Tackling the Challenges of Long-term Care in a Tear-Jerking Masterpiece! Solo Developer Wins Two Major Awards at Indie Game Award with and Roger
TearyHand Studio, One-person studio led by Japanese developer yona, recently took home both the "Grand Prix" (the highest honor) and "Best Audio" at Indie Game Award 2026, organized by Taipei Game Show. Their narrative title, and Roger, boldly explores themes of illness and long-term care. By combining ingenious interactive mechanics with a minimalist yet immersive visual and auditory style, the game delivers a story of love that transcends written language to touch the hearts of players. Since its release, yona has received private messages from players stating that the story closely mirrored their own lives and provided them with emotional healing—a feedback that he finds deeply comforting. yona noted that because his wife was raised in Taiwan, the country is the place he feels most familiar with, second only to Japan. Therefore, receiving such recognition at this event is profoundly meaningful, and his wife is equally overjoyed.
Intertwining Fear and Love: Married life as Inspiration for Minimalist Emotional Storytelling
Formerly an engineer at a small indie game publisher, yona founded TearyHand Studio in 2023. He noted that as a solo developer, he has gradually come to understand the scale of creative work he can handle alone. Although he often hits roadblocks, he has learned to think through challenges and alleviate anxiety by taking walks. yona remarked that since he hadn't really drawn much throughout his life, the game's art style was the result of "searching for an art style I could pull off that would still look polished." Fortunately, this abstract approach successfully encouraged players to imagine the world for themselves, making it feel more realistic. For the music, he collaborated with Yasuhiro Nakashima. As it was the composer's first time working on a game, they implemented many unconventional ideas that defied common conventions, achieving exceptional results.
"It would be fair to say that conversations my wife and I shared directly took shape within this piece," yona admitted when discussing the birth of and Roger. The game was heavily influenced by his own marriage and family background, including the experience of family illness and the fear of a partner falling ill. yona pointed out that the gameplay was inspired by the masterpiece Florence. Early in development, he created the interaction where the character holds a toothbrush in their mouth—requiring players to find a rhythm through simple clicks to complete the task. From there, his ideas began to flow. yona sincerely believes that "storytelling conveyed through gameplay rather than words is the unique narrative power that video games can achieve."
Emotional Storytelling Moves Publishers to Tears: Comforting Players Across Borders
The evocative emotional power of and Roger was evident even during the development stage. yona recalled when the game was first completed and he had the publisher’s representative play it: "Right after the final scene ended, they suddenly burst into tears and couldn’t stop crying for twenty minutes." In that moment, nearly all the anxieties he had held throughout the development process faded away. Since its release, the game has sparked an empathy far beyond his expectations. yona poignantly stated, "I sincerely hope everyone will cherish their own personal thoughts and emotions after playing this game."
Regarding his participation in the awards, yona shared that because his wife grew up in Taiwan and they travel there every year, it is the place he feels most familiar with outside of Japan. Participating in and winning IGA is thus incredibly significant for both him and his wife. A person of faith, yona attributed this success to divine providence and looks forward to continuing to create games that move people's hearts. For the full video interview, visit the Taipei Game Show official YouTube channel, , and follow the studio’s social media for further updates.
