TGS

2025.09.25 THU 09.28 SUN
MAKUHARI MESSE

Indie Game ProjectSENSE OF WONDER NIGHT 2025

A contest to discover new game ideas


Date

Sep.26(Fri)

Place

International Conference Hall

What is "SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT (SOWN)"?

"SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT(SOWN)" is an event that aims to discover game ideas that will trigger a "SENSE OF WONDER" (a feeling of something changing in one's world the moment one sees or hears the concept). This year will be the 18th time for the event. You can enjoy this year's event both on-site and via online streaming.

Member of SOWN Committee

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Contents

Awards

  • Audience Award Grand Prix

    USD 3,000

  • Audience Award Semi-Grand Prix

    USD 500

  • Best Technological Game Award

    USD 500

  • Best Arts Award

    USD 500

  • Best Experimental Game Award

    USD 500

  • Best Game Design Award

    USD 500

  • Best Presentation Award

    USD 500

Objectives of "SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT"

  • To introduce game with a game design and ideas that are experimental and creative, and that cannot be called conventional or traditional
  • To raise awareness of the great value of "Sense of Wonder" in games, which may transform the common sense of game, and lead to invigorate the game industry
  • To provide future opportunities for those who are developing experimental and creative games.
  • To create new domains in the game industry

Five criteria that match SOWN

  1. 1

    New SenseA game that realizes a totally new, never-seen-before gaming experience

    A game that employs technologies that have not previously been used successfully, such as natural language processing, physics engines, image recognition or gesture control, to present a new kind of experience.

  2. 2

    New StandardA game that challenges the common sense of games

    A game that pursues new ways of gaming expressions and changes the player's vision of the world after playing and experiencing it.

  3. 3

    EmergentA game with emergent features

    Ser's activities into the game world by embedding features such as AI interactions and social elements.

  4. 4

    MotivationA game that makes people want to play it immediately

    A game that makes everyone thinks that they want to enjoy the new experience for themselves and feel that they want to treasure it.

  5. 5

    SurpriseAn amazing game

    Any kind of new, eye-grabbing and impressive game!!

Acknowledgement

The "SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT" event has received a lot of inspiration from the "Experimental Gameplay Workshop" that was started at the Game Developers Conference in 2001. We would like to express our thanks to the many people who helped to make these workshops a success and to all our friends.

Indie Game Project

Content update to be announced.

Announcements will be made via official social media, news, and press releases.