Aka, the debut title from developer Cosmo Gatto and auteur creator Namra, is more than it appears at first blush. The indie game is a cozy simulator with a red panda protagonist featuring farming, character interactions, and various mini-games meant to soothe and relax the player. The game's narrative, however, wrestles with dark themes such as the search for peace in the wake of trauma, and confronting the demons of the panda hero's past.
Game ZXC recently caught up with Namra to discuss Aka's mixed initial reception, his plans for the game's future, and the game's core mechanics. Much of the magic in Aka's quest for inner peace stems from the mechanics that are not employed, and the understated ways the game measures player's progress.
Aka's Haunted Narrative
Namra stated that Aka wasn't initially conceived as a "pure" cozy game, and is reluctant to define it as such even in its current state. The game has some dark themes, and he doesn't want players expecting a light-hearted time to be surprised by stressful moments in the video game.
"Eventually, you realize Aka lost his best friend, and that is his first quest. You must carry the ashes of Aka’s friend up to the top of the mountain. On the way to do it, he will meet other ghosts who remind him of things he regrets, and things he maybe wanted to forget."
The game's eponymous red panda protagonist's story begins where most other video games end: at the end of a war. But rather than having saved the world, the player gets the sense that Aka feels he simply did what he had to do to survive. His new quest — coming to terms with a life after the battlefield — is a much headier topic than the usual, Bachelor-esque quests in sims or the shenanigans of Stardew Valley.
It's a bold move for a seemingly-cozy farm-and-craft game to tackle such a somber subject, but its themes are universal, and its frame narrative is a poignant one that would likely resonate with many gamers. But like the Studio Ghibli movies that Namra acknowledged as influences demonstrate, whimsical visuals can be an effective way to take the teeth out of terrifying inner demons. Each Studio Ghibli film has hints of darkness hidden within the folds of their beautiful animation, but exploring the dynamic through game mechanics remains a unique challenge.
How Aka Gamifies Inner Peace
Namra mentioned that Aka's battle for inner peace was much more overtly video-gamey early on. While the thought has a certain empowering appeal, reducing conditions like PTSD and survivor's guilt to a gauge that can be prayed away would be inappropriate. The battle to find a balance is much more nebulous than HP or stamina gauges can hope to convey. Instead, Namra elected for a more understated approach to mechanics, relying on story quests to provide narrative closure. He also hopes that players will use their imaginations to fill in the spaces the game leaves blank.
"In the first prototype, you could meditate to gain points that would fill a bar and allow you to level up in a way. But I decided to strip down everything you can quantify, because in my head, I was like 'How can you quantify happiness, or inner peace?'”
The cozy component comes into play where the game's core mechanics are concerned, though the suggestion that Aka has a core gameplay system is somewhat misleading. Players can craft and farm, but they can also enjoy rhythm action instruments, collect and battle with cards in a Slay the Spire-like mini-game, and socialize or simply chill with other characters on the island, including taking naps with a giant capybara.
In a way, the mechanics themselves are Aka's coping mechanisms, and the validity of his recovery is up to the players emotional response to play. It's a very neat premise, but also a risky one, since leaving Aka's recovery to interpretation may result in an experience that lacks closure. But most successful cozy games are long-term investments -- places players want to return to again and again, without a definitive end in sight -- which might be perfect for Aka's formula. After all, a game about questing for inner peace would inevitably come up short if it did not lead players to reach their own conclusions.
Aka is available now for PC and Switch.
