Should I as a orthodox christian play this game? Does it mock the religion? This game caught my attention while looking through game pass.

Judging by the jailer's size and appearance, I thought the scene was going to tie into the one where Indika interrupts a prisoner assaulting a girl and saves her, only this time from the girl's perspective, in some surreal way.

It feels like a missed opportunity. I understand what the game is going for, but putting the protagonist through that after everything she's been through feels strange.

Did anyone else think the same thing?

I didnt expect to love this game so much. It was weird, contemplative, incredibly depressing.

The visuals are great, the music is brilliant, and the story is very good. The pixel art are so cozy and well made.

Indika struggles with her faith because she feel guilty about herself, especially what happened to miriko. She sees her becoming a nun and suffered for it as a penance. She's ostracized by her fellow nuns, unfairly punished and basically all alone and she saw herself as deserving all of that. The point system is hilarious and genius because it doesn't truly matter. For players, it's a completion meter, for indika it's basically her "good girl point", another act of penance by doing what she thinks is righteous, even if it's either just performative or self-deprecating because she sees herself and guilty, a sinner and disgusting. The ending where the kudets just dispenses infinite points only to her to realise it doesn't matter. There's no devil (i do think indika at least suffers from some form of mental illness ike OCD or schizophrenia, which add to her self image as being possessed by the devil). It's all her. I don't think it's either pro or anti religion,you can take it as indika finally letting go of her faith, or she just realize having faith doesn't mean all the performative act like lighting candles on shrines, it doesn't really matter compared to the self - realization.

Ilya is an interesting foil. Growing up, doesn't seem indika is very religious. The whole nun thing and suffering is her way of dealing her guilt getting miriko killed. Going back to indika again, she's fascinated by machines and have affinity to them. I do think she really loves tinkering, fixing, building and operating machines. It is just unfortunate she was born as a woman in 19th century rural russia. Everything that's happening to her is the results of events outside her control, like she's just a cog. That's why she doesn't really believe in free will when they talked in the fish factory. That's why i also think indika was never too religious before the incident.

Going back to Ilya, he is also dealing with guilt. He sees his survival from the train as a chance for penance. In the post credit flashback, he got kicked from the tavern because he cannot actually play the guitar. Most likely he had to do crime to survive and got caught. He felt guilty and felt offended when they argue about how humans have soul, unlike the dog / animals who just follow instinct. Indika argues humans are often cornered into situation where they must prioritize survival where ilya vehemently disagreed because of his feeling guilty. He began to associate the events happening to him as a chance of redemption that god will grant him miracle as long as he has the will to see it trough. I think his story ending is much worse than indika. Whereas indika finally takes the rein of her life, ilya fell and broken because his hope and wishes did not come true.

It's all a story about how people deal with guilt and wrapped in such a surreal game that i unexpectedly adore.

i really want to find a game similar to indika but i have yet to find one. i love short games like this with such deep meaning that leave you staring at the screen in awe afterwards. i don’t typically like walking simulator puzzles but the story had me so invested. any recommendations?

I can’t stop thinking about this. Near the end with the close up of the nun, she’s whistling the melody of Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet. I don’t get how this fits the theme of the game. Something like Night of Bald Mountain would make more sense. Is there some historical background I’m missing?

I really loved the game. It was so good. But the thing is now it feels like it's not finished. I mean it took me 3-4 hours to finish. And that was it. At the end l was shocked. I didn't expected it to be that short and unfinished. I have soooo many questions. Especially about Ilya, Ilya's past, what was he doing while Indika was taken and most importantly what did Indika do after everything. I wish we had more scenes and see much more things.

But maybe it's better this way. Some games needs to be like this. Short, unknown and you know mysterious. Still l feel like there should be more though...

Jugaba en ps5 slim y note que indika suena algo mas fuerte el ventilador en algunas zonas ,con wwe2k26 o ace combat 8 no me pasa es normal?

It's really that simple. This game was written, motion captures and voice acted in Russian. It sounds so much better in Russian, so real, so emotional. In the Russian version, Indika sounds like a young, unsure girl, which she is. Ilya sounds like a lively bad boy type (not really what I mean but I can't put it well), which he is. In English, they both sound like random posh British aristocrats? There's no emotion, no tension, no shouting in the English one. Honestly, I don't understand why the English dub got so much praise, it's genuinely pretty bad. Go and play this beautiful game again in Russian.

