KUALA LUMPUR: As we celebrate Deepavali tomorrow, we have compiled a list of India-made video games that showcase the South Asian nation’s artistic and cultural influences.
Suri: The Seventh Note is a 2D rhythm-action platformer set in mythical India. You play as Ajira, following the game’s guiding principle that “rhythm is life and law” as you journey through mythical locations in search of a fruit that can cure your mother and save the world.
Platforms and hazards move to the beat of the background music, requiring you to time your jumps, air dashes and mid-air spins to navigate the levels and overcome their challenges. Suri: The Seventh Note stands out for its distinctive art style and inventive platforming mechanics.
Fishbowl is a narrative-driven, pixel-art life simulator that explores nostalgia and melancholy in urban India during the Covid-19 pandemic. You play as Alo, a young woman navigating grief following the death of her grandmother.
She copes through everyday activities such as video editing and cross-stitching, while unlocking dream sequences that reveal childhood memories of her hometown. The game stands out for its lush pixel-art visuals, contemporary aesthetic and emotionally resonant storytelling.
Thirsty Suitors is a story-driven role-playing game that draws on Indian culture, combining turn-based combat with skating and cooking mechanics. Billed as a “breakup simulator”, the game follows Jala as she confronts her exes through verbal sparring and emotional showdowns, while trying to win her parents’ approval through the art of cooking.
There are plenty of other South Asian-themed or India-made games, with several more on the way, including Meteora: The Race Against Space Time and Mukti.
Short Beats
Malaysia’s newest major fighting game tournament series, Corner Carry, will take place from Nov 28–29 at The Strands Mall in Selangor.
Nagoshi Studios has officially closed after NetEase cut its funding. The company, led by former Sega executive and Like a Dragon series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, had been developing a new action game titled Gang of Dragon.
MiHoYo’s new open-world creature-collecting adventure, Honkai: Nexus Anima, will launch in spring 2027. The game’s final closed beta test is scheduled to begin on Nov 25.
BioWare’s final days will be chronicled in an upcoming documentary titled Massive Effect: The BioWare Story. The documentary is scheduled to premiere in 2027.
Games Of The Week
AlteredBlood+ (AB+) is a first-person shooter developed by Singaporean game studio TrueWorld Studios. It combines splatter-based combat reminiscent of Splatoon with the fast-paced shooting action of classic titles such as Quake and Doom. The game is available on PC in Early Access.
World of Warcraft: Forever is a new version of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), built around the original 2004 setting and gameplay. It introduces additional content and storylines not found in the original game.
Classic 3D action-adventure title The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is getting a remake for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Gravhounds is a cooperative action-builder game for one to four players. Players venture into hostile planets, build and defend bases amid physics-driven mayhem, and extract loot before being overwhelmed by hostile inhabitants.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is a graphically enhanced re-release of the classic 3D action brawler originally released in 2002. Players can choose from 12 kaiju and battle across eight locations, with local and online multiplayer modes and remastered visuals. The game is available on PC and consoles.
Lightyear Frontier leaves Early Access this week with its full version 1.0 release. The farming simulation-mecha game will be available on PC and Xbox consoles.
Recommended Viewing
Retro PC gaming content creator Majuular has produced a retrospective on Ultima Online, the first mainstream massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).
