Looking for something new to play during this year's Summer Game Fest rush? Just A Shadow Game is a free one worth a look, and it has a darkly funny take on how games actually get made.
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Kai T chevron_right
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The news
Just A Shadow Game, a dark fantasy roguelike from Vietnam-based studio IndieLab, now has a fresh demo live on its Steam page. The studio timed the release to the Southeast Asian Games Showcase, the SEA-focused segment of Summer Game Fest that aired on the official The Game Awards YouTube and Twitch channels, with IGN and Gamespot as broadcast partners. A new trailer, built around live-action FMV footage, debuted at the same event.
The game mixes deck building, ritual building, spell casting and monster summoning, all wrapped in a story about the horrors of game development. You play under the watch of a sinister entity called Shadow, and each run feeds a meta narrative that ties the systems back to the act of making a game.
What the Just A Shadow Game demo adds
This build goes well beyond the earlier demo. It opens with a Protagonist's Room and computer interface that works as a central hub for navigating chapters, picking clans, viewing unlocked cards and digging into the lore. A meta progression system rewards Inspiration Points after each run, which the in-game developer spends to unlock new cards.
- A second clan, with its own buildings, cards, troops and relics
- Five new spell cards, including Scaphism, Cadew, Incubation, Sunny-Side Up and Dreamfall
- Three new buildings: The Well, Pain Altar and Mechrow Assembly
- A relic system and Relic Shop Room for more build variety
Why it matters
The release is also a marker for Southeast Asia's indie scene. Just A Shadow Game is made in Vietnam by IndieLab and published by Soft Source Publishing, a Singapore-based outfit that brings localised content to Asian players. Seeing a regional studio take a slot on a Summer Game Fest stage, next to the genre's bigger names, says something about how far the SEA games industry has come. Roguelike deck builders have become one of the busiest corners of PC gaming, so a demo that leans on a distinct theme has a real chance to stand out.
Where to play
The demo is free on Steam now, so Malaysian players can try the core systems, narrative and new cards without paying anything. IndieLab has not announced a full release date or price yet, and the trailer plus a longer gameplay clip sit in the game's press kit for anyone who wants a closer look before downloading.
For a free, low-commitment way to sample a Southeast Asian roguelike with an unusually self-aware streak, the new Just A Shadow Game demo is an easy one to add to your Steam library this week.