Indika (2024)
[game]
So Dostoevsky and Balabanov walk into a bar, and there’s the entire Monty Python crew already getting shitfaced at the counter. They all laugh their asses off until sunrise.
Got the picture? That’s basically what Indika throws at you.
A tale of inner torment starring a young nun, slathered with absurdist humor like butter on porridge—generously, in other words. Amid the gloom and doom, you’ve got pitch-black comedy and surreal nonsense popping off left and right, but the real spotlight’s on the heroine—Indika—and the unexpected second lead. It all unfolds like a buddy movie stitched together from a wild patchwork of gameplay mechanics. Confused? Good. That’s exactly how you feel when the credits roll.
The story seems straightforward at first glance, but it’s crafted with precision. Real writer’s work. And when the writing’s good, it plants seeds that itch at your brain long after it’s over. Layer in Oscar-worthy voice acting and boom—yet another miracle that proves the old maxim: video games are art.
Speaking of voice acting—it’s worth bringing up twice, especially for Indika’s second lead: the voice in her head. The Devil. The tempter. He plays the role of a mental sieve, filtering all her religious beliefs through doubt and irony. And the kicker? The voice actor kills it. A perfect, uncanny fit. The bastard’s magnificent.
The whole game clocks in at about four hours, but it leaves you with that rare, handcrafted feeling. I haven’t felt this way since Twin Peaks season 3. But that was Lynch—the maestro. This? Some unknown devs just dropped an experience on par with that, and made it way more digestible too. No shade to Twin Peaks—I love that fever dream—but Indika gentlier delivers the same emotional punch. Plus, it runs like a dream on the Steam Deck. What else do you need?
A perfect little something, jumping out at us like the Devil out of a snuffbox, leaving a trail of lingering questions—chief among them: “Wutsinit..?”
Apr 2, 2025