As the end of 2024 approaches, we pause amidst the rhythm of progress to reflect on a rewarding journey. Like the turning of seasons, this year has brought its share of trials and triumphs, each shaping our resolve to grow globally while remaining steadfast in our commitment to nurturing the local gaming ecosystem.
For Agate, 2024 has been a year of remarkable progress. Through various initiatives, we have expanded our global footprint while staying deeply rooted in our mission to foster growth within the Indonesian gaming community. Milestones such as the establishment of a new global representative in the United States, attained the ISO/IEC 27001: 2022 certification, the launch of Agate Game Course for Teacher, our Academy becoming an Unreal Authorized Training Center, and exploring new regions through a partnership with the United Arab Emirates-based game studio have strengthened our resolve to create a meaningful impact both locally and globally.
We are profoundly grateful to everyone who has been part in shaping this year’s journey.
Together, we have crafted stories of expanding our global reach while continuing to grow Indonesia’s game ecosystem. Balancing both has not been easy, but thanks to our talented team and the trust of our esteemed partners, we have made it possible.
Solidifying Our Global Footprint
2024 marked a pivotal year in cementing our position on the global stage by establishing a new representative in the United States, bringing the total to five global representatives—Canada, Germany, South Korea, Japan, and the United States. With the addition, we ventured further into the North America region and expanded into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, broadening Agate’s market coverage across Asia, Europe, North America and now the Middle East and North Africa.
This year also served as a testament to our commitment to data security, as we successfully attained the ISO/IEC 27001: 2022 certification for our information security management systems. This accomplishment underscores our commitment to global expansion and reinforces our position as a powerhouse in the Indonesian gaming sector by ensuring company data and information adhere to international standards.
We also noticed a growing trend in external development within the global game industry. Earlier this year, we launched Vertx Break powered by Agate, our sub-brand to provide 3D Stylized Art, helping us meet the increasing demand for stylized visuals in the global market.
To crown our global efforts, Agate proudly participated in 28 international events this year, establishing our presence across Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia.
Remarkable Stops at Global Events
Driven by our ambition to expand our reach locally and globally, we attended various events throughout 2024. Although each event has its own story, some of them, in particular, left a lasting impression on us.
Game Prime
In our ongoing effort to promote local games to a wider audience, Agate’s participation in Game Prime 2024—one of the largest game conventions in Indonesia—is a highlight worth mentioning. Held in August in Jakarta, this year’s event showcased the best of local games to a diverse audience. After an offline hiatus, Game Prime made a grand return through a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf), the Indonesian Game Association (AGI), and gaming media outlets GGWP.ID, uniting gamers and enthusiasts from across the archipelago.
External Development Summit (XDS)
This September marked our second appearance at XDS, a premier event for external game development. Held in Vancouver, Canada, the event was transformative, offering invaluable opportunities to build relationships, exchange ideas, and gain fresh perspectives on the future of the gaming industry.
Tokyo Game Show
In our unwavering commitment to bringing local games to the global stage, we participated in Tokyo Game Show 2024, Asia’s largest game convention, joining the booth of Red Dunes Games, an indie game studio from the United Arab Emirates, founded by avid gamers. Held in September in Chiba, Japan, the event connected us with over 250,000 attendees and served as a prime platform for gaming enthusiasts, developers, publishers, and other industry partners to explore exciting new updates around the game industry.
G-STAR
As the epicenter of esports and gaming innovation, South Korea hosted G-STAR 2024 in Busan this November. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this iconic convention exemplified the vibrancy of the gaming industry. Agate seized the opportunity to engage with a bustling crowd of over 200,000 attendees.
Sustaining Our Growth Trajectory with Amazing Partners
We believe that partnerships are invaluable, as they open up opportunities that would not have been possible otherwise. This year, together with our partners, we have achieved impactful results:
PQube
PQube is a British game publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment, with a strong presence across Europe, the UK, the Middle East, Australia, North America, and South America. PQube has been a strategic partner in Agate’s journey to deliver innovative games to players. This year, Agate and PQube collaborated to bring Celestia: Chain of Fate, ArcRunner, and The Bridge Curse 2 to the global gaming community.
L’Oreal
L’Oréal, the world’s leading beauty and cosmetics company, partnered with Agate, to enhance the promotion of YSL MYSLF perfume through an engaging mini-game, MYSLF Discovery Game. This creative approach to brand engagement went beyond traditional advertising, delivering an engaging and memorable experience for users in 60 days. The MYSLF Discovery Game allowed customers to explore and develop a deeper connection with the YSL MYSLF perfume.
Goblinz Studio
Goblinz Studio is a French game developer specializing in tactical, management, and RPG games. Together, Agate and Goblinz Studio are bringing Beneath Oresa, a fighting roguelike deckbuilder, to new platforms—PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch—ensuring its unique gameplay reaches an even broader audience.
