You know, we only just realised that there aren’t many games, if any, that are directly based around India, or it’s rich and ancient culture. This really needs to change, and fortunately, thanks to Kickstarter, Unrest is here to do just that!
We recently had the opportunity to talk with Arvind Yadav, the creative mind behind the game, to tell us more about it.
Could you tell us about using Kickstarter as a way to get your game funded?
Arvind: Kickstarter has helped our team make the game a lot better. I think it is a great place to present ideas to the general public, and feedback from our backers has been very helpful in improving the game. I am very grateful that we did the campaign.
What inspired “Unrest”, and who thought of the name?
Arvind: My hometown of Jaipur inspired a lot of the architecture and parts of the story in the game. The method of storytelling and the chapter-based layout was inspired in part by Pulp Fiction. I came up with the title, as I think it suits the game perfectly. “Unrest” gives the impression that everything is not right in this fictional city.
We’re very intrigued by the setting! Could you tell us why you chose ancient India?
Arvind: As a person living in India, there aren’t enough games set in my country! I feel as if the global industry is ignoring a very rich culture and history, especially since there isn’t one Indian setting – there are several dynasties, religions, myths and stories in India that I feel can be explored in various forms of media. Unrest is just my attempt at exploring a small subset of that setting.
How would you explain “Unrest” to someone unfamiliar with the game?
Arvind: Unrest is an adventure RPG where you play as ordinary people with their own problems and agendas. Set in a fictional ancient Indian city on the verge of a regime change, the game has a branching narrative and focus on storytelling. During the course of the game, you play as five characters – each of whom can die or fail in their objectives. However, failure or death isn’t a “game over” – the game will incorporate that in the plot and the story will adapt and continue.
What has been the biggest challenge since you’ve been working on “Unrest”?
Arvind: The branching narrative has been a big design challenge – for example, our demo can end in five or six different ways. Production-wise, all team members live in different parts of the world (India, Estonia, USA, Canada) and coordination can often result in sleep deprivation.
Could you tell us a little more about the RPG elements of the game?
Arvind: Role-playing in Unrest is primarily focused on giving players lots of choices while still conveying the social system they are present in. There is very little combat and no stat-management, instead most of the “RPG” aspect comes from the traits the player gets as they make specific decisions, and the various paths which they can choose to take.
Have there been any mechanics that you wanted to include, but didn’t make the cut?
Arvind: Lots! Stealth mechanics and group-based combat were considered in the early stages, but ultimately did not make the cut.
The art style of the game is very unique! Can you tell us some of the methods you used?
Arvind: The game is drawn using photoshop, and we used skeletal 2D animations to animate the characters.
Can you share something new about the game that we can share as an exclusive for our readers?
Arvind: As an independent developer, there aren’t too many things I’ve kept secret, but Unrest has a playable Naga character, inspired by mythological tales from ancient India.
Finally, when will our readers be able to go hands on with the game?
Arvind: Unrest releases on July 23rd on Steam.
