INDIKA /REVIEW

It was one of those nights during which, bored and half asleep, I tend to scroll through PlayStation Store in search of something that would catch my eye among all the known stuff and mountains of shovelware. And that’s when I first saw her.

Her name was Indika, and she looked sad, lost and confused. And who could blame her — after all, one look at all those toothless old nuns screaming — or laughing? — in her face is more than enough to convey the feeling of misery she must’ve been experiencing.

As far as key art goes, INDIKA’s certainly manages to be attention grabbing, only for your curiosity to be even more piqued after you see its trailer and screenshots. Presented in desaturated, almost black and white visuals, and set in desolate Russian villages, it’s a game where you play as a young nun questioning her faith and wrestling with her inner demons. Demons manifesting as the Devil himself, with whom Indika will discuss religion, morals and philosophy, reminding those who were once pious of things that they themselves probably contemplated at one point or another.

That crisis of faith and questioning of religious doctrines permeate the entire game, and are strengthened even more by the surreal environments (be it a canning factory producing humongous cans of fish, or towering churches larger than life), as well as some highly suggestive imagery that hints at what’s swirling around Indika’s head.

The game itself is played from the third person perspective and relies on simple puzzles and very light exploration, with occasional standout moments where reality splits in two — and you switch from one to another by praying (for which there is a dedicated button on the controller). In addition to that, Indika’s story is sometimes also told via flashbacks, which are presented and played in a retro 2D style of games of yesteryear.

Once all is said and done, Indika feels and plays just like you would imagine a surreal Russian novel would if it were interactive. And while it doesn’t break any new grounds, it is an experience worth having, and one that neatly ties over-reliance certain game conventions with some religious promises, showing us them for what they are — empty and hollow.

INDIKA | developer: Odd Meter | publisher: 11 Bit Studios | platforms: PlayStation 5 (played), Xbox Series, PC