India might not be the first country that springs to mind when someone mentions video games, but it's one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
Industry veteran Shalin Shodhan is behind the game and tells BBC Asian Network this focus on unique stories is “bucking the trend” in India's games industry. “If you think about how much intellectual property there is in film in India, it is really surprising to think nothing indigenous exists as an original entertainment property in games," he says.Another game shown during SGF was The Palace on the Hill – a "slice-of-life" farming sim set in rural India.
Venba, a cooking sim that told the story of a migrant family reconnecting with their heritage through food, became the first game of its kind to take home a Bafta Game Award this year. Games such as these resonating with players worldwide helps perceptions from the wider industry, says Mumbai-based Indrani Ganguly, of Duronto Games.“We’re moving from India being a technical space to more of a creative hub."People who are able to make these kinds of games have always existed but now there is funding and resource opportunities available to be able to act on these creative visions.