Tchia

Tchia drips with joyful, explorative fun. The idea of letting players loose in an interactive sandbox is a goal that has been chased by developers since video games began. Few truly give you the freedom to frolic in a virtual playground, and though Tchia is not without its shortcomings, it’s a rare instance where the temptation to just play in the digital world is rewarding at just about every turn.

Tchia is a beautifully crafted game that celebrates tradition and culture, while offering varied gameplay and opportunity for exploration.

Tchia might very well be the most ambitious indie game we see in 2023. This open-air and open-sea adventure takes some of the best gameplay elements from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey and combines them into an adventure that’s filled with heart, humor, and compassion across a breathtaking archipelago.

Tchia is clearly a labour of love as Awaceb try to bring their culture to the rest of the world and show off what it has to offer. I absolutely love that tone and feel, but the way Tchia is packaged and paced means that it is ultimately feels like less than the sum of its parts.

Awaceb have really created something big here and their whimsical island adventure about a young girl discovering her magical powers feels incredibly heartfelt. There's a pure, authentic, passion for game development in Tchia that I’ve not felt in a long time. What a wonderful game.

This is what I will carry away with me, I think, along with great moments where I climbed over the ridge of a huge mountain, of moments at sea where the watercolour clouds were piled overhead in massive tumbling anvils, of moments where I was gliding along to do a dangerous story mission and saw something glinting in a marsh that I absolutely had to explore. Written like this, I see that Tchia isn't just a game about a child, it's a game with a child's eagerness to find meaning and interest in a wide, wide range of things. And end each busy day with a nice dinner, of course. Brilliant.

One of the best open world games to come along in ages.

Awaceb delivers an inviting open-world that encourages exploration, creativity, and experimentation. The Soul-Jumping mechanic shines above all, providing a unique way to traverse the landscapes and make the most of the tropical playground. Tchia is a welcome getaway with so much to discover.