1998: The Toll Keeper Story
Release date: Oct 28, 2025
Developers: GameChanger Studio
Publishers: GameChanger Studio, CC_Games
Genres: Indie, Simulation
Categories: Single-player, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Family Sharing
Supported languages: English, Indonesian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

1998: The Toll Keeper Story is a narrative simulation about survival, motherhood, and moral weight during a nation’s collapse, inspired by one of the darkest chapters of Indonesia's history. You play as Dewi, a pregnant woman working as a toll keeper, caught in the middle of growing civil unrest and financial turmoil in the fictional Southeast Asian country of Janapa. The nation is crumbling—protests erupt, prices skyrocket, and trust in authority fades. Every shift, you inspect vehicles, verify documents, and decide who gets to pass—all while trying to stay safe, keep your job, and protect your unborn child. You’re not a hero or a fighter—just a regular human being trying to endure overwhelming hardship. But even your smallest decisions carry consequences. Will you follow every rule, or look the other way when someone begs for help? Can you stay strong through fear, uncertainty, and pressure? Features: A Story of Survival and Motherhood : Make difficult choices not just for your safety, but also for your unborn child. Narrative Simulation Gameplay : Check vehicles, documents, and identities while managing rising tension and limited resources. Small Decisions, Heavy Consequences : Every action matters: who you let through, who you turn away, what rules you follow or bend. 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. 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. 

Press reviews: “All in all, 1998: The Toll Keeper Story will leave a huge emotional mark on its audience, niche as it may be. It is not a story for everyone, but one worth telling and experiencing once.” 9/10 – Kakuchopurei “It isn’t fun in the traditional sense—it’s meaningful. It asks you to sit with discomfort, to make impossible decisions, and to confront what survival looks like when the world falls apart” 9/10 – Screen Hype “1998: The Toll Keeper Story is a haunting love letter to survival, duty, and memory. Its narrative courage lies not in heroism but in empathy, forcing us to sit with discomfort, to face the weight of human choices during crisis.” 9/10 – SavePoint Gaming 

Notes: This game includes mature themes such as civil unrest, sexual harassments, potential child loss, racism, abduction, mild violence, and emotional distress. It depicts the struggles of a pregnant woman surviving during political and economic collapse. While there’s no explicit sexual or graphic content, players will face morally difficult decisions.