A few weeks ago we talked about the video game Aztech Forgotten Godsfrom the Mexican studio Lienzo. We even interviewed its narrative designer. That title surprised us with a world proud of its Aztec inspiration and made us wonder something. Where are the games that show us indigenous Latin American cultures?
The Mayans, Aztecs, Incas and other cultures have been very present in the world of great video games, but only through ruins explored by heroes like Lara Croft. It is not easy to find a representation that distances itself from exotic and sometimes racist stereotypes.
Fortunately. We didn’t have to look far to find the answer. The best representation of Latin American indigenous cultures is in the ‘indie’ world and here we have three excellent examples in the form of recent titles.
ITORAH
Little Itorah is the last human in the world of Nahucan, where a mysterious plague threatens to devour everything. With the help of a living weapon named Koda, he must scour this land in search of the secrets that doomed it.
ITORAH is a 2.5D platform and action game with levels that resemble the structure of a ‘metroidvania’, but are much more linear. Despite its clear inspiration in Mesoamerican mythology, its creators —the Grimbart Tales studio— are German.
Currently this game is only available on PC. We can find it on Steam and GoG.
Imp of the Sun
Nin is a little devil who was born from the final spark of the sun and whose mission is to restore the power of the star king. To achieve this, he has to defeat the Four Guardians who have plunged the world into an eternal eclipse. He must hurry before everything is consumed by darkness.
Like ITORAH, Imp of the Sun is a 2D platform action game with beautiful art. The fights emphasize using combos to defeat enemies. Their art, music, and the relics we find while playing celebrate Andean civilizations and cultures. Its creators, the Sunwolf Entertainment studio, are from Peru.
This game is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Tunche
Enough of 2D action and platform games. Tunche belongs to the ‘beat em’ up’ genre and mixes it with ‘roguelike’ elements. The powerful creature Tunche has gone mad and evil beings are taking over the jungle. Rumi and her friends must find out what happened and restore peace to the Amazon.
This game from the Peruvian developer team LEAP Game Studios has impressed us with its beautiful animations, cartoonish style, and fun gameplay. We can also enjoy it cooperatively with up to three more friends.
we will find Tunche in the digital stores of PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Steam and the Epic Games Store.
These are not the only games inspired by Latin American indigenous cultures. Aztez is a stylized action title set in the world of the Aztec Empire. Mulakafrom the same study Aztech Forgotten Godsis inspired by the Tarahumara culture and Colombian actress Paula Garces introduced us Aluna: Sentinel of the Shardsbased on his own comic and with elements inspired by the Taironas of our country.
