Released on July 11, Time for Bed is the surprising debut work from Nerdy Penguin, a small Japanese team that has managed to turn a simple gesture – a child who does not want to go to sleep – into a psychological horror experience with stealth elements, unlike anything else.
In this dark and haunting adventure, players take on the role of a young boy who, instead of falling asleep in his bed, chooses to secretly stay awake and play on his handheld console. But the night is no safe haven: his mother, portrayed as a terrifying nightmare figure, occasionally enters the room to check on him. And if she catches him awake… it is game over. Players must quickly hide the console screen, pretend to be asleep, and outsmart their fears – caught in a constant balance between curiosity and terror.
With its atmosphere suspended between nostalgia and unease, Time for Bed has built a devoted community, earning very positive reviews on Steam and positive recognition within the indie gaming community.
To celebrate Halloween, the game received a major update, the Halloween Update, introducing not only new content but also a full Italian localization. The translation, handled by Excaliber, enhances accessibility and allows the title to reach a wider audience. Following the highly praised localization of No Case Should Remain Unsolved by Somi, this marks another step in Excaliber’s ongoing commitment to supporting international independent game productions.
From the recent release of the Italian Video Games Database, to acclaimed initiatives like Indie Assemble on Steam, and events such as the Rome Video Game Lab and Red Bull Indie Forge, Excaliber continues to promote and champion the indie industry in Italy and around the world – giving voice to those who make video games an authentic, free, and universal art form capable of telling meaningful stories… and even dark, alternative versions of classic bedtime tales.
