Set in colonial India, Oleomingus’ Somewhere lets you choose your own adventure… within its own adventure

This year seems to be a resurgence of sorts for Indian games on PC. We’ve seen stellar releases in the form of Unrest, Lovely Planet, and Dynetzlle, and indie stalwarts like Shailesh Prabhu toying with the idea of releasing games on the platform as well. But this isn’t all. Oleomingus, a studio based in Gujarat is working on Somewhere. We took its alpha standalone build called Rituals for a spin and we were entertained.

[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKCzKOcx7Nw[/fve]

(See: ‘It’s harder to make an original casual game than to make a hardcore game’: an interview with Yellow Monkey Studios)

Somewhere is an adventure game with puzzle, stealth, and exploration elements. It takes place in an alternative version of colonial India and is entirely in first-person. The narrative revolves around the search for a mythical town called Kayamgadh.

Sounds bizarre enough? It doesn’t end there. The game lets you control every character. You shift between characters as the plot progresses. This happens by peering into books, delving into flashbacks (which can be triggered during conversations), simply looking into photographs, or just sneaking up on NPCs and possessing them. It’s a cool mechanic that adds a fresh dimension to your usual point and click fare.

Much like Unrest there’s no handholding, hints, or navigation systems to tell you where to go or what to do. Instead, you’ll find yourself mucking around with whatever the game has to offer. And it works. Somewhere’s alpha build gives you enough to play around with. It’s easy to be immersed in some good old fashioned storytelling brought to you by text and gorgeous art. There are a few smartly used sound-effects and music to take the plot forward as well. The old saying about the journey being more important than the destination holds true here.

(See: Unrest review: an Indian indie putting big budget RPGs to shame)

Though the alpha build can be finished in under ten minutes, there’s fun to be had simply interacting with this surreal representation of pre-Independence India. But it isn’t without its quirks. For one, the game’s stealth mechanics are nice for sneaking up on characters, giving you the chance to play the game from their perspective, but there’s very little use of it apart from this. Secondly, if you’re the impatient sort, you might find the lack of navigation markers annoying. As would be the reams of text to read through if you prefer a more vivid portrayal of events via cutscenes. This is one for the patient gamer.

Nonetheless, it sports a fantastic looking aesthetic that makes it standout from most other games in the genre. With a complex approach to game design and slick production values, we can’t wait to see Somewhere released in its entirety. Sadly there’s no set date or price for it yet, but you can check out the alpha build here.

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