![Hawk & Puma [A game about the indigenous chronicler Guamán Poma]](https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzE1NzQ5NzE4LmpwZw==/original/onSwpC.jpg)
Hawk & Puma [A game about the indigenous chronicler Guamán Poma]
Hawk & Puma 🦅🐆
🌐 [ English / Quechua / Spanish ]
Hawk and Puma is a minimalist game that pays tribute to Guaman Poma, the indigenous chronicler of the Andes. Through a research-creation process, this game reimagines Guaman's journey, exploring themes of racism, sovereignty, and religion from decolonial aesthetics and Andean-inspired music.
This project has been developed in collaboration with members of the ÑawpaÑan community in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco, Peru, allowing us to create the final version in English, Spanish, and Quechua, and plan upcoming ludic workshops with community youth as part of the ethical research-creation process.
Controllers and Specifications
🖱️ Start: Click on sub-screen.
▶️ Movement:
- 🖥️ Arrow Keys or W=⬆️, A=⬅️, S=⬇️, D=➡️.
- 📱 Swipe Up, Left, Down, Right.
- ⏭️ Continue/Next Text: Any key.
⌛ Length: 10 - 15 min.
Research-Creation Overview
Waman Poma (Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala), an indigenous chronicler from the Andes, is one of the foremost exponents of indigenous literary and visual creation in America. His masterpiece, "El Primer Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno," is notable for denouncing the abuses committed by the Spanish against indigenous peoples in a letter to King Felipe III. But this was no ordinary letter: it spanned 1000 pages with 400 hand-drawn ink illustrations. This colossal work disappeared for centuries but was rediscovered in the early 20th century in the library of the Danish crown. It is one of the few creative and cultural expressions that remain (almost) intact from the early period of the European conquest of the Andean region.
Its content, coupled with the aura of mystery surrounding its author, has inspired me to undertake this research-creation work. Using Bitsy, an open-source engine for developing minimalist video games, and engaging with the work of intellectuals like Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, “Halcón y Puma” aims to pay tribute to Guamán through speculative fiction. The project seeks to converge various thematic axes such as racism, sovereignty, and religion. My approach focuses on an aesthetic approximation, not seeking a realistic historical reproduction, but rather an updating of the past in the present. This will be achieved through a dialogue with decolonial aesthetic theories, seeking to materialize elements of a distant era, accessible only through works like this or creative imagination. Additionally, for this project, I have digitally processed some of the chronicler's illustrations to present them in a pixel art style, thanks to the tools developed by the Bitsy community. I have also composed a song inspired by Andean music for Guaman, attempting to emulate the sounds of a charango and a zampoña/panflute using MIDI.
In the game, players join Guaman on his journey to defend the lives and rights of the indigenous peoples of the region. Along the way, he encounters a spirit from distant lands who constantly questions his motives. This spirit is a representation of Niccolò Machiavelli, a figure who challenges Guaman from a different worldview and set of motivations. This creative exercise is particularly intriguing due to several important details discovered during the research process: 1) Guaman is writing to the King, while Machiavelli wrote to the Prince. 2) Both are figures from significant historical, political, and cultural transitions. 3) Machiavelli passed away just a couple of years before Guaman Poma's probable birth. As a result, Maqui, the spirit players will encounter, is a lost soul who arrived with some colonizers in Tahuantinsuyo.
Content Warning:
This game includes explicit depictions of violence, based on the historical chronicles of Guamán Poma. These depictions are used to highlight the abuses suffered by the indigenous peoples of the region during the colonial period. The content may be disturbing and is presented with the purpose of raising awareness about the history and struggles of these peoples. Viewer discretion is advised while playing.
Credits:
Nico Valdivia Hennig (he/they/él), Creative Director at Niebla Games, Game Studies Researcher, Psychologist, and Educator. Nico is doing their PhD in Hispanic Studies at the University of California, Riverside, with an emphasis on Speculative Fiction. Their field of research is Game Design and Production in Latin America and in the Global South. Additionally, Nico is Co-Founder of Río Junto, a Latin American Cultural Exchange Hub.
Maureen Berho (she/they/ella), CEO and Producer at Niebla Games. She previously served as a Member of the Board of Directors for VG Chile, the Chilean Trade Association of Video Game Development Companies from 2016 to 2017. Maureen is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable video game industry, and has collaborated with various organizations to achieve this goal. She is particularly passionate about supporting women and LGBTQIA+ game developers in Chile, and since 2021 she has been working on building a network to help them succeed. Due to her work, Maureen was recognized in the worldwide list of 100 Game Changers by GamesIndustry.Biz in 2020.
Kenia Chavez Ccahuana (Quechua Version), born in the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a Quechua-Andean background in Cusco, Peru, she was a member of the Indigenous Collective at the University of Chile. She belongs to the ÑawpaÑan community in Cusco, Peru, and is currently collaborating with the Anumkan Space Foundation in Santiago, Chile.
