Indian game "Raji" nominated for Best debut Indie game at The Game Awards 2020

It's a big day for India, as for the first time, Raji, a game developed in the country, has been nominated in the best Debut Indie Game category at the Game Awards 2020.

Developed in a studio in Pune, Maharashtra, Raji follows the story of a young girl who is chosen by the gods to stand against various demonic forces. The game relies heavily on Hindu and Balinese mythology, while the setting is closely based on the state of Rajasthan.

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Raji: An Ancient Epic at the Game Awards 2020

Image Credits: Nodding Heads Games

Released in August 2020 for Nintendo, and in October 2020 for Windows, the developers had a tough time pushing the game to the masses. The development for the title began way back in 2018, but it was a slow process because the makers couldn't generate the required funds.

The gameplay and the visuals are simply breathtaking, with the game featuring it's very own sound track as well. The visuals represent a Pahari style of painting, and it draws inspiration from the Ramayana as well as Mahabharata.

The entire global community was pretty excited when the game first released, and now that the game has been nominated for the awards, that excitement is sure to increase tenfold.

Love the fact that Raji is a game set in India made by Indian devs! Can’t wait to get stuck in. Take a look. pic.twitter.com/8D8HEN0uBo

— Alex Hutchinson (@BangBangClick) October 21, 2020

Image Credits: The Game Awards 2020

Image Credits: Raji: An Ancient Epic Discord server

Here's how one of the developers reacted to the nomination that the game received:

"This nomination definitely does put India on the global map when it comes to game development. And this is the first time a game developed in India, has made it to such a spot. Developers in India were more concerned with developing mobile games because of it's swift income bracket."

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One of the founders of the studio behind the development of Raji actually had to sell her apartment to sustain the team of developers working on the project.

However, after such a struggle, to see the game get nominated in the best debut indie game category, will surely have brought immense pride, to not only those who were involved in developing the game, but also to every single Indian in the global gaming community.

Via The Game Awards 2020

The developers paid a lot of attention to the history of both Indian and Balinese cultures. Architecture is another area that was given strong focus, because the developers believe that to be one form of art that is dying out slowly.

There is hope across the nation now that more Indian studios come out and develop amazing games like Raji in the future.