Amazing work! The engine feels like a very restrained medium and yet here is a complex and nuanced experience! I'm really glad to see history and culture being explored through games. Especially when the delivery is so emotionally impactful.
EDIT: Ya encontré la versión en español, ¡qué bueno que la podré utilizar para mis cursos en español también!
I just played through this whole game I love it so much! Felicidades Nico and Niebla Games. Because you said feedback is welcome:
I think it's an amazing adaptation of Guaman Poma's work and it really does justice to the major themes and some of the most memorable illustrations in the original work
I'm a professor and I will definitely be teaching it in both my game studies and Latin American studies courses, what a fantastic educational tool to bring this material to younger and global audiences!
My first game system was the Atari 2600, and the graphics are such a nostalgic throwback to games like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' or 'Adventure' but in a wonderfully decolonial way, SO cool!
I have a couple small suggestions to smooth out the English--would you mind sharing the text of the script if you would be interested in that kind of feedback?
Is the game available (or could it be) in Spanish? Quechua? That would be so cool too!
The soundtrack is 💯
Okay I'm not a game developer, but one observation is that in one of my favorite serious games, Anna Anthropy's Dys4ia (https://w.itch.io/dys4ia), the narrative is complemented by a series of repeating mini-game mechanics that actively engage the player and gradually increase in difficulty, with a focus on level design and interactivity that (to my way of thinking) enhances the transmission of the message.
That's 👆a "for what it's worth" comment, because I think this game already does a great job of leading the player on an interactive journey through Guaman Poma's text that transmits its meaning beautifully. Una belleza de verdad Nico
Whoa, impressive work here. The full screen fresque made me facing the spanish invasion, and the music, put me in a sad mood. Very glad that tools like bitsy exist and allow your team to sing this story.
Haven't done it yet, but looking forward to watch the video and reference.
For me, this game is a testament to why game engines like Bitsy should exist, among other things: to give voices to obscure historical narratives and bring into the light both their universal humanistic values and bizarre idiosyncratic charm. I really admire the way you've presented Guaman Poma's figure and his work: without handholdings and simplifications, with all the unique contradictions of his time and his character. I liked the kind of dialogism that Maqui brings into the picture, introducing this kind of Hamletian self-doubt, so characteristic of early modern European worldview. And it fits here perfectly since Guaman has received a European education and thus was very likely to have these kinds of thoughts when he was writing his letter. So it's interesting how this game reflects this sort of duality of traditionalism and modern thinking, which was probably characteristic of Guaman and his writings.
I also want to compliment the visual style of the game. It's one of the most lush and vibrant Bitsy games I've played, with some of the wildest color palettes and some of the most intricate and rich tilework. I especially liked traditional patterns interwoven into the spaces of the game, further enhancing the feeling of a blend between the reality of reason and the reality of myth. I liked how one of the main ideas in the story - that of weaving as a form of traditional storytelling - is consistently visualized through the images of Qipus and traditional tapestry.
Overall, this is a helluva impressive achievement for the first Bisy game :) Really glad you've made this game and shared it with the world!
Thank you so much for your comment and close reading/play of the entire experience. I deeply appreciate it and was moved by your words. I really needed to tell this story, and in this way. Knowing that someone had played it with such attention and commitment pushed me to polish some final details and, finally, try to add music. After composing a short Andean MIDI song (aiming to emulate the sounds of the charango and zampoña/panflute), I uploaded this version with "Guaman's song." After some challenges trying to incorporate Bitsy Muse I was able to build a version with four audio , but it seems to function only locally. Unfortunately, I've had issues with Itch.Io when uploading a zip file with more than one audio track.
Thank you once again for your feedback and for that push to achieve this final version <3
I'm glad you've found my feedback inspiring! It was my pleasure.
As for the audio, have you been following the Bitsy Muse instructions and added all of the soundtracks into the folder? Also, there's an 'add bitsy audio' tool, don't know if you've used it. I didn't work for me, but maybe you'll have better luck. Unfortunately, Bitsy Muse have not been supported for some time now, as far as I understand, hence the compatibility problems with newer versions of Bitsy.
![Hawk & Puma [A game about the indigenous chronicler Guamán Poma]](https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzE1NzQ5NzE4LmpwZw==/original/onSwpC.jpg)
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Amazing work! Thank you!
Amazing work! The engine feels like a very restrained medium and yet here is a complex and nuanced experience!
I'm really glad to see history and culture being explored through games. Especially when the delivery is so emotionally impactful.
EDIT: Ya encontré la versión en español, ¡qué bueno que la podré utilizar para mis cursos en español también!
I just played through this whole game I love it so much! Felicidades Nico and Niebla Games. Because you said feedback is welcome:
Whoa, impressive work here. The full screen fresque made me facing the spanish invasion, and the music, put me in a sad mood. Very glad that tools like bitsy exist and allow your team to sing this story.
Haven't done it yet, but looking forward to watch the video and reference.
Thank you for the game!
For me, this game is a testament to why game engines like Bitsy should exist, among other things: to give voices to obscure historical narratives and bring into the light both their universal humanistic values and bizarre idiosyncratic charm. I really admire the way you've presented Guaman Poma's figure and his work: without handholdings and simplifications, with all the unique contradictions of his time and his character. I liked the kind of dialogism that Maqui brings into the picture, introducing this kind of Hamletian self-doubt, so characteristic of early modern European worldview. And it fits here perfectly since Guaman has received a European education and thus was very likely to have these kinds of thoughts when he was writing his letter. So it's interesting how this game reflects this sort of duality of traditionalism and modern thinking, which was probably characteristic of Guaman and his writings.
I also want to compliment the visual style of the game. It's one of the most lush and vibrant Bitsy games I've played, with some of the wildest color palettes and some of the most intricate and rich tilework. I especially liked traditional patterns interwoven into the spaces of the game, further enhancing the feeling of a blend between the reality of reason and the reality of myth. I liked how one of the main ideas in the story - that of weaving as a form of traditional storytelling - is consistently visualized through the images of Qipus and traditional tapestry.
Overall, this is a helluva impressive achievement for the first Bisy game :) Really glad you've made this game and shared it with the world!
Dear Valeriy,
Thank you so much for your comment and close reading/play of the entire experience. I deeply appreciate it and was moved by your words. I really needed to tell this story, and in this way. Knowing that someone had played it with such attention and commitment pushed me to polish some final details and, finally, try to add music. After composing a short Andean MIDI song (aiming to emulate the sounds of the charango and zampoña/panflute), I uploaded this version with "Guaman's song." After some challenges trying to incorporate Bitsy Muse I was able to build a version with four audio , but it seems to function only locally. Unfortunately, I've had issues with Itch.Io when uploading a zip file with more than one audio track.
Thank you once again for your feedback and for that push to achieve this final version <3
Best,
Nico.
I'm glad you've found my feedback inspiring! It was my pleasure.
As for the audio, have you been following the Bitsy Muse instructions and added all of the soundtracks into the folder? Also, there's an 'add bitsy audio' tool, don't know if you've used it. I didn't work for me, but maybe you'll have better luck. Unfortunately, Bitsy Muse have not been supported for some time now, as far as I understand, hence the compatibility problems with newer versions of Bitsy.