INDIKA is an utterly unique, psychedelic, and strange title, telling a wonderful, thought-provoking story filled with striking imagery and wonderfully bleak humor.
"Indika" is a single-player Horror-Adventure game with an interesting plot and good gameplay, featuring perfect visuals and a spectacular soundtrack. Join a young nun, Indika, on her journey of self-discovery with the devil as her unlikely travel companion. Explore surreal landscapes and uncover Indika's troubled past in 2D pixel art mini-games, tackling unique puzzle elements in this third-person, story-driven game. With its dark sense of humor, "Indika" will make you laugh while immersing you in a wholesome and immersive atmosphere.
Visually stunning with a unique blend of art styles that enhances the storytelling.
Thought-provoking narrative that explores deep themes of faith, morality, and self-discovery.
Engaging character dynamics, particularly between Indika and Ilya, that add depth to the story.
Very short gameplay experience, typically around 4-5 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
Gameplay mechanics can feel simplistic and repetitive, with some puzzles lacking depth.
The ending is abrupt and may leave players feeling unsatisfied or wanting more resolution.
story
1,914 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
3%
The story of "Indika" is a unique and thought-provoking exploration of faith, morality, and personal struggle, set against a surreal backdrop reminiscent of 19th-century Russia. While many players appreciate its artistic storytelling and emotional depth, some criticize its brevity and abrupt ending, feeling that the narrative could have been more fully developed. Overall, the game is praised for its captivating visuals and engaging themes, making it a memorable experience for fans of story-driven games.
“This game pushes the boundaries on how video games can be used for storytelling and does it in a way like no other.”
“The game’s atmosphere is incredibly immersive, with breathtaking visuals and a powerful storyline that kept me engaged from beginning to end.”
“Indika is a beautifully crafted game that merges atmospheric storytelling with captivating visuals.”
“The story itself is underwhelming, too short, and the ending is unsatisfying to say the least.”
“The shortness fits the story but also feels like the budget was depleted or something.”
“I finished the game, but I’m still not entirely sure what the plot was... maybe it’s a choose-your-own-interpretation kind of thing?”
gameplay
830 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
7%
The gameplay of "Indika" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it primarily consists of walking and simple puzzles, often feeling more like a walking simulator than a traditional game. While some mechanics, such as the unique prayer system, are praised for their potential, they are underutilized throughout the game, leading to a sense of disappointment regarding gameplay depth. Overall, the game is lauded for its stunning visuals and compelling narrative, but many feel that the gameplay lacks engagement and innovation, making it a more cinematic experience than a robust gaming one.
“Indika is a dark, atmospheric journey through depravity that blends unique visuals and gameplay styles.”
“Gameplay-wise, it leans heavily on exploration and puzzles that challenge your mind without being overly frustrating.”
“The gameplay includes environmental puzzles, exploration, and flashback sequences rendered in retro pixel art.”
“Otherwise, the lack of gameplay depth might leave you wanting more.”
“The gameplay in Indika is not strong in the least, but it's clear that is not its focus.”
“The gameplay is mostly walking, but a few puzzles or mini-games that are in the game are infuriating, sometimes requiring very precise movements or are super clunky, not sure why they have to be like that - they never felt rewarding to complete, more like a sigh of relief that it's finally over.”
graphics
619 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The graphics in "Indika" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning and diverse visual presentation, blending realistic and pixel art styles to create a unique aesthetic experience. Players have noted the game's impressive attention to detail, atmospheric environments, and the ability to evoke deep emotional responses through its artistic direction. However, some users experienced performance issues and found certain graphical elements inconsistent, yet overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature that enhances the game's narrative and immersive quality.
“Indika is a beautifully crafted game that merges atmospheric storytelling with captivating visuals.”
“The game masterfully blends a gripping plot with breathtaking visuals, creating an atmospheric experience that draws you in from start to finish.”
“The graphics are nothing short of stunning, with environments so detailed and atmospheric they feel almost tangible.”
“The graphics get kinda jank sometimes; I had to turn down some settings for a part near the end.”
“That and that the graphical requirement is quite high, but the actual graphical quality was not incredible; I've played games of a similar quality with much smaller file sizes.”
