Koira: Everything We Know

In the gaming world, only a handful of games manage to leave an indelible mark on a player's mind. Limbo by PlayDead is one of the few that made the cut. This enigmatic masterpiece has been praised for its hauntingly beautiful art style, atmospheric ambience, and thought-provoking gameplay. 

Ambitiously, Koira, an upcoming title, is following the same trajectory; an adventure set in a monochrome ambience with a simple premise that captivates the hearts of many. If you loved Limbo, you'd feel right at home with this one. But before it drops, let's peel back the layers of everything we know about Koira. 

What is Koira?

Developer Tolima will set you off on a wholesome adventure in their upcoming title, Koira. The game promises heartwarming and enchanting escapades backed by magic and an original soundtrack. The hand-drawn artistry comes to life in 2D animation that harmonizes with its poetic narrative. At face value, it is a great game to lighten your spirits after a bleak day. 

Koira director Ben Laga describes the game as 

” Koira is an evocative experience that explores the theme of friendship with a little puppy. Through a thoughtful and minimalistic approach, our story comes to life, relying on the powerful combination of expressive hand-drawn graphics and a poignant original soundtrack. This game is our love letter to the medium, and we can't wait to start sharing more details about it.”

Story

Koira centers on a young girl's spirit-filled adventure in an enchanted forest. The game grants you a companion, a young pup that you must rescue first. After that, you go about your exploration in the woods while avoiding the vicious dogs and obstacles. You aim to find safety while making connections with woodland animals. 

Think of it as a reimagined version of Alice in Wonderland. Instead of a vibrant white rabbit, you get a wide-eyed, ecstatic pup.

From the horse's mouth: 

“You wake far from the heart of the forest – from home. Somewhere in the distance, a puppy's wail echoes through the trees. It sounds like it needs help. You get to your feet… Koira is a heartwarming tale where you befriend and protect your new puppy from danger. Traverse a musical forest, solve ancient puzzles, meet woodland creatures, and try to find your way home. Discover your untapped powers and learn the true value of friendship.”

Gameplay

The game enlists three key features as part of its gameplay, which we assume will be segmented into parts. At its inception, your task will be to save the puppy after hearing its cry for help. Next, you set off on an adventure to discover what the forest holds. 

Koira is a 2D adventure and atmospheric game, according to the game's Steam page. Exploration is the center of its gameplay, coupled with solving puzzles. Your hound companion is critical to helping you get through these puzzles. Keep in mind that he is not your average pup. Your companion possesses various abilities that come in handy during your adventure. Team up together to solve puzzles and shield you from danger. 

Thankfully, in hindsight, the puzzles are not cryptic conundrums. From the shared visuals, one puzzle will entail finding a key to free a captured beast. Perhaps this is one of the ways players will create bonds with other creatures in the forest. 

Development

Studio Tolima is teaming up with Publisher Don't Nod in this exciting musical adventure. The game is the second third-party game by Don't Nod, the studio behind the episodic graphic adventure game Life is Strange 2. This is a familiar niche for the studio, having developed a range of adventure-fueled games in the past. 

In 2016, one of the studio's flounders, Oskar Guilbert, revealed that the studio would be focusing on independent projects instead of triple-A releases. These games would focus on authentic, narrative-driven IPs. The upcoming title is flying close to the studio's goal as an atmospheric and narrative-driven IP to echo Guilbert’s sentiments.

In 2021, the company ventured into third-party publishing to expand its portfolio. Gerta: A Flame in Winter was the first game to see the Day of Light. The second game, Jusant, is slated for release in 2023

On the other hand, Koira is Studio Tolima's first tango. While it's not unusual for new developers to hit the ground running with their debut games, we are confident that this partnership will elevate the game to new and exciting heights. The Brussels-based indie game development company is particularly enthralled by the upcoming title. See their latest tweet below.

We are beyond excited to announce our debut game Koira!

Befriend a little puppy and venture through a magical forest together, but be wary of lurking dangers 🐕‍🦺

Published by our friends at @DONTNOD_Ent#indiedev #gamedev #GodotEngine #Koira #cute #indiegame #2dgame pic.twitter.com/slgHyjWdrP

— Studio Tolima ➡️ GamesCom (@StudioTolima) August 17, 2023

Trailer

The studios released an announcement trailer to give a visual idea of what the game is shaping up to be.

The 51-second trailer showcases the atmospheric grayscale with a dash-of-color and a moving soundtrack. You can see it for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Koira will be launching for PC on Steam in 2025. The developers have yet to give a precise date for its release. However, this proves that the game is still in the early stages of development. Does this mean the game won't launch on consoles? We can't say for sure, but we can't deny the possibility. Previous games that launched on PC found their way to consoles. Perhaps this will happen in the distant future. After all, it happened to Doom. 

As for editions, Koira will launch with just one standard copy, which will be available to purchase from Steam. You can wishlist it on the game's Steam Page.

Does this game intrigue you? You can stay updated with its development on Studio Tolima's official feed here. If anything changes ahead of its 2023 launch, we'll be sure to fill you in on all the details right here on gaming.net.

As we wait for its launch, you can check out other adventure-filled games for the perfect evening winddown here. 

So, what's your take? Will you pick up a copy of Koira when it comes to PC? Let us know your thoughts on our socials here.