The Appreciation of Indigenous Peoples is What Drives Turi-Kaapora | Mundo Indie

Working with indigenous culture in Brazil should be something natural and accessible, but unfortunately, we were not educated from an early age to understand it correctly, often reducing our knowledge to stereotypes and everyday assumptions.?

The Vortex studio is launching the game Turi-Kaapora with the aim of raising awareness about environmental care and valuing the culture of indigenous peoples in a playful way. We spoke with Rafael Silva and Murillo Mattos, the game designer and programmer of Turi. Check out the conversation, where they shared insights about the creation, development, and future of the game.

About Vortex

Vortex was formed, although not yet named, by college friends in their first semester.?

The connection between Silva, Mattos, Victoria Motta (artist and narrative designer), Jo?o? Braz (executive producer), and Ryan Ebani (sound designer) was so strong that they remained together until the end of the course and are now carrying their projects beyond academic life.??

Each semester, students were tasked with presenting a game as if it were a pseudo-thesis project. The idea was to simulate a studio with all its structure and processes. In the last two semesters, the mission was to create a more sophisticated game with the theme of environmental awareness, bringing current issues we face to the forefront. This is how Turi was born—a story that blends characters from indigenous cosmology with environmental issues.??

The name "Vortex" emerged through brainstorming and jokes within the group. They all agreed on defining Vortex as a "whirlwind" and a "mixture," which reflects the essence of the studio through its members.??

A significant aspect that sets them apart is the fact that, despite being a team of white individuals, they work closely with Sawara, an indigenous woman whose perspective is crucial in helping to shape the script and define narrative elements accurately, ensuring that Turi is a game free from stereotypes and popular misconceptions.

Developing Turi-Kaapora

Since their college days, Turi has undergone several modifications, leading to the version we can now see at events like gamescom Latam, which took place in June, for instance.??

One of the significant changes that make Turi very special is the shift of the game's setting from the Amazon Rainforest to the Atlantic Forest, simply because the entire team lives in the latter region, in the southeastern part of Brazil. This firsthand experience gives them the authority to speak about the vegetation, climate, fauna, etc. Silva explained:

"We were questioned why we would create a game about the Amazon when none of us had ever set foot there. For us, it would be impossible not to write something entirely fantastical about that region, based on assumptions and superficial internet research. Moreover, the argument that led us to choose the Atlantic Forest was the fact that only 3% of the vegetation is intact, and almost no one talks about it."

The story of Turi-Kaapora begins when invaders defeat Boitatá, the forest's guardian, and steal its fire to start a wave of destruction. The protagonist, Kaapora, who has Boitatá as her mentor, discovers everything he had been shielding her from the worsening condition of nature due to the actions of white invaders who only see profit.??

The game's goal is to recover Boitatá's fire. Kaapora embarks on this journey with her friend Queixada, who helps her in fighting enemies. Additionally, she will receive help from entities of indigenous mysticism, including some that initially appeared as "villains."??

Turi is a hack 'n' slash game where the player must defeat various enemies to clear the area and gain strength to continue the journey towards the final objective. Since the game's theme is resistance, it concretely demonstrates a fight for humanity to respect nature, by any means necessary.??

Some narrative elements show duality. Fire, for example, can be divided into "pure" and "corrupted," represented by blue and red colors, respectively.

The idea is to show that many things can be used for both good and evil. However, the developers make it clear at all times that the enemy is the invader who is violating the forest. The role of the beings, whether elemental or not, is to unite and end this destruction, regardless of their differences.

The Future of the Game??

Turi-Kaapora is still in development. As an indie studio, it faces various challenges, including financial ones.??

The plan is to apply for various grants and similar opportunities to raise funds and continue the game's development in an optimized and professional manner. They are also seeking publishers to partner with for this future release.

Because of this, the official release date of the game remains uncertain, with a more accurate prediction pointing to after the second half of 2026, initially with compatibility for PC.??

In the future, there is also the intention to introduce the game in schools so that students can learn about environmental consciousness in a fun and engaging way, while understanding that the subject is serious and deserves all of our attention.??

While Turi-Kaapora is not yet officially available, we can follow its development through the studio's social media and at events where the demo is available, offering a taste of the experience, which promises to be fantastic.

Useful Links for Those Who Want to Follow Vortex and Turi-Kaapora??

- Add the game to your Steam wishlist;??

- Follow on Instagram;??

- Watch the trailer;??

- Follow on TikTok;??

- Listen to the creation process on the podcast.

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Author: Ana Lins