On 2 May 2025, Indonesian game developers GameChanger Studio announced their latest project, 1998: The Toll Keeper Story. The game is a narrative simulation about a toll gatekeeper that is heavily inspired by the events of the 1998 Asian financial crisis.
Set in the fictional Southeast Asian country of Janapa, players step into the shoes of Dewi, a pregnant toll keeper trying to navigate a collapsing society. As protests erupt, prices surge, and institutional trust erodes, Dewi must inspect vehicles, verify documents, and determine who may pass through her checkpoint. She has to do her job while struggling to keep herself and her unborn child safe.
Here are the game features listed on the game’s Steam page:
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A Story of Survival and Motherhood: Make difficult choices not just for your safety—but also for your unborn child.
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Narrative Simulation Gameplay: Check vehicles, documents, and identities while managing rising tension and limited resources.
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Small Decisions, Heavy Consequences: Every action matters: who you let through, who you turn away, what rules you follow or bend.
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Distinct 90s-Inspired Visual Style: Fusing dot textures, old-paper aesthetics, and a blueish filter, the art direction echoes printed materials from the 90s—grounding the game in the mood and texture of its era.
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Inspired by True Events: This game is set during the 1998 Asian financial crisis, with Indonesia’s situation serving as one of the primary inspirations. Set in a fictional Southeast Asian country, it explores the fear, chaos, and uncertainty of the era, challenging you to navigate through moral dilemmas where survival demands difficult sacrifices.
Based in Tangerang, GameChanger Studio is a game studio founded by Riris Marpaung and Dodick Sudirman. They are known as the developers of the My Lovely series, a set of dark fantasy simulation games that includes My Lovely Daughter, My Lovely Wife, and My Lovely Empress. The studio also developed a platformer game Ascender and published GoBlock’s Impossible Medley in 2017.
The Indonesian Anime Times
