3 video games that are unapologetically Filipino

Published November 12, 2017 5:29pm

The gaming world has seen but a glimpse of the Filipino story. Thankfully, Pinoy indie game developers have taken it upon themselves to demonstrate to the industry just how rich and complex our myths, history, and culture are.

At the recently concluded E-Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) 2017 held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, a batch of indie developers showcased video games that are unapologetically Filipino in terms of subject matter, themes, and style. In no particular order, here are three such games.

1. Mayari

Ingenuity Games describes “Mayari” as a “story-centric mobile game app that utilizes visual and audio storytelling.” Specifically, it’s a “point-and-click, mystery-adventure game set in a fantastical version of South-East Asia.”

In the game, “you see through the eyes of Mayari, a girl entrusted with an inescapable destiny. You guide her through the story of her remote village and their devotion to their goddess Idayen, through each chapter of the game, solving puzzles and helping her unlock more and more of her story.”

For Ingenuity Games, it was important to make a uniquely Filipino experience.

“Most of the games in the market today do not feature the unique and colorful culture that we have in the Philippines,” they said. “And the mystery of Philippine folklore, mythology, and mysticism is a fitting backdrop for a game that is focused on immersing the player in a world rich in stories and mystery. We wanted to create a game that would be truly ‘ours’ – something that feels both familiar and mysterious at the same time.”

The game’s stunning visuals also borrow from other Southeast Asian cultures:

“We drew inspiration from the tropical sceneries of Southeast Asian countries and attempted to recreate some of the popular landmarks such as the statue of Buddha in Hong Kong or the hanging coffins of Sagada in the Philippines. The structures featured in the game environment are mostly inspired by Islamic architecture and the wooden carvings on the walls are Maranao’s Okir, seen most prominently in houses called the Torogan.”

Character design was inspired by Filipino tribal clothing:

“The clothing patterns were inspired by the patterns of the tribal costumes in Mindanao and a lot of other cultures all around the Philippines. The accessories and the fashion in the game are inspired by a combination of many of the prominent tribal costumes in the Philippines.”

Ingenuity Games encountered several hurdles while developing “Mayari”:

“One of the many challenges that we have faced in creating the game is trying to get the story, gameplay, and art just right. We had to rewrite the narrative, test puzzles that will ultimately work for the game and our story, and work towards an art style that would work for the environment and the character design.”

Ingenuity Games has already garnered a number of awards and nominations for “Mayari.” They aim to put Davao City on the game development map.

“Mayari” is already available on Google Play and the iOS App Store. Visit its official Facebook page and website for more information.

2. Conquered

From indie developer Lordd Lazaro comes the game “Conquered”, a side-scrolling strategy/survival game boasting beautiful pixel art. It’s set in the Philippines in the early 1500s.

“In the game you act as a tribal leader and young conqueror from Visayas,” explained Lazaro. “Your goal is to defend your village from enemy tribes and monsters based on those found in Philippine folklore and urban myths.”

Resource management is key to survival and, ultimately, victory.

“You have to manage your resources in order to build and expand your village, otherwise you won’t be able to defend your village from attack.”

You won’t do everything alone; your tribe will help you on your road to glory.

“The very basic game flow is: you recruit people, then you buy equipment, then those people use the equipment, then they do their own thing. For example, you can have spearmen, who will hunt boars, etc. You can have builders who’ll build walls, and swordsmen who are useful against enemies such as archers.”

In time you’ll have enough people to form an army:

“You can rally your people and hunt down monsters or attack other tribes. So you’re going from island to island, exploring environments, defeating other tribes, and fighting different creatures like the Tikbalang, etc.”

Lazaro graduated two years ago from De La Salle University. He’s been working on “Conquered” on and off since January 2017 for an estimated total of 4 to 5 months. He developed everything in the game, from the code to the art.

Lazaro wants to try self-publishing “Conquered" because I want to know if it’s even possible with my own resources.”

Lazaro envisions a Steam launch for “Conquered,” although a mobile release is also possible.

An early build of the game is available on Game Jolt.

3. Sunday at the Memories

Benedict Villariaza of Dagitabsoft is a game developer specializing in visual novels and role-playing games. At the International Game Developers Association Manila Booth at ESGS 2017, he exhibited the visual novel “Sunday at the Memories.”

Set in present-day Philippines, “Sunday at the Memories” centers on a girl named Jacqueline Larossa. While listening to old songs on the radio every Sunday, Jacqueline finds herself reminiscing about the time she spent with a girl named Rayzelle Anne.

One day, said girl returns. While a reunion is definitely in order, certain complications arise, and things take an unexpected turn.

From Dagitabsoft

Villariaza wanted “Sunday at the Memories” to emphasize contemporary Filipino culture, thus he made the Pinoy habit of listening to oldies every Sunday a central element in the story.

“Sunday at the Memories” started out as a short story Villariaza wrote for an online fiction writing contest in 2010. He eventually expanded the story, “adding a second act to wrap up the plot.”

He submitted “Sunday at the Memories” to the 2017 Yuri Game Jam, whose goal was to create more games about romantic relationships between women. But because of the busy schedules of the artists and composers that Villariaza recruited to help develop the game, the team experienced a tough time getting everything done by the jam’s November 1 deadline.

The build they eventually presented had a couple of issues, such as character sprites not being completely shaded, a scarcity of event CGs (special images depicting significant events), and the absence of a song Villariaza wanted in the game.

"Sunday at the Memories" is inspired by Japanese visual novels that Villariaza got into visual novels thanks to three Japanese works:

“I’ve been a fan of visual novels ever since high school (2000), when I first stumbled upon the anime ‘To Heart,’ which is based on the visual novel of the same name. What inspired me to create my own were two more visual novels, ‘Narcissu’ and ‘Planetarian.’”

Villariaza hopes to create more games, refine his older ones, and one day go commercial and release his games on Steam and other popular PC game marketplaces.

“Sunday at the Memories” is available at DagitabSoft’s website. — LA, GMA News

Tags: gaming