30
Apr

Indika looks to combine unusual ideas to create a disturbing yet comedic adventure

If you’ve not stumbled upon Odd Meter’s upcoming adventure game, Indika before, now might be the time to start paying attention since the release is just around the corner. May 2nd on PC, in fact. It’s especially worth keeping an eye on if, like me, you have a penchant for anything a little bit off-kilter.

The game is set at the turn of the XIX century – or the 19th for those of us who struggle with Roman numerals. Indika follows the story of a nun who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Now, you might think, ‘That might be a lesser-used character for a video game, but it’s hardly that strange.’ Well, what if I told you that our protagonist is in frequent conversation with the Devil?

Indika in a room with giant cogs

That’s right. Now we have an unusual premise for an adventure game on our hands. Oh, and did I mention it takes place in an alternative version of Russia where your surroundings are slightly askew? Yeah, it’s one of those games you get now and then where the more you learn about it, the stranger it seems. 

Somber visuals, retro UI

And that’s just the premise. Once you start to dig deeper, you will find more of these unusual ideas. For instance, while the game’s art style predominately shoots for askew realism – although do expect some more blatantly surreal and psychedelic scenes to pop up – the UI is decidedly retro. It sticks out like a sore thumb whenever it appears and yet, rather than taking me out of the experience completely, it instead serves to heighten my intrigue.

The soundtrack, meanwhile, takes on a retro-inspired slant, with chiptunes accompanying key moments throughout Indika. Some of those moments include leveling up after gaining enough XP by interacting with religious objects. And what does leveling up mean? Well, you decide whether you want to spec into Repetence or Guilt. Yup, it’s a build!

At the time of writing, I don’t know what that means. However, I really want to find out. The combination of all these unusual design choices makes everything all the more intriguing. Alone, the Devil and Nun duo isn’t overly strange. Nor is a retro-styled UI in a game set in the 19th Century. But once you throw them all together, it becomes incredibly weird, albeit in a way that leaves me wanting to learn more.

That’s all based on everything we know ahead of release, however. Quirkiness has limits in games, and if there’s nothing interesting that pulls everything together by the end of the story, it’ll likely result in lots of disappointed players. 

Indika promises to be funny and creepy

16-bit UI and conversations with the Devil aside, what can you expect to do in Indika? The answer is simple. When you’re not traversing these more surreal Russian landscapes, the rest of your time will be spent solving puzzles.

Indika walking through the snow

That appears to range from tactically moving around ladders to popping into a surreal dimension to tinker with another. All the while, you will presumably learn more about the titular nun Indika, and her relationship with the Devil. 

All of this is done with a knowing wink at the screen by the looks of it. So, while some of the themes might seem pretty heavy, you can expect some humor sprinkled in along the way. The alternate Russian landscapes will be harsh, but the banter might be top-tier.

Indika will release on PC on May 2nd, so if you’re intrigued by the bizarreness on offer, you can Wishlist it on Steam. It’s also coming to Xbox and PlayStation, although for the moment, we only know it’s arriving sometime in May.

Thank you for reading this article. For more interesting coverage of all things indie games, be sure to check out the links below.

This Article was written by: Stephen Gregson-Wood