Digital Happiness
Digital Happiness is an Indonesian game studio, best known for its hit release, DreadOut. Agate partnered with Digital Happiness as one of the publishers for their new game, DreadHaunt, which was released in September this year. DreadHaunt is an immersive survival horror and deception game that combines the thrill of cooperative gameplay with a gripping, narrative-driven solo experience. It is now available on Steam and Xbox Series.
Red Dunes Games
Red Dunes Games is an indie game developer and publisher based in the United Arab Emirates, renowned for its commitment to nurturing indie gaming community by crafting compelling stories and immersive worlds. This year, Agate and Red Dunes Games officially joined forces to bring Blades of Mirage and Nightmare Battler Zozo to life. Currently in development, these projects represent a fusion of creativity and innovation designed to resonate with gamers around the world.
Bank Jago
Bank Jago is a publicly owned company digital bank based in Indonesia. In partnership with Level Up powered by Agate, we developed Jago Money Quest, an interactive web-based financial education game designed to improve financial literacy. The game successfully engaged over 3,800 participants.
Erajaya
Erajaya is a publicly owned company and one of Indonesia’s leading retail and distribution businesses for mobile devices, accessories, and lifestyle products. In collaboration with Level Up powered by Agate, we developed a word search game integrated into the Eraspace App for the Eraversary 2024 campaign. The initiative delivered positive results, with over 16,000 game sessions in just 45 days during the campaign.
Forging the Future: Agate's Projects and Progress in 2024
At Agate, we are driven by a relentless passion for innovation and storytelling. In 2024, we launched new projects, made progress on ongoing ones, and explored fresh ideas through our R&D efforts. These milestones reflect our dedication to making games that matter.
Released Projects: Stories that Resonate
This year showcased the breadth of our capabilities, from full-cycle game development, co-development, porting, to gamification. It marked the culmination of our dedication to creating exceptional gaming experiences, with several noteworthy titles introduced to players:
Planet Persib
Planet PERSIB is an innovative digital platform created in collaboration with PERSIB, Bandung’s iconic football club. Designed for Bobotoh, PERSIB’s fansclub, it allows fans to own virtual land and become key citizens of Planet PERSIB. Beyond virtual membership, it offers real-world perks within the vibrant PERSIB ecosystem.
Landscape Game 2
Through our collaboration with CIFOR-ICRAF and IPB University, we brought the newer version of landscape game titled Landscape Game 2. This new chapter introduces enhanced gameplay features and immersive experience. Players get to step into the role of a land manager and navigate the intricate balance between sustaining landscapes and supporting human activities.
Celestia: Chain of Fate
Celestia: Chain of Fate is one of our most popular episodes in Memories, our visual novel game on mobile. This year, together with PQube, we ported the episode to Nintendo Switch and Steam. The launch captivated players, allowing them to rekindle with the main character, Aria, and her romance-fantasy story.
Battle of Souls
In partnership ISKRA, we developed Battle of Souls (BoS), the first Indonesian-Mythical-Themed Web3 full-scale operating game project. The game aims to deliver the project not merely as promises, but as a fully-fledged product catering to both Web2 and Web3 audiences.
DreadHaunt
As part of co-development project between Agate and Digital Happiness, this game plunges players into a chilling world teeming with supernatural forces and spine-tingling mysteries. In this game, survival is all about trust, deception, and courage as players face terrifying challenges in an eerie and atmospheric settings.
ArcRunner
Together with one of our key partners, PQube, we expanded ArcRunner’s multiplayer mode on consoles through our porting capability. ArcRunner is a cyberpunk roguelite game that takes players on an adrenaline-fueled mission aboard a futuristic space sation.
The Bridge Curse 2
The Bridge Curse 2 is as a spine-chilling survival horror game inspired by a Taiwanese ghost story and folklore, published by PQube. Agate contibuted through porting the game from PC to Nintendo Switch.
Culture Assessment Game
Agate partnered with a leading telecommunications company in Indonesia to gamified working culture assessment. The game later received top ratings from 95% of participants, receiving an almost perfect score , marking a positive engagement impact towards participants.
Virtual Recruitment Platform
In collaboration with Southeast Asia’s largest automotive group, this virtual recruitment platform delivers a 360-degree event experience with real-time, two-way communication, capable of hosting multiple sessions simultaneously.
Broadening Horizons Through Current Development
Building on our momentum, we are actively developing exciting new titles that push the boundaries of gameplay and narrative:
Rootmare
In August, we unveiled the development of Rootmare, a survival horror game that combines terrifying suspense with compelling storytelling. Set against the backdrop of an Indonesian metropolis, the game follows four university students trapped in a horrifying ordeal, battling monstrous plant-zombie hybrids. This title promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of fear and survival.
Blades of Mirage
Developed in collaboration with Red Dunes Games, Blades of Mirage is an isometric action RPG that invites players into a world steeped in the rich cultural tapestry of Southeast Asia. As Mira, use your ability to create water-based weapons and explore ancient ruins scattered across unique islands. Confront corrupted, powerful creatures and solve intricate puzzles to secure the ancient relics.
