Nintendo's Indie World showcases always bring a collection of vibrant new indie titles to the attention of its audience. With the accessibility of game development in the current day and age, anyone has the potential to be a game developer. These Indie World showcases are able to shine a spotlight on smaller projects from developers all over the world, and give them a chance to share their culture through the medium they are passionate about. A great example was the attention given to Venba during the most recent Indie World showcase. Venba represents the kinds of games that make up the soul of these Indie World showcases by offering players a look into rich cultural story that would only be possible for a dedicated indie developer to produce.
Venba is just one of many examples of games with broad cultural connections to find its way into the indie scene. Talented developers around the globe have seen a huge opportunity to tell their stories thanks to the rise in popularity of indie games over the past decade. Platforms like Nintendo's Indie World showcase give these games the attention they deserve and help them find an audience among the sea of new games constantly releasing. Elevating these cultural stories into the main stream helps to give audiences a look into a life they might not otherwise have experienced, bringing with it a new level of understanding and appreciation for cultural differences.
Venba Gives Players a Glimpse into the Life of an Indian Immigrant Family
The story of Venba follows an Indian mother, the titular Venba, and her family as they immigrate to Canada in the 1980s. Players will learn to cook traditional Indian dishes as they uncover lost family recipes throughout the course of the story. Venba's charming art style enhances its appeal and its cooking-simulator meets visual novel gameplay makes it seem like the perfect game for a cozy weekend. In addition to beautiful visuals and charming gameplay, Venba will feature a unique, Indian musical-inspired soundtrack to complete the cultural immersion.
Developer Visai Studios says it aims to tell intimate stories through interesting mechanics. After getting a bite-sized look at the gameplay for Venba, it appears that the studio will deliver on that promise. Learning about the love and loss of an immigrant family through examples of their cultural heritage is exactly the type of story that the indie genre thrives on. It is exciting to see a small teams create a loving homage to their cultural roots that uses gameplay to support its narrative.
Developers from Around the World Are Given the Chance to Shine During Indie World Showcases
Venba wasn't the only international game shown at the latest Indie World showcase. Another standout from the event was Once Upon a Jester from Dutch developer Bonte Avond. A lighthearted, theatrical adventure game developed by a group of musicians, Once Upon a Jester was a surprise treat from the showcase that launched that same day. Like Venba, it was clear a lot of love went into creating this game, and it seemed full of the type of character only a group of Dutch musicians to add. The French-developed Dordogne also caught viewers' attention with its gorgeous watercolor aesthetic and time-travel exploration premise.
With unique and interesting ideas coming from developers all over the world, Nintendo has really created something special with its Indie World events. Historically, unless it was developed in Japan or the US, it was unlikely that a game would have an audience outside a few, niche fans. Now with the explosion of the indie market, games that would have never had the level of interest they do now are able to share the stories crafted by developers from around the globe. Nintendo's Indie World showcases are partly to thank for this new wave of indie love as they consistently highlight a diverse range of games and developers.
Venba will release in Spring 2023 for PC and Nintendo Switch.