We had the chance to have an exclusive interview with Nanda about Troublemaker 2: Beyond Dream at IGDX 2025, one of Southeast Asia’s biggest gaming industry gatherings. As the game director, producer, and writer behind the Troublemaker series, Nanda has become a notable figure in Indonesia’s indie gaming scene. Serving as the CEO of Gamecom Team Studio based in Jakarta, he oversees a growing studio that has already made waves in the local gaming market and is now setting its sights on international audiences.

From Local Success to Global Ambitions

Troublemaker 2 launched just two weeks before our conversation on September 15 on Steam, following the success of the first game which came out in 2023. The original title made its way across major platforms including Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. With the sequel already receiving positive reviews on Steam, the game has captured the attention of both Indonesian gamers and content creators.

Nanda explained that the team’s next goal is to expand beyond Indonesia’s borders. “The IP is already well-known in Indonesia,” Nanda said.

“That’s why I want to bring this IP to outside Indonesia for the next step.”

---

Follow us on Twitter Follow @GamerBraves and Tweet us Tweet to @GamerBraves

---

The reception for Troublemaker 2 has been split between dedicated fans and those who aren’t drawn to the game’s style. “The people that like Troublemaker, really like it so much,” Nanda shared.

“We have a fanbase for Troublemaker on social media. After we released Troublemaker 2, all of our fanbase just said, ‘When Troublemaker 3? When Troublemaker 3?'”

However, not everyone connects with the humor. “The people that don’t like this kind of game — like the jokes, you know, because we use sarcastic jokes — people will hate it,” Nanda acknowledged. Despite mixed reactions, the studio isn’t concerned. “We don’t mind, because we already have the fanbase of the game,” Nanda said. “People that love the first Troublemaker will love it very much, but people who hate it, yeah, just hate it. But it’s good.”

Why PC First?

When asked about the decision to release on Steam before bringing the game to consoles, Nanda explained the practical challenges the studio faces. “For us it’s much easier to make the PC game first since we don’t have any dev kit,” Nanda explained. “You know, it’s really difficult to bring a dev kit to Indonesia.”

While the team managed to port the original Troublemaker to Xbox themselves, the process proved tedious. “We did it by ourselves, but the dev kit is in the US, on the publisher’s side. We remote the PC, it’s kind of difficult, so we just focus on the PC first,” Nanda said. For the Switch version, their publisher handled the porting work, allowing the team to concentrate on development. Console versions of Troublemaker 2 are currently in the works.

Gamecom Team Studio currently has 18 full-time employees with no outsourcing — everything is handled in-house. The team has grown steadily with each project. The first Troublemaker was made by 10 people, the second by 12, and the upcoming project will use the full 18-person team. Nanda opened job applications in May to bring the studio to its current size.

Already Working on What’s Next

Nanda confirmed that the studio is already developing its next project, though an official announcement hasn’t been made yet. The team plans to continue with the same genre, focusing on the open-world action comedy style that defines the Troublemaker series.

“We already have our own fanbase, and we want to focus on this kind of game, the open-world action comedy thing, just like Yakuza,” Nanda said.

The Yakuza Inspiration

The Troublemaker series draws clear inspiration from the Yakuza games. Nanda is a longtime fan of the series and saw an opportunity to create something similar but distinctly Indonesian. “If we have Battlefield, we have Call of Duty; PES and FIFA / EA Sports FC, Need for Speed and Forza, etc. But Yakuza, there’s no other Yakuza,” Nanda explained. “The comedic things, the feeling, the one and only. They make it absurd, in a good way.”

The studio is building toward that vision step by step. The first Troublemaker focused purely on action gameplay. The second game introduced an open-world setting. Each project adds another layer to what Nanda hopes will eventually match the complexity and style of the games that inspired it.

Taking on Open-World Development

Creating an open-world game came with challenges, but Gamecom Team Studio proved it could handle them. Interestingly, when making the first Troublemaker, only two people on the 10-person team had previous game development experience — Nanda and a 3D artist. The rest were working on their first game ever.

“Same with Troublemaker 2, this is our first open-world game. So we didn’t have any experience, but we made it in two years, and we nailed it,” Nanda said.

“So for the next project, I really believe my team can make it.”

When asked what players should know about Troublemaker 2, Nanda positioned it as a milestone for the studio. “This is our biggest game right now. Our first open-world, action, comedy game. And this is just the beginning of what we’re gonna build in the next few years,” Nanda said.

For gamers searching for open-world titles from Southeast Asia, Nanda has a simple message: “If you’re looking for any open-world game coming from Southeast Asia, yes, Troublemaker 2, you should play it.”