lidlocks’ Finding Polka launched on Steam on August 12, Japan time. Three Japanese indie developers joined the project as guests.

The publisher is PARCO GAMES, and the game is available on PC via Steam. Famitsu, 4Gamer.net, and Game*Spark all report the release date as August 12, but the Steam store page lists the release date as August 11, 2026. The game won the Platinum Award, the top prize at the SELECTED INDIE 80 Excellence Awards, on August 10.

Set in a world drawn in ballpoint-pen art, the story follows protagonist Frendy and her dog Jazz as they spot and chase a dog resembling Polka, a dog Frendy had as a child. There is no dialogue at all — characters communicate only through expressions, gestures, and sound effects. The Steam version supports 103 languages, including English, covering the interface, voice, and subtitles.

A finely detailed ballpoint-pen cityscape seen from a diagonal overhead angle, with railroad tracks, a level crossing, trees, and passersby lining the scene

The head of developer lidlocks is Shinnosuke Kumazawa. Kumazawa worked on the Flash game MAKIBISHI COMIC, released in 2007. lidlocks’ official press kit states that the game was played by “more than 10 million people around the world.” A remastered version of MAKIBISHI COMIC is now available on Steam.

DON YASA CREW, a music group that also developed SONOKUNI, created the rap and background music for the featured song. DON YASA CREW commented, “When people ask us what our favorite animal is, we say ‘dog.’ Brave at times, always devoted, and above all deeply affectionate — that’s what dogs are like. We poured every bit of that feeling into the lyrics of ‘BOW.’” (translated from Japanese)

A shooting-game scene set against a dark space background, with a red star-shaped ship heading toward a cluster of asteroids

The shooting game section was handled by Hiroshi Sawatari, the developer of NeverAwake and Magical Princess. Speaking about Kumazawa, Hiroshi Sawatari said, “Kumazawa and I go way back — we were war buddies at a previous job in a different industry. I never imagined our relationship would last this long across different fields. That means Kumazawa owes me a favor now, so I’ll be calling it in sometime down the line.” (translated from Japanese)

A giant Buddha statue drawn in white lines on a black background, surrounded by clouds and a halo of light, with small human figures lined up at its feet

The stealth puzzle section, set in a rocket factory, was handled by Shoma, the developer of MotionRec. Shoma commented, “It was fun getting to work on a puzzle stage for Kumazawa’s game — we were both in IGi’s 4th cohort. I’m going looking for Polka too.” (translated from Japanese)