Magical island adventure Tchia shines in its tropical sandbox.
The democratization of video game development has paved the way for fantastic new adventures to be possible on PCs and consoles since ever more complex gameplay features, stories and worlds can be created. From a robed figure trying to reach the top of a mountain to a courageous young girl fighting to save her father, indies have given new meaning to what a creative game is. And Tchia, a new, breezy open-world adventure developed and published by Awaceb does precisely that.
When you start a new game, you are presented with a brief message by the developers of Tchia explaining how it is based in a real place called New Caledonia and paying homage to it in every way from the language to the culture. The founders of Awaceb previously mentioned in interviews how they wanted to recreate that feeling of awe when they were kids. It is easy to see that this is a work of love, from more than 5 years since its inception to its final release in 2023.
Tchia, a young girl, begins her journey on a small island with her father by her side with no worries to think about, until he is kidnapped and taken to the main islands of the archipelago they are a part of. The way the game begins it actually makes you feel like there will not be any conflict until of course, there must be a narrative device to keep things moving along. The young Tchia must travel to the huge archipelago with her wits and a slingshot her father left her just before he left.
Once you’re let free in the impressive islands, you quickly learn that Tchia can run, jump, climb, glide, swim, dive and most importantly “soul jump” into most animals and things and possess them for a determinate amount of time in order to be able to save her father. This is where Tchia starts to shine. While the story does have some narrative beats that will tug at your heartstrings, exploring is so enjoyable and the most fun part of the game.
As exploration is the main focus of Tchia, it is always exciting to possess with the Soul Jump ability of cats, dolphins & birds to find what better suits your traversing. Sometimes you’ll even need a crab to help you out with certain missions due to their strong pincers. The sheer number of activities in the two main islands of Tchia and the secrets surrounding them will impress and hook your collectathon brain to try to find every single mystery this archipelago has to offer.
In order to find your bearings and look out for every single item that you can possibly find there are places called points of view in which Tchia can, in a particularly entertaining fashion, shout at and reveal all the objects close to you. Another little detail is that Tchia does not show where she is exactly on the map, but rather an overall area where she might be. And that is where the compass comes in handy, as that shows you where you should go next to find whatever you are looking for.
All items emanate a light that you can especially see at night, enticing you to look out for and find just one more item. There are many activities that Tchia can participate in, including races, rock balancing, totem carving, treasure hunting and more, all with a specific reward that will help Tchia in her journey to rescue her father.
At a certain point, once you have advanced long in the story quests, there are factories scattered across the map with plenty of enemies. These areas ramp up combat complexity considerably, and you will need to make the most of your abilities learned so far. Without going into too much detail, if you decide to explore and go the extra mile, several skills will be rather useful for these intense encounters.
After you complete the quests of most chapters, there are musical numbers that you can be a part of, which also basically count as rhythm games. The different instruments that you can use are the ukulele and clapping, where the purpose is to enjoy the moment and have fun, to the point that it is not necessary to play them as there is an option for the sequence to play itself to let you enjoy and breathe in the melody. Here is where Tchia’s attention to detail and inspiration are most noticeable, as the dancing, costumes, instruments, and even food shown are very true to life.
A delightful part of Tchia’s adventure is its deep customization, as she’s able to dress from head to toe with different pieces of clothing. Her ukulele, glider and every sort of accessory from hats to sunglasses and sandals can be changed to your liking. Varied styles, such as designs from fellow indie games Cat Quest and the upcoming pirate game Flintlock in the Oléti Edition offer an added element to Tchia’s sense of fashion.
The music of Tchia was also inspired by the islands of New Caledonia and the cultures it comprises and it shows. The soothing sounds as you are exploring the pristine beaches of Tchia go hand in hand with it. Your ukulele can play certain songs called Soul Melodies that influence the atmosphere around you, like making it rain.
There is too a robust free jam mode to play with your ukulele. You can strum up or down, play different chords, single notes, and even change octaves if you wish to do so. Already covers of classic songs like Somewhere Over The Rainbow have been shared thanks to this gratifying mode.
Although Tchia’s aesthetic might seem to be aimed at kids it is clearly not so, and in fact is more of a young adult audience. Certain scenes include blood and cannibalism that even though it looks cartoony it could take certain players by surprise. Thankfully, there is a Family mode in the menu to avoid certain sequences that might be too intense for certain players.
It is refreshing to see developers like Awaceb so unabashedly true to themselves and to New Caledonia, the place that inspired them to the point that the only available languages are the natively spoken in the islands, which are French and Drehu. There is no available way to change the voice acting, and English is only available with subtitles. While some people might take issue with it, it is commendable to see why the studio wanted to stay truthful to the game they set out to make.
The care put into Tchia does not only show homage to the place it was inspired from, as there are plenty of accessibility features too. Changing the button placement, skipping entire gameplay sections and in a more recent update a fidelity and performance mode are some of the offerings that go a long way.
Certain features like the invincibility mode are quite helpful, most notably in endgame platforming sections that fire up the difficulty, and as Tchia does not have the most precise platforming or dodging they could be somewhat challenging to certain players.
Tchia shines at its best when you are immersed in its laidback, breezy islands with the peaceful music taking over, unwinding and relaxing while exploring the many secrets of the archipelago. All in all a solid indie adventure that gives homage to a beautiful culture, enriching and teaching you about them in the process.
