Discovering Ogre Head Studio's Unique Niche in Indian Folklore

After the success of their debut title, Asura, Ogre Head Studio is now developing a new roguelike deckbuilder called Yodha. In a recent conversation with GamesIndustry.biz, founder Zain Fahadh discussed the studio's origins and the significance of creating games that draw from Indian culture and folklore. Fahadh began his career as a 3D artist at an outsourcing studio, working on characters for AAA titles. However, he soon became eager to work on PC and console games, which led him to establish his own studio. "We founded Ogre Head Studio with the goal of creating PC and console titles inspired by local folklore and culture," he explains. As an independent developer, Fahadh notes that Ogre Head has not received external funding or investor support. Initially, he invested $2,000 of his own savings into the studio, which was depleted within six months. The team then showcased the Asura prototype in Dubai, generating significant interest in the game. Released in 2017, Asura is an action roguelike with a procedurally generated skill tree, ensuring that each playthrough is unique. The game's success led to requests from other developers for assistance with their projects, which Ogre Head used as an opportunity to expand their business. In addition to developing their own games, Ogre Head provides outsourcing and consultation services to companies like Warner Brothers and Paramount. The studio collaborates with partners to create entire games, handling localization and marketing. Fahadh explains that this approach has enabled the studio to fund their own projects. "We get paid for our consulting work, and then we invest that money into our own games. Asura performed well, and that generated additional revenue." While promoting the game at events like BitSummit in Japan, Fahadh encountered industry professionals who questioned the studio's decision not to develop casual mobile titles, which were seen as more lucrative at the time. "We told them that we're passionate about creating games like Asura, and we don't want to compromise on our vision," he says. With one game released and another in development, as well as providing outsourcing and consultation services, Ogre Head has a significant workload for its six-person team. Fahadh attributes the studio's ability to balance these responsibilities to his 14 years of industry experience and the fact that they're not working on massive AAA titles. Ogre Head's portfolio, including Asura and Yodha, showcases games heavily inspired by Indian folklore, a relatively untapped source of inspiration in the gaming industry. Fahadh is optimistic that this will change in the next decade, as a new generation of developers brings their own cultural perspectives to the table. "The next generation of developers will introduce more diverse cultural influences into their games," he predicts. "However, it's essential to approach these topics with sensitivity, as cultural references can be deeply personal and potentially controversial." Fahadh illustrates Ogre Head's approach to storytelling by drawing parallels with playing Dungeons & Dragons as an Indian. "Instead of meeting a mage or cleric, I would introduce a sage or Sadhu in a forest, and instead of a tavern, we would meet in an Ashram. These cultural references help shape our game development process." Ogre Head aims to create games that are accessible to a broad audience, rather than targeting a specific region or demographic. "Our goal is to make games that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their background or location," Fahadh says. "While our game genre may be niche, we focus on creating genre-specific experiences rather than region-specific ones." In the long term, Fahadh envisions Ogre Head building strong intellectual properties that can be leveraged across various media platforms. "I'm striving to create immersive worlds, not just games. My ideal Ogre Head would be a creative hub that produces a wide range of content, including comics, movies, and animation, all centered around Indian fantasy."