PlayStation India Hero Project unveils first five games from the country

Developed by the two-person team of imissmyfriends, Fishbowl is a cozy coming-of-age adventure that sounds like it’s learning the right lessons from games like Unpacking. With gorgeous pixel art and a moody lo-fi soundtrack, Fishbowl follows Alo, a twenty-one-year-old on a journey of self-discovery as she settles into a new city. It looks like Fishbowl will include a host of different gameplay mechanics, including video calling Alo’s friends, playing various minigames, and partaking in light life-sim mechanics.

Meteora is an arcade combat racer that looks like Thumper set in space. The game is being developed by Mumbai-based Big Boot Games and puts you in the shoes of a meteor if meteors could wear shoes. According to the game’s Steam page, it has already been tested by players with a demo. The game takes place in a nascent universe, letting you control the meteor as it travels through the cosmos, and is one of the more unique games on the list. You can wishlist Meteora on Steam right now, and the game will be coming to PS5 as well. It's also the only game in the group that is getting a release on PS VR2 as well.

After releasing Driving Thrills, a relatively low-key mobile game, underDOGs studio has big ambitions with Mukti. Described as a first-person game focused on exploration, Mukti is set within an Indian museum tackling a sensitive subject: human trafficking. The PlayStation blog post doesn’t reveal any specific gameplay mechanics, though it makes one thing clear: this won’t be for everyone. Mukti, translating to “freedom”, is designed to “provoke empathy, spark dialogue, and ignite change.” An early look at gameplay through its announcement trailer does set the stage for some horror elements.

Perhaps the most well-known developer from the list, Holy Cow Productions has shipped four games, with one on the Nintendo Switch. Requital will mark the developer’s first foray into the PlayStation environment and looks like the studio’s most ambitious title. Requital will be a 2D side-scroller inspired by Egyptian mythology, with players taking on the role of Zahrah, who must traverse the underworld of Duat while battling gods and demons. Requital: Gates of Blood will be launching on PC and PS5.

Suri: The Seventh Note is a 2D Metroidvania set in mythical India where, taking a page out of Hi-Fi Rush’s book, the world reacts to the music beats playing in the game. The game will take players on a voyage from the Himalayas to the forts of Rajasthan. It takes inspiration from folk music and the history of the lands it is set in. As for combat, developer Tathvamasi Studios is pretty open about its clear influence from games like Hades and Hollow Knight. You can check out its world responding to the music in the developer’s first playtest video, which looks promising.