Vibrant food and narrative game Venba is set to launch on July 31, bringing a vibrant world and honest story to life through virtual cooking. Developed by Visai Games, which is partly made up of a team that helped bring the immersive exploration experience Until Tomorrow to life, the narrative-driven game explores how a family comes together to share food, loss, and love.
Family is an important theme in Venba, as it focuses on the mother of one particular Indian immigrant family who moved to Canada in the 80s. The player assumes the role of this family member, as they attempt to create a Canadian-themed cookbook damaged in the move. Throughout the game, the player experiences what it is like to cook various recipes from regional South Indian cuisine, helping the family come together again in the present day.
The visuals are stunning, with art director Sam Elkana’s unique style and color palette blending seamlessly with the environments, special effects, and delicious food. The player will cook dishes, create environments, and explore narrative paths alongside Elkana and sfx artist Anat Moskovitch. Visai states that “Venba’s digital food not only looks realistic but also aims to evoke childhood memories of cooking with family” – and they certainly do, as I am a foodie at heart and I am ready to start playing right now.
Outside of cooking, the game also focuses on narrative decision making, often accompanied by Venba’s human characters. Branching dialogue options are set alongside puzzles that involve using tools and ingredients to create dishes in a way that seems both realistic and fun. While the first part of the game seems fairly simplistic in terms of gameplay mechanics, Visai ensures to promote experimenting with different steps in the process and refining what works to impress their digital family.
What really makes the game, however, is its engaging narrative, which is set alongside and within the experience of cooking South Indian cuisines. Rather than an orientalist cultural narrative, Visai promises that the story draws from personal and experiential Indian stories. A press release states, “Venba’s narrative explores themes of emotion, memory, growth, and loss in the context of the immigrant experience” and will be told from various perspectives through “bursting with Indian-inspired tunes”.
Visai also end their press release on a particularly lovely note, paying tribute to “South Indian cuisine and culture’s peaceful nature and generosity” by encouraging players to: “Read this story without shortcuts to snap judgments. Just let it welcome you, as it welcomes us all.”
If you are interested in this launch, and these themes, I highly recommend subscribing to updates through the game’s website, Venba.live. Traveling the world and experiencing different cultures is an unbelievable experience, but nothing really beats sharing a meal with the people in your life. It sounds like Venba will be a heartfelt love letter to South Indian cuisine and culture, and I cannot wait to experience it first hand.
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