Video Game ‘The Palace On The Hill’ Is A Slice-Of-Life Adventure Set In Rural India
When you think of video games, first-person shooter games like Call of Duty or aggressive, action-packed adventures like Grand Theft Auto likely come to mind. While these games are a fun way to blow off steam, gaming is not always a violent, heart-pounding experience. My favourites are often the opposite, offering me quiet refuge from the constant noise and stress of my daily life.
‘The Palace on the Hill’ is a serene escape from the disturbances of daily life in the form of a slice-of-life video game. Made by homegrown developer duo, ‘Niku Games,’ the video game allows you to step into the shoes of Vir, a teenage boy in 90s-era rural India.
The game’s setting is purposely ambiguous; in a conversation with Homegrown, art director Mala Sen stated it was influenced by the collective experiences of [her] and [her] partner, Mridul Kashatria’s travels and childhoods in different parts of the country. However, true inspiration for ‘The Palace on the Hill’ first struck the couple and Niku Games team during their joint travels through Rajasthan, where they stumbled upon old ruins atop a hill near Kumbalgarh Fort. “From there we could see a little village nestled in a valley down below,” says Sen. “We felt that this would be a perfect setting for an adventure."
The game is striking from its first frame due to its charming, storybook-esque visuals. Sen said she created this effect through an earthy colour palette and painted large swatches of watercolour on paper to use as textures within the game. This passion for art is also present in the game on a narrative and playable level. The player begins in Vir’s bedroom which, with its art trophies on display and paints strewn about, immediately informs us of his dreams to be an artist. As the player moves through Vir’s hometown and explores nearby ruins, they create paintings based on their observations. These paintings are based on Pahari miniature art, allowing them to engage with elements of Indian culture through gameplay.
This integration of South Asian heritage is present in various other tasks in ‘The Palace on the Hill’ as well, including but not limited to foraging for herbs, farming, making pottery, and brewing tea. Even smaller tasks like getting water from a hand pump offer the player valuable insight, as the game’s design mimics real-life movements and mechanics. As a result, ‘The Palace on the Hill’ celebrates homegrown culture on many levels. Vir’s explorations of the ancient ruins around his town helps us learn more about pre-colonial history while his day-to-day tasks reflect more contemporary rural India.
What kept drawing me back to ‘The Palace on the Hill’, however, was the wonderful community that surrounds our main character, Vir. Early in the game, you meet a slew of characters like Sam, the neighbourhood pawnbroker, Sadrul, the tailor who loves puppetry, and Savi, Vir’s childhood friend who is returning to town after spending years in the city. Sen commented that the game’s non-playable characters are designed to be simple and realistic, to make them relatable to its audience.
As a player, I can confidently say she achieved this goal. I felt a deep sense of nostalgia as I played. Running around the town freely, chatting with one older character, and being put to work by the next, reminded me of my own childhood. Despite my urban upbringing, certain intrinsically Indian sensibilities and our reliance on our communities still resonated.
‘The Palace on the Hill’ is a beautiful commemoration of rural India, a side of our country that Sen noted often goes underrepresented. This quiet, serene countryside gameplay experience makes for a perfect escape from the fast-paced chaos of city life.
The Palace on the Hill is availalbe on Steam, Xbox, and Google Play. You can find out more here.
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