MADE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Forging a game from myths and tales
She and The Light Bearer
Story rich puzzle adventure
She and the Light Bearer is infused with poetry and beautiful artistry, but it’s the way it brings ancient Indonesian tales to life that really makes it unique.
Made in Indonesia, this point-and-click game tells the story of a firefly looking for Mother, a figure who has been missing for too long. Throughout its journey, the firefly discovers that Mother has been asleep all along, hidden by a magical forest, and it will need to accomplish a number of tasks to reach her and save the forest from creatures called the Devourers.
According to Brigitta Rena, the game’s creator and a 2D artist and illustrator at Mojiken Studio, “The story draws inspiration from Indonesian myths, tales and the personification of the motherland: Ibu Pertiwi.”
Ibu Pertiwi, a term from the Hindu goddess Prithvi Mata meaning Mother Earth, is the title of an Indonesian patriotic song that tells of the sorrow of Mother Earth and the promise of her children to keep her safe. Rena says this song helped inspire the story within the game.
Incorporating cultural elements into the game was no small feat. Rena says that the rich and diverse Indonesian culture can be “foreign and mysterious, even for us Indonesians”.
The team researched Indonesian culture to find visual art styles, plants and creatures that would create the perfect blend for the game’s environment and characters. Patterns seen within the game are loosely adapted from those commonly used in hand-woven fabrics from across the archipelago, known as batik, ikat and songket.
She and the Light Bearer is as much a musical journey as it is a visual one. The combination of Javanese, modern blues and post-rock musical styles lends the game a soothing yet mysterious aura as you solve puzzles and riddles.
“Most of the instruments that we used for the composition are wood-based because we were trying to depict the warm feeling of nature,” Rena explains. Further into the game, the music changes as more metal-based instruments are used. This is to provide players with a sense that something is afoot, that all is not the same as when the journey began.
The studio collaborated with a Surabaya–based indie band, Pathetic Experience, who helped create an incredible game playing experience. “Their melodies serve as the main leitmotif in each of the compositions, bringing the forest and its inhabitants to life,” Rena says.
The fusion of these contrasting elements makes She and the Light Bearer a truly special game. A firefly with an inquisitive nature, the secretive and playful forest creatures, along with the subtle changes within each scene make for a compelling storytelling experience that you’ll wish would never end.