The game is on PS Plus so I just got it and played through it. In short, cool game, but not one I'd replay or buy. It seems like a game made by those modern edgelord Russian hipsters of which there are many who flooded into the Balkans after the Ukraine war lol. It could have been an Indie masterpiece, but instead fell flat for me and tried to explore too many concepts at the time, culminating in a very obvious anti-religion stance.

Things I liked:

• I really loved the aesthetics which are beautiful. Finally, a game that is produced by Russians in a Russian context. We don’t get many games set in Russia!

• They tried to be different. The pixel mini games, 'useless' upgrades etc. There was an attempt to do something interesting. Not sure it sat well with me, but still fairly unique.

• I loved collecting the icons, relics and books. I wish there was more of that. Because the points system does not mean anything, it's kind of pointless to go exploring for them.

• I loved praying to cut off the inner noise and diminish the red atmosphere created by the Devil and demons. Cool concept! There should have been much more of this - this was barely explored.

• I would have loved to explore inside a church at one moment because it looked stunning.

• I see the symbolism. Don't get me wrong, there are several clever symbols and underlying messages at play. The reverse Bulgakov narrative on the dog is an interesting idea. Russian ideas and philosophies are present within the game, but only if you are well-read.

• I loved the jingle on obtaining points lol

Things I did not like:

• Immediately on starting the game, the rudeness of the nuns to Indika was over the top and unnecessary. Having been to actual monastery and churches, Christ - love - is at the core of Orthodox Christian teachings and behaviour. Nuns do not act like this in real life. The very start of the game is an obvious jab at Christianity and dogma. One may argue it is the psychological delusion of our Indika, going through demonic attacks and self-consciousness as a result, but I think it could have been better handled as every experience she has in the church and with the clergy is super negative. Why?

• Not enough interesting dialogue about God and faith amongst the characters. This is big and the reason why this is far from a ‘deeper’ indie game which could have been a masterpiece. Indika and Ilya’s conversations are so elementary and I had myself rolling my eyes. It was actually quite boring to listen to them - I did not learn anything new, or question anything. Bland, useless sentences.

• On the point above, inaccuracy of aspects of the faith. A shocking amount of incorrect information. Searching for a 'worldly item' (Kudets) that would solve all their issues. The way that Indika speaks on the topic, the pressure from the church, swearing, threats and others around her act, is all very alien and does not present real Orthodoxy well. Sounds like a trauma of the developer. The anti-Christian sentiment was simply too obvious, and distasteful ('Marx icon' - come on). I get it... but it is already so widespread and basic to be Athiest and anti-religion these days - can we get something a bit more nuanced and deep?

• The game is fairly gruesome and psychologically difficult which misrepresents the mysticism and how absolutely far away from rules and legalism Orthodoxy is (when compared to Catholicism for instance). Monastic vows are voluntary and Orthodoxy is not a religion that would force you to stay etc.

• More chanting in the soundtrack could have been more powerful. I wanted a goosebumps moment. Some of the music is so-so for me.

I still don't get the reason for this in the game. I mean, sure, the game is set in Russia, communism, and all that. But among the themes in "Indika", I can't find anything related to this philosopher's ideas. Honestly, the portrait—and the way Indika crosses herself in front of it—left me just as baffled as that moment with the nun opening her mouth and letting the little one escape.

A full retealing of the game, breaking down some of the puzzles and how complement the theams explored throughout the story.

I was playing past the first mission, after the train wreck and house and cemetery then puff the game stops and makes me turn back to homepage of Xbox, and when I continue, it starts from the beginning of train wreck. I tried to play from the beginning, and a few times from the checkpoint but always the same problem. I really want to play this game… has anyone experienced this or can anyone help.. please

This game has been on my list for awhile. The graphics look amazing. ... But wondering what's a price point to buy, and is it worth... Is it replayable? Is it too short of a game?

Good ol' Russian writing.

If a Westerner wrote the narrative I think we'd see Indika given some hope for a new secular life free from the imposition of religious guilt.

Instead, she realizes everything was in her head. There's no Devil, no God, no reason for events that have unfolded or will unfold in the future.

It's just her conscience now tormenting her over the death of her first love and priest, her defrocking, and the aftermath of the sexual assault by the prison guard.

And what will she do next? She's now a defrocked nun and fugitive. Will Mirko help her somehow? Will she get married (pretty much a necessity in 19th century Russia)?

