Finding Polka, developed by Japanese studio lidlocks, has won the top honor in a newly established awards program at TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026.

The Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) announced the results of two TGS2026 indie programs at 1:00 p.m. Japan time on August 10. In North America’s Pacific time zone, that falls on the evening of August 9. One of the programs was SELECTED INDIE 80, which selected 79 titles from 1,513 entries — 29 from Japan and 50 from abroad. This year’s newly launched SELECTED INDIE 80 Excellence Awards handed out eight awards, and Finding Polka took the top prize, the Platinum Award. The awards ceremony is scheduled for September 18.

Finding Polka is a walking simulator in which players chase down a dog resembling Polka, a beloved dog from childhood. It’s developed by lidlocks and published by PARCO GAMES. The studio is led by Shinnosuke Kumazawa. The game’s world is rendered in ballpoint-pen artwork, and there is no dialogue at all — players interact with the characters using only expressions, gestures, and sound effects. It also includes minigames such as golf, whack-a-mole, penalty kicks, boating, watermelon splitting, and volleyball. Steam’s description reads, “A cozy interactive adventure where you find Polka somewhere on the map.” The Steam version supports 103 languages, and the game launches on August 11. It has also received the Visual Excellence Award and the Kids Selection Award at BitSummit PUNCH.

The official TOKYO GAME SHOW page for Face UFO. The game won a SELECTED INDIE 80 Gold Award and was also selected as a SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT finalist

The other program, SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT 2026, selected 8 finalists from 151 entries. According to Famitsu, the contest looks for developers whose ideas make “everyone feel, the instant they see it or hear the concept, as though their own world has shifted somehow.” Four of the eight finalist teams are Japanese: Takahiro Miyazawa for Face UFO, Team Gehanashi for ANRI, Software Control for Flip Panic!, and Room 127 for Legacy Code.

Face UFO also won the Gold Award at SELECTED INDIE 80, earning it honors in both programs. The SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT 2026 presentation will be held at the International Conference Hall at Makuhari Messe, starting at 3:50 p.m. Japan time on September 17, and will also be carried on TGS’s official stream. TGS2026 runs from September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe.