Awarded gamesGames of the Year
Game Designers AwardINDIKA
General Description
| Title | INDIKA |
|---|---|
| Release | 2024/5/2 |
| Price | 2,800yen(tax included) |
| Platform | PlayStation®5 / Xbox Series X|S / Windows / Steam |
| Platform | 11 bit Studios |
| Publisher | 11 bit Studios |
| Developer | Odd Meter |
| URL | https://indikathegame.com/ |
| Copyright | ©11 BIT STUDIOS S.A.. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 11 BIT STUDIOS is a registered trademark of 11 BIT STUDIOS S.A.. Odd Meter and INDIKA are registered trademarks of Odd Meter. All other marks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. |
Game Designers Award Reason
At the end of 19th century, Indika, a nun of a Russian Orthodox Church, is despised by other sisters and is given the job of delivering a letter and left the convent.
She is afflicted by the voice of the Devil from the inside and sees visions.
She sometimes succeeds in suppressing illusions by praying.
Her past is developed in the pixel based mini game.
Usually, the Game Designers Award is often given to a novel game system, but the game system of this work “Indika” is a common action game with a third party perspective.
Still, you cannot enjoy its mental sceneries, stories with themes of anti-establishment religious outlook and virtues, the world building, and atmosphere in other games.
First of all, few games strongly promote any religious outlook.
The vote was split at the time of judgment at first, but this game finally won the largest support and was selected for the award.
By the way, the studio leader actually spent her teens in a church and abandoned her faith.
I heard the development studio moved from Russia to Kazakhstan on the occasion of Russian invasion of Ukraine.
They said the background of the game production and the game are unrelated.
Still, I think we can find deeper meaning of the game with a background like that.
It is said that the publisher 11 Bit Studios donates a part of the revenue generated by the game.
Work Introduction
Meet an Unusual Nun
“Indika” is a game from a third-party perspective, set in a strange world where religious visions meet harsh reality. It tells the story of a young nun who embarks on a journey of self-discovery with a highly unusual, horned companion.
Outwardly, Indika is a typical nun, who tries to adopt herself to a difficult and monotonous monastic life, but you must not be deceived by her modest and innocent appearance. This girl has an impossible connection with the Devil, Satan himself.
This strange connection with the Devil makes her get out of the safe convent walls to go on an errand. The world she found can only be described as an incredible combination of comedy and tragedy just like the novels of Dostoevskii and Bulgakov.
Let’s enjoy an anything-goes indie game.
The theme of religion and authority caught wide attention through the travel in “Indika,” and she faces many questions. Please guide and help her find answers one by one before ending her great adventure defining life.
Odd-Meter is a small independent studio, which was based in Moscow and is now working in Kazakhstan. Members give the utmost importance to aesthetics and are not afraid of exceeding the delicate balance of ethical standards. Their game is its proof, and “Indika” is an overt challenge against the preconceived concepts on game creation in the industry.
Comment of the game producer
It's a great honor to receive this award, and it feels incredible to be recognized in a country where so many of my favorite games were born, so many of my favorite game genres.
And I was always amazed that INDIKA resonated with people from different countries and such different cultures, which proved that no matter where we're born or which gods are we praying for, we all ask the same questions, we all face the same struggles.
So, once again, thank you very much. It's a great honor for me and for the whole Odd Meter team.
Thank you.
Dmitry Svetlow