Cesar Siccos Yucra (Quechua Version), born in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco with a family background of Quechua speakers, is a trilingual tourism guide fluent in Quechua, Spanish, and Portuguese. He belongs to the ÑawpaÑan community in Cusco, Peru, and is currently pursuing his studies in English.
Jessica Siccos Yucra (Quechua Version), born in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco with a family background of Quechua speakers, is currently completing her higher education in bilingual intercultural primary education.
Logo by Yali Manel.
References:
- González Carvajal, P. (2004). Visual Art, Space, and Power: Inca Management of Ceramic Iconography in Different Settlements of the Diaguita Inka Phase in the Illapel Valley. Chungará (Arica), 36(2), 375-392. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-73562004000200011
- Guamán Poma de Ayala, F. (2002). Guaman Poma: The First New Chronicle and Good Government. [Copenhagen]: Museum Tusculanum Press, University of Copenhagen.
- Machiavelli, N. (2004). The Prince. Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. Retrieved from https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/el-principe--1/html/
- Rivera Cusicanqui, S. (2018). Sociology of the Image: Ch'ixi Perspectives from Andean History (2nd ed.). La Paz, Bolivia: Plural.
- Rivera Cusicanqui, S. (2018). A Ch’ixi World is Possible. Essays from a Crisis-Ridden Present. Buenos Aires.
Tools:
- Ayolland. (2023). Borksy [Software Tool for Bitsy]. https://ayolland.itch.io/borksy
- Aloelazoe. (2019). Bitsy Saviour [Software Toll for Bitsy]. https://aloelazoe.itch.io/bitsy-savior
- Ledoux, A. (2017). BITSY [Video Game Engine]. https://ledoux.itch.io/bitsy
- Ruin. (2018). Pixsy [Software Tool for Bitsy]. https://ruin.itch.io/pixsy
Talk about the project, background and design philosophy:
ESPAÑOL:
Reseña de Investigación-Creación
Waman Poma (Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala), un cronista indígena de los Andes, es uno de los mayores exponentes de la creación literaria y visual indígena en América. Su obra maestra, "El Primer Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno," destaca por denunciar los abusos cometidos por los españoles contra los pueblos indígenas en una carta dirigida al rey Felipe III. Pero una carta como no se había visto antes: 1000 páginas y 400 ilustraciones hechas a mano en tinta. Esta obra titánica desapareció por siglos, pero fue redescubierta a principios del siglo XX en la biblioteca de la corona danesa. Este trabajo es una de las pocas expresiones creativas y culturales que permanecen (casi) intactas desde el período inicial de la conquista europea de la región andina.
Su contenido, junto con el aura de misterio que rodea a su autor, me ha inspirado para llevar a cabo esta labor de investigación-creación. Haciendo uso de Bitsy, un motor open source de desarrollo de videojuegos minimalistas, y dialogando con el trabajo de intelectuales como Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, “Halcón y Puma” busca rendir homenaje a Guamán mediante la ficción especulativa. El proyecto busca converger distintos ejes temáticos como el racismo, la soberanía y la religión. Mi enfoque se centra en una aproximación estética, buscando no una reproducción histórica realista, sino una actualización del pasado en el presente. Esto se hará a través de un diálogo con teorías estéticas decoloniales, buscando materializar elementos de una época distante, a la que solo podemos acceder mediante obras como esta o la imaginación creativa. Adicionalmente para este proyecto he tratado digitalmente algunas ilustraciones del cronista para poder presentarlas en un estilo pixel art, gracias a las herramientas que ha desarrollado la comunidad de Bitsy. También compuse una canción para Guamán inspirada en música andina, intentando emular sonidos de charango y zampoña en MIDI.
En el juego, los jugadores se unen a Guaman en su viaje para defender las vidas y derechos de los pueblos indígenas de la región. En el camino, se encuentra con un espíritu de tierras lejanas que constantemente cuestiona sus motivos. Este espíritu es una representación de Nicolás Maquiavelo, una figura que desafía a Guaman desde una cosmovisión y conjunto de motivaciones diferentes. Este ejercicio creativo es particularmente intrigante debido a varios detalles importantes descubiertos durante el proceso de investigación: 1) Guaman escribe al rey, mientras que Maquiavelo escribió al príncipe. 2) Ambos son figuras de transiciones históricas, políticas y culturales significativas. 3) Maquiavelo falleció solo un par de años antes del nacimiento probable de Guaman Poma. Como resultado, Maqui, el espíritu que los jugadores encontrarán, es un alma perdida que llegó con algunos colonizadores a Tahuantinsuyo.
Advertencia de contenido:
Este juego incluye representaciones explícitas de violencia, basadas en las crónicas históricas de Guamán Poma. Estas representaciones se utilizan para resaltar los abusos sufridos por los pueblos indígenas de la región durante el período colonial. El contenido puede resultar perturbador y se presenta con el propósito de crear conciencia sobre la historia y las luchas de estos pueblos. Se recomienda discreción al jugar.
Comments
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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.