“The graphics were actually disappointing to me as they look like an old Resident Evil console style and some characters look so bad, funny enough to call a graphic setting 'ultra'.”
atmosphere
251 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
34%
1%
The atmosphere of "Indika" is widely praised for its dark, immersive quality, blending stunning visuals with a gripping narrative that evokes a sense of surrealism and emotional depth. Players appreciate the game's unique art direction and sound design, which together create a haunting ambiance that enhances the storytelling experience. While some find the gameplay elements lacking, the overall atmospheric experience is considered a standout feature, drawing players into its bizarre and thought-provoking world.
“The game’s atmosphere is incredibly immersive, with breathtaking visuals and a powerful storyline that kept me engaged from beginning to end.”
“Indika is a beautifully crafted game that merges atmospheric storytelling with captivating visuals.”
“The art direction is simply stunning, with breathtakingly beautiful locations that radiate atmosphere and personality, making exploration a visual delight.”
“As a walking simulator, all puzzles are boring, and you have little incentives to explore because the atmosphere is so bleak.”
“Many people seem to be billing it as a horror game but it's not, although it does delve into some quite dark themes that may rattle people, and the atmosphere throughout the game remains pervasively oppressive despite some twisted humor here and there.”
“Although the game starts strong with its atmosphere and promising story, it fails to deliver a meaningful experience.”
music
238 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
59%
1%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its haunting and atmospheric qualities that enhance the emotional depth of the narrative. While some players found the eclectic mix of 8-bit and electronic sounds to be innovative and fitting, others felt it clashed with the game's serious themes, leading to a jarring experience. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its ability to create a unique vibe, though opinions vary on its effectiveness in complementing the gameplay.
“The art direction and soundtrack are mesmerizing, perfectly complementing the melancholic tone of the narrative.”
“The soundtrack of 'indika' deserves special mention for its ability to enhance the game's emotional resonance.”
“It’s rare to find a game where the music so profoundly enhances the mood, oscillating between eerie melodies and rousing orchestral pieces that elevate every moment of gameplay.”
“But all of the pixel graphic parts and the weird music choices made this game just an average experience.”
“You’re in 18th century Russia and the whole time there is this off-tune techno music that sounds like a cat running across a piano, but somehow worse.”
“The one thing that really irritated me was that in some situations that are supposed to be 'intense', they play music straight from an NES or something, which pulls you out of the experience.”
humor
206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in "Indika" is characterized by its dark, surreal, and often philosophical nature, drawing comparisons to Russian literature and filmmakers. Players appreciate the sharp wit and absurdity that illuminate serious themes, creating a blend of humor that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. While some find the humor to be a delightful surprise amidst the game's heavier undertones, others note that it can be hit-or-miss, with moments that range from genuinely funny to unsettlingly bizarre.
“The humor in Indika is subtle but razor-sharp, perfectly complementing its well-written characters and engaging dialogues.”
“It's unexpectedly funny amidst the drab, dire premise, and at no compromise to meaningfulness and brevity where needed most.”
“Indika is an utterly unique, psychedelic, and strange title, telling a wonderful, thought-provoking story filled with striking imagery and wonderfully bleak humor.”
“It's not a frightening game, it's not funny either; it's an odd, unsettling in-between, and I find it fascinating.”
emotional
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game "Indika" is described as deeply impactful, often heartbreaking and raw, with players experiencing a wide range of feelings from hope to sorrow. The narrative tackles heavy themes such as love, guilt, and faith, resonating with many on a personal level, while the pacing and artistic direction enhance its emotional depth. Although some found it challenging to engage with certain scenes, the overall consensus is that the game offers a thought-provoking and immersive emotional journey that lingers long after completion.
“What impressed me the most was how deeply emotional and thought-provoking the experience was.”
“An absolute emotional experience that bounces you around; the writing is really good, and the ending really needed me to sit down for a second to mentally collect myself.”
“The ending left me emotionally drained, and I'm still processing what lessons I can draw from this story for myself.”
optimization
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
46%
16%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players experiencing performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and shader compilation problems, particularly on lower-end hardware. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly enough and performs well on average systems, others reported significant performance hiccups that detracted from the experience. Despite these issues, the game's strong narrative and voice acting have been praised, suggesting that while the optimization may not be ideal, the core elements of the game remain engaging.
