I was sent a free copy of Indika to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
What is Indika?
Indika is a story-rich walking simulator out now for Steam. Indika is a nun on a journey of self-discovery as she battles the literal demon inside her and witnesses the horrors of a war-torn world around her. How much evil can her soul withstand before it starts to corrupt her? Will her faith waiver? You’re going to have to join her on this wacky, quirky, and amazing ride to find out.
Gamplay
Indika is a walking simulator, with the occasional puzzle or mini-game to mix things up. The main reason you play this game is for its dark humor and fantastic storytelling.
Players are railroaded through the story as they walk Indika through her set path. The striking visuals and environment make the walking bits fine. There isn’t much room for exploration, but the focus is on the story so it didn’t matter.
The puzzles are manageable and extremely creative. There is a puzzle in this game where the demon starts talking to Indika and warping the world around her. Indika can pray to silence the voices and make the world normal again. Players have to switch between these two modes to get out of the room. It was such a memorable mechanic and almost the reason to play the game. Some puzzles may not be as intuitive, but there are walkthroughs available online in case you get stuck.
The final bit is these pixel art minigames sprinkled throughout. These games add to the chaotic, quirky story-telling, and unforgettable charm. These mini-games aren’t difficult, and they are a nice change of pace but don’t change the overall tone of the narrative. I recorded footage, but everything was a bit too adult to post on YouTube.
Impressions
My only complaint is that this game is too short. It will take about 5 hours to complete. The gameplay is solid, and the story is fantastic. I’ve never experienced such a trippy, dark, and well-told story like this, and I recommend you all play it just for the story. The soundtrack voice acting is phenomenal, and most of the reason why you should enjoy this game. The walking can feel a bit tedious at times, but it always pays off.
Indika is a masterful blend of creative storytelling and interesting gameplay that needs to be experienced once. If you’re looking for a short game with a solid story, go pick up Indika. It is a more adult story, so viewer discretion and all that. It also criticizes and pokes fun at religion, and I am sure that will ruffle some feathers. If you don’t mind any of this, Indika should be in your library.
Pick up Indika now on Steam for $24.99.