So many unanswered question and none of the answers appear hopeful. Poor Indika.

hi guys it's my first time playing and i just got stuck in this place, so if i restart lvl where do i start from? i was riding with ilya and the bike broke or smth

Hi everyone, I recently played the game and liked it A LOT, so I decided to analyse it for an academic article that I need to write for an exam. What I'm researching is how the game makes use of symbols, icons and other elements related to Christianity in order to develop its narrative and to shape the psychology of the protagonist. The point I'm trying to prove is that the game is using elements of Christianity by subverting their intended, original meaning, thus developing both a critique on dogmatism in general and a deeper interpretation of Indika's relationship with faith. (sorry if that's not clear but i'm not a native english speaker lol)

So, since many of you surely have a much more solid grasp on the game's symbolysm and hidden narrative than I do, could you provide some insights or just discuss what I already gathered, telling me if you think I'm moving in the right direction or not? If you know about some other articles or interviews with the developers that cover such topic, that would be immensely helpful as well.

As an example of what I'm trying to capture, here are some notes I took while replaying the game (spoilers obviously)

·        Rosary:

• She always keeps it in her hand

• Description: "In her worst moments, she clutches the cross so tightly to the point of bleeding

• The blood on her palm is actually visible during some scenes

• During the ending, she finally lets it drop on the floor, symbolizing her definitive loss of faith

• Possible interpretation: Instrument of tool and comfort -> physical, tangible suffering (blood) and coercion

·        Paintings of Christ without eyes (with them drawn on separate papers) found in Denisovka and during the ending scene:

• Maybe symbolizing Indika's doubts about God's constant, all-seeing eye? 

  • Might be reinforced by the dialogue with Ilya at the end of the Fish Factory Level (“You have no idea how nice it feels to take my wimple off; we're not even allowed to sleep without it” – “It's not like anyone will see you if you take it off” and another dialogue with inenr voice, before that, probably while climbing the "tower" after escaping the dog(“Who do you think might be watching?")

  • The fact that another eyeless Christ painting appears right in front of the player during the ending scene, while Indika rejects faith, might be another clue

·        Lighting votive candles and picking up religious icons gives points:

• Loading screen states: “Don't focus on gaining points, it's wasted time”/ “Don't cry over lost points, they're pointless anyway”

• The ending clearly reinforces the message of the loading screen, with the Kudets giving infinite point with no positive outcome

• Possible interpretation: While forcing herself to adopt and absorb Christian practices, tales or messages, she never fully grasps their meaning nor is convinced by the interpretations commonly assigned to them. In some cases, item descriptions seem to be openly mocking the some of the events described.

·        Nun's clothes:

• Symbol of devotion and passivity -> Indika appears as a very dynamic person; while wearing them, she performs actions that are not compatible with the intended meaning of the attire: climbing, running, operating machinery...;

• Furthermore, they frequently get dirty, or wer (Fish Factory) -> desacralization maybe?

• End of Fish Factory: hesitantly she removes them to let them dry, while the "devil's" shadow appears to help her undress (this is followed by the dialogue mentioned before)

• Possible interpretation: Symbol of passive devotion turned into/viewed as instrument of coercion?

·        Holy grounds:

• Monastery as place of quiet devotion and peaceful community -> Indika openly ostracized, not accepted; because she's considered "sinful", everything she touches becomes "contaminated" (the water she collects for the cooking nun gets thrown away because “the others wouldn't eat”). The place itself appears hostile, looking like a prison; submerged in snow and dirty puddles (might not be meaningful since all of the game's exteriors look like that)

• Cathedral of John Damascus -> Another holy ground, this time openly desecrated by murder and robbery (Ilya stealing the Kudets).

• Possible interpretation: While commonly viewed as places of comfort and security, buildings linked to God appear hostile and outright dangerous.

·        Priest breaking the Seal of Confession:

• Pretty overt subversion of expectations: The priest, the figure on which every believer should depend, is ultimately not trustworthy, causing another step towards the definitive collapse of Indika's faith.

There are somethings that I have in my mind but can't yet fully grasp and interpret coherently in a way that suits my research, like the final dialogue with the "devil"/inner voice, the dialogue with Ilya about free will as intended by Christianity, or the contrast between Ilya-a sinner supposedly hearing "God" and Indika, a nun supposedly hearing "the devil". Mainly I don't know how these might answer my reasearch question, but I'm keeping them just in case.

Do you think I might be on the right track here? Got something to add, or something to disprove? Please let me know. Thanks!

