BitSummit PUNCH, the 14th edition of Japan’s largest indie game festival, has unveiled the full nominee roster for this year’s awards alongside the confirmation that industry veteran Shuhei Yoshida will serve as judge and presenter for the International Award at the ceremony on May 23.
The festival runs from May 22–24, 2026, at Miyako Messe in Kyoto, with May 22 designated as a Business Day and public days on May 23 and May 24. The awards ceremony takes place on the evening of May 23, with the Popular Selection Award and Kids Selection Award, both decided by on-site attendee votes, announced the following day. The full ceremony will also be broadcast via the official BitSummit livestream.
This year’s awards span eight categories, six of which are determined by jury vote, with nominees selected from exhibiting titles based on judge recommendations and deliberation during the event.
Vermillion Gate Award (Grand Prize)
- Denshattack! — Undercoders
- Am I Nima — HO! Games
- Algolemeth — Medium-Rare Games
- Satoyama Note: Spring Stroll — Satoyama Note
- City of None — Extremely OK Games, Ltd.
- Artis Impact — Mas
International Award
- The King Is Watching — Hypnohead
- Sledding Game — The Sledding Corporation
- the Berlin Apartment — PARCO GAMES
- TCG Card Shop Simulator — OPNeon Games
- Surfpunk — Double Stallion Games
- Whisper Mountain Outbreak — Toge Productions
- Dungeon Clawler — Stray Fawn Studio
Innovative Outlaw Award
- On Air! Taxi Detective Casebook — 373 STUDIO
- Surface Maze Kurumab — KUMAZASA
- Type & Magic — Decoboco Games
- YaoyoroZOO — AlSH
- Sloppy Forgeries — Playful Systems
- Bytes and Knights – ADVENTURE — Jonathan Holmes (crait)
- Hermit Computer — VIA Studio
- The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time — Coin Drop Game
Excellence in Game Design Award
- Lost and Found Co. — Bit Egg Inc.
- Werewolf Burger — uracon
- Astromine — Alientrap Games
- Parking Together! — Yaneuragames Co., Ltd.
- OPUS: Prism Peak — SIGONO
- NIGHTMARE OPERATOR — DDDistortion
Visual Excellence Award
- High Fructose — Chazak Games
- Satoyama Note: Spring Stroll — Satoyama Note
- FEAR FA 98 — Jacob Jazz
- Finding Polka — lidlocks
- Moldwasher — Anshar Publishing
- Darekare — yona・TearyHand Studio
- Into The Haunted Land — Kevin Lai
Excellence in Sound Design Award
- Katuba’s Poacher — Joe Yu Studio
- Liquid Abyss: The Melted Jelly — Hello Quest
- Starless Umbra — Alcuria Games
- DEATH A LIVE — Rabbit Trigger
- Cento — Hoshimadara Lab.
- Mekururiwitchi — SleepingMuseum
- Toroa: Skycall — Atawhai Interactive
The Popular Selection Award and Kids Selection Award will be decided by on-site voting by attendees, with results announced on May 24. Sponsor awards from PlayStation and ID@Xbox, media partner awards from outlets including Famitsu, IGN Japan, and VGC, and the BitSummit Game Jam Award will also be presented during the ceremony.
Shuhei Yoshida, long regarded as one of the industry’s most prominent advocates for independent development, will bring decades of experience to the judging panel. BitSummit Director and Game Curation Lead John Davis described Yoshida’s involvement as “a perfect reflection” of the festival’s mission to build bridges between Japanese indie developers and the wider world, calling him “exactly the right person to champion the international titles coming to Kyoto this year.”
BitSummit PUNCH is organized by the BitSummit Executive Committee and Japan Independent Game Aggregate, comprising Q-Games, Pygmy Studio, Skeleton Crew Studio, and BlackSheep, in cooperation with Kyoto Prefecture. Earlier, BitSummit PUNCH also revealed its official streamer list and 2026 Game Jam details.
