Play game
Nonton Tjapgomeh's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Graphics | #8 | 3.833 | 3.833 |
| Polish | #17 | 3.333 | 3.333 |
| Progress | #18 | 3.333 | 3.333 |
| Overall | #22 | 3.250 | 3.250 |
| Innovation | #27 | 3.167 | 3.167 |
| Fun | #27 | 3.000 | 3.000 |
| Audio | #38 | 2.833 | 2.833 |
Ranked from 6 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
pre-jam devlog (optional)
I originally started developing this game in late January for the “Gaming Like It's 1930” game jam, spending around 5–7 days on early development. Another goal was to test a custom engine that I developed using PixiJS.
I'm from Indonesia, and I wanted to bring something connected to Indonesian history and culture into that jam. After researching public-domain works from the 1930s, I discovered a novel titled Nonton Tjapgomeh by Kwee Tek Hoay. The novel explores social norms, traditions, and personal conflicts surrounding the Cap Go Meh celebration (the lantern festival), which I found especially compelling.
This game is not a direct adaptation of the novel. Instead, it serves as inspiration for the setting, time period, atmosphere, and one of the central conflicts portrayed in the game.
Unfortunately, I failed to submit the game at the very last moment, which was quite discouraging. However, discovering this game jam gave me renewed motivation and hope to finally finish and release the game as part of a jam experience.
Post-Jam Devlog | Post-Mortem (optional)
Nonton Tjapgomeh is a short narrative game inspired by a novel titled Nonton Tjapgomeh by Kwee Tek Hoay. The game focuses on observation and small choices rather than complex mechanics.
What went well:
I was able to finish and release a complete, playable short narrative experience as a solo developer. The atmosphere and mood were well received, and multiple endings helped encourage replayability.
What didn't:
Because this game was also a test for a custom engine built with PixiJS, some minor bugs may still exist.
What I learned:
After releasing the game and receiving feedback from players (mostly on Twitter), I learned a lot about game development. especially about clearly presenting characters, scenes, and emotions through art direction. I also learned more about narrative design, such as storytelling, dialogue, and providing proper context. I may not be great at explaining it.
Post-jam:
I plan to build the game for other platforms, such as Android and desktop. I'm also considering collaborating with people who are interested in translating the game into other languages.
Cash Prize
I confirm I meet the eligibility requirements
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Comments
Truly a good and beautiful narrative game, the atmosphere is really pleasant and makes you crave for more.
this is a beautiful looking game, and the story is very sweet - i wanted to see more, but maybe you can continue the story in a future version. keep up the great work! (and i'm very impressed that you created the engine. the only minor bug i encountered was a flashing box in the top left corner whenever the scene changed. it probably has something to do with the screen size/resolution). A+
UPDATE: i played the game a second time, and the flashing box didn't appear, so it might just be something to do with me refreshing the browser; i'm not sure. one other note, while i think of it: the sound effect that plays when text is being displayed is a bit loud compared to the rest of the audio. you might want to adjust that because those sounds can be distracting.
i forgot to mention this before: i really liked the colour palette you used in the game. it completely enhances the mood and suits the setting (time period) very well
I spent a good amount of time playing this game, and I can confidently say that I truly loved it. From the very beginning, the atmosphere pulled me in — it felt calm, emotional, and deeply reflective.
I’m from Russia, and Indonesia is actually my favorite country. I’ve wanted to visit it for a very long time, and I have a deep love for Indonesian culture — especially its ballads, folklore, fairy tales, and novels. This game beautifully captures that cultural spirit and emotional depth. It genuinely feels like stepping into a nostalgic memory or a quiet story from the past.
The melancholic tone, subtle storytelling, and focus on observation rather than action made the experience feel very intimate and meaningful. I really appreciated how the game communicates emotions through atmosphere, visuals, and small narrative details rather than heavy mechanics.
This game gave me strong nostalgic and bittersweet feelings, and it stayed with me even after I finished playing. It’s clear that a lot of care, thought, and cultural respect went into this project. I honestly enjoyed every moment of it, and I’m very grateful to have experienced it. Thank you for creating such a beautiful and heartfelt game.
Hey! I'm sorry I can't leave an actually useful feedback, it's not my type of games. But the font you used for your logo looks so Cyrillic that my brain tries to read it in Russian. I think you should be aware of this.
Very cool narrative experience. I love the artstyle, it's very good. One piece of feedback I'd give is make it so that when you have to press a button to advance dialogue, show a small icon prompting the player to do so, otherwise they might think the dialog should advance on its own but isn't working.
I did not find any bugs, I got the neutral ending at first. The music was nice too! Overall, incredible job, your game's pretty cool :D