Aikyam: Everything We Know

Very few video games draw inspiration from Bollywood cinema, which is popularly known for its ceremonial musical and dance performances. Aikyam is determined to close that gap, one game at a time. It’s too early to know just how accurate a representation of Bollywood the game makes. Still, we do have a couple of concrete details about the upcoming game. Check out everything we know about Aikyam down below.

What is Aikyam?

Aikyam is an upcoming Bollywood-inspired, third-person, turn-based fantasy RPG. It features disgruntled villagers who you must dazzle by engaging in extravagant turn-based battles. The goal is to rally as many villagers as you can to fight against the demons that have invaded your home. 

Aikyam plans to blend a unique art style, immersive rhythm-based musical combat, and a compelling storyline that draws heavy inspiration from Bollywood cinema. If done well, Aikyam could offer a fresh take on the RPG genre and open up a new gaming world of limitless possibilities.

Wondering if the popular Bollywood musical dances will feature in Aikyam? Well, the turn-based battles plan to incorporate dance sequences, likely similar to the charismatic Bollywood music and dance performances. Characters, too, have a unique chibi art style, spicing up the visual look and feel of the game. 

Story

Aikyam takes place in a fantasy village called Aikyam, inspired by ancient India. Chaos breaks out in the village when the beloved co-mayors suddenly disappear. The village descends into turmoil. You’ll follow the stories of Vishva, Ramli, and Guru-ji, three protagonists from different generations, as they attempt to save the village. They embark on compelling quests to solve the disappearances of their mayors.

Along their journey, they stumble onto an entangled web of mysteries, among them a story arc about lurking demons eager to take advantage of the mayhem and steal the village’s most prized possession, the Celestian Glue. The Celestian Glue is not only a precious heirloom but also a powerful artifact that, once the demons get their hands on it, will use its power to cast the village into eternal darkness.

Meanwhile, the villagers have lost all hope and are swimming in a sea of self-pity. So, you kick off a series of extravagant turn-based battles to take them out of their misery.  These infuse song and dance, with the end goal being to win over the villagers’ hearts. Through lavish, cinematic battles, you’ll rally as many villagers as you can. In the end, you’ll unite the villagers and take down the demons once and for all. 

Gameplay

Aikyam’s gameplay centers around three key features: musical combat, recruiting allies, and a unique art style. Aikyam seeks to “unleash your inner Bollywood star.” You’ll do so via extravagant battles that will feel like a dance of showing your best moves. You’ll make dramatic jumps, twirls, and complete gravity-defying stunts that draw heavy inspiration from the iconic Bollywood movies and series. The controls will require pressing buttons in time with the music to execute the turn-based battles flawlessly.

Furthermore, Aikyam pushes you to spread kindness in the village. You’ll engage in acts of kindness that will create ripple effects all throughout the village. These will unlock new, charming missions for spreading compassion. As you complete missions, the villagers you help will offer to join you in battles. While your recruits are not fighting, they will be cheering you on, providing moral support. 

Lastly, you’ll comb through a charming, vast, fantastical, and unique world that draws inspiration from ancient India. You’ll meet exciting characters who’ll join forces with you to take on demons twice their size. Aikyam’s unique style will merge Bollywood-inspired dance and music with chibi character designs. As a result, you can look forward to a distinct style that feels immersive and engaging to play.

Development

Developer Thousand Stars Studio is currently working on Aikyam. They will also be producing the game. The studio is based in Toronto, Canada, and prides itself on crafting “multi-cultural, story-driven, and imaginative games.” They’re no strangers to the gaming world, having developed several light-hearted and family-friendly games. 

Thousand Stars is responsible for the charming original Botabot and Milkyway VR games. Moreover, they’ve helped bring to life projects like NERF Ultimate Championship VR, Flying Neko Delivery, Skategirl Destroys the Universe VR, and Terrorarium. With the studio’s wealth of experience in designing and developing vibrant games, Aikyam couldn’t be in better hands. At the moment, Aikyam plans to support the English language only.

Trailer

The Aikyam announcement trailer is out now via YouTube. Right off the bat, Aikyam looks as charming as can be. It ushers us into a vibrant world bursting with color and promise. We get glimpses into some of the exciting characters to expect. 

Even more so, it shows sneak peeks into some of the turn-based battles to expect. Characters fight in what looks like quick-time events in an almost more dance-like fighting style. The striking similarity to Dreams aside, Aikyam seems to be shaping up to charm its way into our hearts and minds.

Release Date, Platform & Editions

While Aikyam’s announcement trailer is already out, we still don’t have an exact release date yet. The upcoming game’s Steam store page says that it’s “coming soon.” Meanwhile, Thousand Stars’ website states the game will arrive in 2025. 

We do have confirmation of the platforms. You can look forward to Aikyam launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms via Steam. Feel free to add Aikyam to your Steam wishlist to get a notification when it drops. As for the editions, they remain unconfirmed at this time.

Many details are still under wraps, including the release date and more in-depth gameplay footage. To keep up with new updates, you can always follow the official social handle here. Alternatively, stick with us right here on gaming.net, where we post new information about upcoming games as soon as they come up.

So, what’s your take? Will you be grabbing a copy of Aikyam when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.