is customizable through magicite, allowing players to tailor their combat style. On the other hand, Faie’s powerful Magic is formidable in and out of battle.

The title will also feature several new and improved features, based on feedback from the Debut Demo.

This includes faster movement speed, refinements to the weapon shortcut menu, and additional difficulty options.

Gaming

The best Tokyo tour package that is Forza Horizon 6

Discover Japan like a first time traveller

Published

May 14, 2026

Gab Orlina

Ever wanted to visit Japan despite an ongoing fuel crisis crippling your total travel budget? Have you ever wanted to visit iconic tourist destinations like Shibuya Crossing or Mt. Fuji? Did you ever have dreams of becoming the drift king like in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift? Well, we have good news for you!

On May 19, you’ll be able to do all three of these things as Playground Games will finally release Forza Horizon 6 across all platforms. From an overall lens, the game is slated to build off the incredible features the franchise is best known for, now in a totally different side of the world. Experience a unique kind of car culture only famously featured within popular movie franchises, while also exploring another side to Tokyo reimagined for both new and returning players to the series.

So come, take advantage of this once in a lifetime tour package, complete with the following amenities suited to hopefully make the trip to Tokyo worth it!

Sight-seeing, your way

Forza Horizon 6 features a highly populated simulation of Tokyo with tons of activities to do, sights to see, and Horizon events to satisfy your thirst for action. From street racing to experiencing the hustle and bustle of food deliveries, Playground Games wasted no time in nailing most aspects of Japan’s culture. Of course, that also includes popular tourist attractions like Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge.

I mentioned in the early preview that the developers divided all of Tokyo into different sections with their own checklists on what to do and things to collect. When looking at the full game, this list is actually a lot more expansive and comes with its own scorecard for exploration called Discover Japan. It’s similar to your Horizon Events progression, right down to the tasks and rewards so the experience wouldn’t be too unfamiliar.

SEE MORE: Forza Horizon 6 already hits the mark

All of these are within your control and pace as you progress deeper into the Horizon Events, with more areas and activities to explore the further along you are. Honestly, it ends up that you’ll accomplish these things fluidly given the amount of driving you’ll be doing so plan your itinerary ahead!

Reimagining Japanese car culture

Speaking of those Horizon Events, the staple of the entire Forza Horizon franchise once again features a unique blend of racing that is authentic to the place it represents. In the case of Japan, that’s basically all the types of races you’ve already seen in most Fast and the Furious movies, especially Tokyo Drift. And yes, you will have access to a plethora of cars that you can finetune to your liking for the best performance in all the races.

Much like in previous games, there are also pockets of events called Stories that venture into specific aspects of Japanese car culture through the lens of the characters in-game. From day-trips to learning how to be a DK or “drift king,” these were designed not only to help with game progression but to expose a culture to those who are only hearing about it now. Also, some of the events can be quite challenging even for returning and experienced players.

This even extends into multiplayer features and Horizon Stunt Events that allows you to show off your skills and your car collection. Adding in car meets within major POIs on the map was a nice touch in incorporating multiplayer activities beyond the normal racing route. Also, they added the actual Daikoku Car Meet space as a staple to this aspect of Japanese car culture!

Is this your GamingMatch?

In a nutshell, Forza Horizon 6 remains true to its roots, enabling it to bring out the best of Japan in more ways imaginable. Playground Games knew what worked from every other game in the franchise and decided to double down for the better, from mechanics to the improvements. While it had already hit the mark from the preview alone, expanding it further truly made it an exciting release to watch out for.

For a game that simply offers a more casual racing experience and pushes the car collect-a-thon a lot more, it is completely decked out with activities galore. Even with some of them feeling repetitive at times, every Horizon event and mode felt just as addictive and unique to play no matter how you want to play them. It’s a formula that encourages experimentation and enables car mastery that is easy to digest, no matter the experience level – and we’re all for it.

This truly feels like an instant Swipe Right for all intents and purposes, and definitely a must-try for anyone who plans to visit or return to Japan for a quick vacation or two. Assuming, of course, that the oil crisis will finally end by then.