Nightmare Battler Zozo
Previously showcased at Tokyo Game Show and Gamers to Gamers (G2G) event, Nightmare Battler Zozo offers a fun and fast-paced 2D platformer shooter set in a bizarre dreamscape where dreams and nightmares collide. Follow Zozo on his journey through surreal worlds, battling peculiar enemies and uncovering surprising stories along the way.
RIFTSTORM
Co-developed with Confiction Labs, RIFTSTORM burst onto the scene in October with its Public Alpha Playtest, quickly storming the Steam charts to claim the #1 Global Trending Free spot for three consecutive days from October 19 to 21, 2024.
R&D Projects: Pioneering Gaming’s Next Leap
At Agate, innovation lies at the heart of our mission. Our R&D efforts this year focused on exploring groundbreaking ideas and crafting new possibilities for the future of gaming:
Meadow Mayhem
Meadow Mayhem is an open-world multiplayer game that brings lively and immersive gameplay to life, developed earlier this year and powered by Unreal Engine 5.
Project V
Inspired by our own game IP, Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story, this R&D project combines character development, combat, and exploration with Unreal Engine 5. In this world, players take on the role of a professor at a school, tasked with nurturing the next generation of legendary heroes.
King’s Book
In this game, you play as a King, where your decisions shape the narrative. Powered by Artificial Intelligence, your choices will determine the unique fate of your realm.
Boss-Fight
Drawing inspiration from the legendary Dark Souls series, this R&D project focuses on delivering the ultimate boss fight experience. With meticulously designed 3C (Character, Camera, and Control) mechanics and a challenging yet fair difficulty curve, players will face bosses that evolve with intelligent attack patterns.
Through our released titles, ongoing developments, and innovative R&D projects, Agate continues to create experiences that captivate, challenge, and inspire players around the world. As we move forward, our passion for crafting meaningful stories and groundbreaking games remains stronger than ever.
Empowering Game Developer of Tomorrow
In addition to all of that, we are continuously putting efforts to support the growth of Indonesia’s next generation of game developers through our programs at Agate Academy. This year, Agate Academy established more than 10 collaborative efforts with various stakeholders and served over 1,000 program participants.
Agate Academy as Unreal Authorized Training Center
In our mission to nurture local talent in the gaming industry, this year we reached a new milestone as Agate Academy is now recognized as Unreal Authorized Training Center. This prestigious designation, awarded by Epic Games to institutions demonstrating unwavering commitment to high-quality instruction, highlights Agate Academy’s expertise in delivering top-tier foundational and intermediate courses in Unreal Engine. Following this achievement, our efforts through Agate Academy are further exemplified by several initiatives.
Key Initiatives
Global Game Jam Bandung 2024
Hosted in collaboration with the Game Dev Community Bandung and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia and other local bodies, this global event brought together game developers to create innovative games within 48 hours. Held at Agate Headquarters, it provided participants with a platform to showcase their creativity and connect with the global gaming community.
Agate Game Course Batch 6 and Unreal Engine
Kicking off 2024 with an officially certified Unreal Engine instructor on board, we made a game-changing move by launching our dedicated Unreal Engine classes. This year, we proudly hosted 3 Unreal Engine batches and 6 regular batches, empowering over 200 participants with industry-leading skills and knowledge.
Agate Game Course for Teacher Launch
Supported by the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment, this program empowers educators with the knowledge and skills to inspire the next generation of game developers. By training teachers and fostering their development, we aim to secure a competitive edge for Indonesian talent on a global scale.
TSA Game Fest
In collaboration with the Digital Talent Scholarship (DTS) TSA from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) and the “Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka” program, TSA Game Fest provided students with a platform to compete, learn, and showcase their creations. This initiative is a testament to Agate’s dedication to nurturing the Indonesian gaming industry’s future leaders.
Other Notable Initiatives
Studi Independen Batch 6 & 7
Partnering with the Ministry of Education and Culture, we offered students a chance to work on game prototypes under professional mentorship, providing valuable industry exposure.
Smiling West Java Academy
Together with the West Java Tourism and Culture Office, we hosted five major business talks for over 250 participants, covering topics from digital marketing to game design, data science, and music.
Competency Based Training - Gamedev
Collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, we provided training for 100 participants in game design and programming.
Game Development Training for IKN (Nusantara Capital City) Students
In partnership with Institute of Technology Bandung, we delivered specialized training in game programming and art to 100 participants.
Parting Words
And so, we conclude another chapter in our journey.
As we close this chapter, we celebrate a year of global growth and local empowerment. By fostering talent and embracing collaboration, we have laid the foundation for a future full of possibilities. Together, we will continue to reach new heights and create meaningful impact.
Thank you for being a part of this adventure, and here’s to a future filled with endless possibilities and success!
