11 Bit Studios continues to demonstrate its knack for developing and supporting unique, high-concept projects, today announcing Indika, a narrative adventure game that explores religion and its morality in an alternative take on 19th Century Russia. In this case, 11 Bit will be publishing the title, which is developed by Russian team Odd Meter, and the announcement video for the game begins by discussing the potential controversy of the partnership.
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine is well-documented at this point. The video suggests that 11 Bit had already signed Indika prior to the initial invasion in February last year, with game director Dmitry Svetlov saying, “I would understand if 11 Bit refused further cooperation with a company with Russian roots just to avoid reputational risks. But I believe it was important for them to support the message that we promote because 11 Bit took a strong anti-war stance from the first day of the war.”
As that statement suggests, the team at Odd Meter sees the invasion as pointless and criminal, even going so far as to relocate all 16 staff members to Kazakhstan.
The full video goes into further detail about the themes of Indika, discussing how the Russian Orthodox Church values of obedience, humility, and patience are touched on and why it’s relevant to explore them in light of the invasion. It ends with by showcasing snippets from the game itself. It’s a dizzying, claustrophobic experience accompanied by discordant music. What’s available reminds me of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Mundaun, and Horses in different ways. However, it doesn’t really give any indication of what it will be like to play.
Indika is slated for release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X at some point in 2024. We’re always intrigued by the games of 11 Bit, so keep an eye out for more on Indika as its release draws nearer.