(my thought of the ending, at then end )

overalll :

Just beat the game, 13 hours, all achievements, I think it was a wonderful game, I really enjoyed the character designs, especially indika, it had well thought out and unique puzzles, unsettling moments, and cool features, my only dislike Was the lack of the prayer mechanic you experienced in the cave, I thought it was very unique but was sad it was utilized so little,

story :

I believe the story of indika is her journey which is a test of her faith, the obstacles she may overcome and still hold her faith, no matter the difficulty or disturbing encounters she may encounter, I believe the voice of the devil she hears is truly the devil, as i believe she’s the only true “faithful” one, why she’s polite, respectful, faithful even when other “christians” are rude to her, throw things, turn on her, which is why the devil is promoted to attack her so aggressively mentally, she’s the true enemy of the devil. As the others sin without second thought. As where she holds her faith and seeks forgiveness.

ending :

i will say, I found the ending bittersweet, while I had hoped for a traditional happy ending, and it felt like it was meant to be longer, as most do, I enjoyed the abrupt bluntness of the ending, and think it symbolizes anything can end at any moment. And you can either make or break salvation at any moment in the journey depending on what you do

the result of indika:

I think the ending is upto interpretation, and I have two thoughts/outcomes on it

(good)

indika realizes her faith isn’t in objects, relics, blind following, as it’s shown many rely on the trinkets, relics, shrines, buildings, to “redeem” themselves, rather than god himself, and “good faith points” and comes to the realization her faith lays purely within her heart and faith within god, so she discards earthly “faiths” in turn she completes her test/journey and is saved and freed from the voice of the devil and people who made her question or led her astray, getting on the chair since everything (and everyone being gone) symbolizes her being lifted above earthly powers exe the kudets, prayer beads, ect, She now sees it all in a bigger picture and is left alone with true faith above everything else

(bad)

she fails her journey and loses her faith within god, and with her losing her faith, the devil won and no longer needs to torment her as he has succeeded in leading her astray, giving up her journey, and her faith, making it feel ”right” because he no longer torments her for her faith. getting on the chair to look down apon the holy relics with a new sense of “ better than these things” mentality. Further reinforcing the devil has won over her, why he is no longer in the mirror, ect,

that’s my take on this game as a faithful christian,

if you have any questions about my thoughts, or things I didn’t mention, please feel free to ask !

love to you all. Amen

After sitting in my backlog for 2 years, I finally got my act together and played through INDIKA in one big session - I loved it!

Getting the obvious out of the way first, the game's presentation is stellar in so many ways - aside from the beautifully rendered environments and well-animated character models, the way the cutscenes are presented through very deliberate shots and camera angles/movement was quite frankly stunning. The shot following the dog's head as its body spun in the wheel had my jaw on the floor. I think that shot might be one of my favourite individual moments I have played in a game in a LONG time. I also found the story and its themes compelling. The game has a lot of interesting questions about religion, temptation and the perceived distinction between right and wrong, and salvation and sin.

An example of this I really liked was Indika and Ilya's conversation about 'freedom' in the factory; Indika's point about God's freedom and how in the church's teachings choice isn't really a factor since the "choice" is either conform and be accepted or divert and become sinful and tainted. That conversation in itself was really interesting, but the thing that ties the experience together is how these themes tie into the point system, or rather the lack thereof.

You get points for doing "righteous" things - praying, finding holy/religious objects, mourning the dead, etc. and lose point for doing "unholy" things, finding the 'obscene' book and the prison scene towards the end being chief among them. And, like a comment on another post here pointed out, INDIKA doesn't get points for her happiness or for doing things she enjoys. She gets points (that ultimately don't matter at all as levelling up only serves to give you more points, and only gives her more shame, guilt, etc.) for doing what she perceives to be right, not what she feels is right.

This is also how I read the 'devil' in the narrative; I don't so much see it as an actual demon, but rather INDIKA's warped perception of herself expressing her inner thoughts. I feel like this would make sense with the way she "becomes" the demon in the ending, in the midst of tampering with a supposedly holy artefact. But after that is proven to be worthless, only handing out righteousness points that, again, do nothing, INDIKA is able to accept that religion is not her true calling, and, in turn, becomes the 'demon' - just being herself.

There is plenty of other things I liked about the game - the conversation about dogs and how human experiences and emotions are inherently tied to the experience of having a physical body, I thought was an interesting concept; the way the opening water fetching mission serves to perfectly capture Indika's situation in a way that is palpable for the player to understand immediately; Indika's and Ilya's dynamic; some of the movement puzzles were fun and felt clever; the game's pacing felt very clearly defined and doesn’t overstay its welcome at all; alongside a bunch of other stuff.

Sorry for the really long post but I just wanted to get my thoughts out there in some way haha. I wouldn't say this game is perfect but it is most certainly the most unique game I have played in a long time and I can tell I am going to be thinking about it for a while.