“It's pretty funny and well optimized.”
“Great story, good gameplay, fairly well optimized.”
“Is pretty well optimized.”
“The game could have used some optimization when rendering areas as I walked around.”
“This game definitely is horribly optimized and has shader compilation stutter; developers should be ashamed of themselves.”
“Otherwise poor optimization also... my GPU fans were about to take off like a helicopter even on the lowest graphics settings.”
grinding
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
13%
85%
The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, describing many tasks and puzzles as tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the overall experience. While some players appreciated the story and art direction, they felt that the excessive grinding and simplistic puzzles made the gameplay feel monotonous. Overall, the game seems to require a tolerance for tedious tasks, which may appeal to those focused on narrative over gameplay mechanics.
“Grinding required.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I was annoyed when you have to fetch a bucket of water 5 times when you can get the point across of it being 'tedious' with 3. Plus, because of the font choice in the UI, it can be misread as needing to get water 8 times, and only in one instance of the player fetching the water is the voice actually speaking with you, so it gets boring fast.”
“There are some things to like about this game, but it gets bogged down with tedious puzzles and lengthy philosophical conversations.”
replayability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
41%
35%
The game has been widely criticized for its low replayability, with most reviews noting that it can be completed in under four hours and offers little incentive to play again beyond achievement hunting. While some players appreciated the experience for its storytelling and atmosphere, they acknowledged that the lack of engaging gameplay and linearity significantly diminish its replay value. Overall, it is seen as a brief, cinematic experience rather than a game that invites repeated play.
“Though there really isn’t much in terms of replayability, you don’t really need it for this: it’s telling its story and you’re here to indulge.”
“The game is very short and doesn't have much replay value but it feels like watching an epic film in length as you're often not interacting with the environment as much as you are appreciating the atmosphere and the dialogue.”
“It can be completed in under 4 hours with no real replayability but I think it's okay for that kind of game.”
“Outside of achievements, there is no replayability whatsoever.”
“It can be completed in under 4 hours with no real replayability, but I think it's okay for that kind of game.”
“Game is way too short at under 4.5 hours and has no replayability as there is nothing you can do differently here.”
stability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with some players reporting minor glitches, frame drops, and occasional stutters, particularly during transitions and in specific areas. While many found the game generally playable and visually appealing, others experienced more significant issues, such as getting stuck in level geometry or elevators. Overall, the game is not considered AAA polished, but it has been noted for being relatively bug-free at launch, with developers providing a troubleshooting guide for players encountering problems.
“The graphics are quite good for a seemingly AA game: quite good lighting in particular and no major issues other than some AA jank with animations. This is not a AAA polished game, but it's totally nice looking, not that demanding on your system (by the way, nice settings menu), and bug-free at launch (oh my god, that's a miracle right there in this day and age).”
“A handful of frame drops when you move to a new area, but apart from that, it runs great.”
“I have a NVIDIA RTX 4050, Core i7, and 16GB RAM and do not understand why this game has frame drops, stutters in gameplay, and micro freezes in the menu.”
“Shocking, however, there are glitches where I keep getting stuck in elevators and when using the ability.”
“The game was too buggy at the time.”
character development
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and nuance, setting a high standard for storytelling in the medium. Reviewers highlight the strong character design, expressive animations, and effective voice acting, although some express disappointment with the ending's lack of clarity and closure. Overall, the character development is well-received, with a notable score of 8/10 from players.
“Its narrative depth, combined with nuanced character development, sets a new standard for storytelling in gaming.”
“I loved the main character development and I honestly liked the pixel art parts; they are a bit random at the start but they contribute greatly to the game's uniqueness.”
“Wonderfully detailed and surreal world, extremely well done character design and expressive model & animation work.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism for the inclusion of in-game advertisements, which some players find off-putting and detrimental to the overall experience. Despite the game's engaging visuals and details, the presence of ads has led to recommendations against playing it.
“I am not recommending due to 11 bit adding in-game advertisements into their titles.”
“After watching the trailer, which in itself is like the advertisement of a movie, I had no expectations for the game, but I knew I had to play it.”
“I spent a lot of time gazing at various details: house interiors, books, icons, advertisement leaflets.”