Indika is a nun who clutches the charm on her rosary beads til her left hand bleeds, knows how to drive a steambike, and may or may not be talking to the Devil.

From the couch, INDIKA--the game--can sometimes recall The Last of Us, both in how you explore the world, listening to conversations and rummaging through houses torn asunder, and how it spaces little puzzles and set pieces organically throughout its world. But it's also not at all like Ellie and Joel's adventure. It's more profane, and way more Russian: a quixotic mix of philosophy and psychedelia.

That said, like many walking sims, it isn't always fun to play. One of your very first tasks involves refilling a bucket from a well five times. On PS5, the 5.1 audio is unbalanced, the controls are finicky, and the (frequently awe-inspiring) visuals are jerky and unoptimized. Call it Eurojank, I don't mind--a frictionless gaming experience isn't one that can truly explore suffering, and like Disco Elysium, Indika can often be laugh out loud funny while it twists your arm.

So y'know...buy it.