Indika: A Sureal, witty and genre defining narrative experience
Gameplay
Indika takes the “walking simulator” genre and gives it a jolt of existential caffeine. The gameplay still follows the basics of a walking simulator but Indika adds a depth of layer with its switches to 2d and its occasional minigames and puzzles. This method gives players a minibreak from constantly walking, which I would say is rather refreshing. The puzzles are not hard, but challenging enough to make the player not lose focus, while the minigames often are timing based. What they did right here, is having the right balance of difficulty, not make anything seem tedious.
📕 STORY
The story is a philosophical deep dive wrapped in layers of humor, sarcasm, and some good old-fashioned trolling. It’s like a therapy session with a snarky therapist who sometimes questions your choices and makes you laugh at the absurdity of it all. Themes of religion, self-worth, and reflection over what’s good and bad are explored with a unique twist, making you ponder your existence while trying to decipher the surreal world you are currently bound to. The characters are both unique and well crafted, it does not give you the sense of like heroes or generalized characters, they seem both surreal and real, in some sense they are comical. But If you were in their shoes, in this time period, the reflection of how they act is, funny, sad and in a sense real to the situation they are currently in.
🔈 Sound
What makes this game truly shine, is for me the sound design. The aim is to throw you off your normal rhythm for this kind of game, it seems almost trollish, which creates an unique and interesting atmosphere. The sound effects sounds nice, crackling wood, wind, sudden chimes and different elements that you don’t expect also helps you be emerged in the game.
Now for the best part of the game: The narration. The narrator’s voice is compelling; he is great at putting pressure on different tones to different words, which helps immensely with immersion. The narrator keeps mocking you through the play through with witty remarks and sarcastic comments, but also gives you a change of pace with philosophical questions that make you reflect. It is easy to focus on his words, rather than thinking about the fact that you are playing a walking simulator. Which is what story driven games should be doing. In a sense it reminds me of Hellblade: Senuas sacrifice, only better.
🌆 Worldbuilding
The world of Indika is a surrealist’s dream (or nightmare). Imagine walking through a Salvador Dalí painting while having a conversation with Douglas Adams. The game uses proportions to its advantage by making smaller objects much larger, giving the world a sense of surrealism while still having familiar elements in the right proportion. They also take geometry to the extreme, and have things at really sharp angles, extreme heights, or really big and broad objects. Indika really nails the fact that they have created their own surreal world, even though it’s based in a realistic timeline. The way sound, visuals and characters are portrayed, helps this game create a really unique world that further help establish its own true identity, amidst a dozen other titles that fail to do the same.
Visuals
Visually, Indika does pretty good, it could be compared to the game “the invincible” but it falls a little bit short. The art style is bold and unconventional, it does a good job at complementing the game’s twisted atmosphere. The graphical design melds together elements of dreamlike fantasy and gruff reality, creating a visual experience that keeps you engaged. The attention to detail could be improved. The same thing could be said about facial animations and expressions in general. Even though this game has 80% of its game in 3d, implementing a certain percentage of 2d, elevates the game overall feel, and the visuals are overall pretty good.
Indika is a refreshing take on the walking simulator genre. It deftly combines surrealism, humor, and philosophical reflections to create a game that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. The game has a really unique feel compared to other walking simulators, with its twisted vibe and cleverly thought out distinct aura. While it may not be for everyone, those who appreciate a good dose of sarcasm, witty humor, and genre defining narration, will definitely enjoy this gem of a title.
