1998: The Toll Keeper Story made its PlayStation 5 debut at BitSummit in Kyoto from May 22 to 24, where visitors could play a demo in a dedicated PlayStation area ahead of the game’s official PS5 release.
The demo is what stops people in their tracks.
From May 22 to 24 in Kyoto. visitors to BitSummit—Japan’s premier indie game festival—were able to try 1998: The Toll Keeper Story in a dedicated PlayStation exhibition area. The appearance marked the game’s official PlayStation 5 debut, with an upcoming official release on the PlayStation 5 still ahead.
“It has been a long journey to showcase our work at such a prestigious event and within the PlayStation area,” said Riris Marpaung, the CEO of GameChanger Studio. “This support is a concrete action from PlayStation in recognizing high-caliber indie products.”
For GameChanger Studio, the step onto PlayStation 5 is tied to a partnership process it described as rigorous. The studio said PlayStation’s selection recognized more than the game’s mechanics and narrative depth—it also weighed the game’s cultural impact and the studio’s own social initiatives.
1998: The Toll Keeper Story is developed by GameChanger Studio, an indie developer from Tangerang, Indonesia. The story is set in a fictional Southeast Asian country during the 1998 Asian financial crisis. and it centers on fear. chaos. and uncertainty. The game puts players in a survival-driven situation where moral dilemmas demand difficult sacrifices.
While the PlayStation 5 debut brought the game into a new spotlight, it’s not only a console story. 1998: The Toll Keeper Story is available on Steam, where players can also find the game’s listing alongside a review of the game shared by the studio.
The festival timing matters: this was not a distant announcement. It was a playable moment—Kyoto, BitSummit, and a PlayStation exhibition booth—before the game’s official PlayStation 5 release arrives.
1998: The Toll Keeper Story PlayStation 5 debut BitSummit Kyoto indie games GameChanger Studio Tangerang Steam 1998 Asian financial crisis