I Am Excited To Report That It Is Once Again Time For Famicase!

Meteor's annual exhibition never fails to disappoint

7:34 PM EDT on May 21, 2025

Every year, Meteor in Tokyo run a cool little exhibition where artists imagine an interesting/funny video game and design a cartridge for it, even though the game itself does not exist. Yet as you're about to see, with the 2025 show now up and running, many of them are so good that you will want them to exist.

The exhibition, called Famicase, has been running for ages; this is the 19th successive year I've covered it, and it never fails to disappoint. Some of the games look neat, others look terrifying, others still (often my faves) are simply shining examples of video game typography.

There are actual cartridges hanging on Meteor's walls if you're lucky enough to be able to visit in person, but since most of us can't, the best we can do is admire them from afar courtesy of Meteor's online showcase. You can view them all there, and definitely should (you can also buy a book!), but for now I'd also just like to highlight some of my favourites:

By Ena Kim | Home: "It's a warm spring day and life at the cottage is full of wonder."

By Trevor Bassett | RING: "RING is an ambient puzzle game that invites you to explore and uncover hidden images. Reveal a deeper meaning as a narrative slowly emerges as you find out where, or who, the rings are coming from."

By Samuel Weeks | re-visit: "'Remember everything you lost.' High-school friends traverse a fractured timeline when photographs become portals to forgotten memories.

By Fei Jingshan | Journey of the Animals: "A long time ago, some animals wanted to explore the true meaning of life. Like the legend of their ancestors, they embarked on a fantastic journey to the West. Through this game, you will become one of them and enjoy the unique magical story."

By Skyler Holt | Special Spirit: "Each thinks themselves special, but truly you are--or were. What has happened? Once radiant, the glow has now dimmed. Once mighty, but now diminished. Will you awaken from this slumber of the soul? You are needed. You are missed. Please return to us, Special Spirit."

By Jeff Wiggins | RE-FORM: "Forma Series 03 ̶ RE-FORM. An artmaking puzzle game where players have to reassemble fragments to create collages. A freeform mode allows players to make their own digital art works. 1–4 Players."

By Mituo | 非常用ROM: "In the event of an emergency, use this cartridge as instructed."

By Steph Chow | That's My Bus!: "The ultimate anxiety ride. Play as a traveler navigating the USA using only public transit. Make your connecting transfers, have exact change ready, and please don't forget the bathroom breaks."

As a treat for getting this far, note that for years now there have been game jams on Itch where people really do turn these covers into something playable; you can check out the 2024 edition here, and hopefully 2025's isn't too far away.

And as a further treat, if you want to know what the exhibition itself looks like, Aftermath reader (and Benefactor subscriber!) Adam Gothelf was there earlier this week, and took some photos!

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