Ogre Head Studio's Journey to Success with Indian Folklore

Following the release of its debut title Asura, Ogre Head Studio is now working on its next project, a deck-building roguelike called Yodha. In a recent conversation, founder Zain Fahadh discussed the studio's origins and the significance of creating games rooted in Indian culture and folklore. Fahadh began his career in the industry as a 3D artist, working on AAA titles at an outsourcing studio. After five years of searching for an opportunity to work on PC and console games, he decided to start his own studio. "We founded Ogre Head Studio with the goal of developing 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 support from investors. Initially, he invested $2,000 of his savings into the studio. "We used up that amount in six months," he says. "With the little money we had left, we went to Dubai and showcased the Asura prototype, which generated a lot of interest in the game." Released in 2017, Asura is an action roguelike with a procedurally generated skill tree, ensuring unique playthroughs each time. "Asura helped us expand our other businesses," Fahadh says. "People asked us to help with their games, and we used Asura as a tool to grow our outsourcing and consultation services." In addition to developing their own games, Ogre Head provides outsourcing and consultation services to companies like Warner Brothers and Paramount. The studio builds entire games for firms, partnering with others for localization and marketing. "This allowed us to fund the studio by consulting with other game developers and companies," Fahadh continues. "We'd get paid for our services, then funnel that money into Asura, which sold well and generated more revenue." While promoting Asura at events like BitSummit in Japan, Fahadh recalls industry professionals asking why the studio wasn't developing casual mobile titles, which were more lucrative at the time. "We told them we're passionate about what we're doing, and we don't want to make casual mobile games," he says. With one game released and another in development, plus outsourcing and consultation services, Ogre Head has a lot on its plate for its six-person team. Fahadh attributes the studio's ability to balance these responsibilities to his 14 years of experience in the industry. "We're not making AAA titles like GTA 6, but rather AA titles, and we do white labels, so we can't disclose what we're working on," he explains. Ogre Head's games, such as Asura and Yodha, are distinct and heavily inspired by Indian folklore, which is not commonly explored in games compared to European and Western mythology. Fahadh is optimistic that this will change in the next decade. "I think it will happen when the emerging generation becomes studio directors at companies like Ubisoft," he says. "Unless there's a lead with a personal affinity for the culture, it won't happen. The next generation will bring this change to big titles and smaller projects." Fahadh notes that medieval India is a rich, untapped source of stories, and the current Indian culture is vibrant, with many stories waiting to be told. "In Asura, you won't see any Gods, but you'll still feel like an Indian made it," he says. "That's what I mean when I say I'm inspired by folklore and culture." Fahadh uses the example of playing Dungeons & Dragons as an Indian to illustrate how Ogre Head approaches storytelling. "Instead of meeting a mage or cleric, I'd be a sage or Sadhu in a forest, and instead of meeting in a tavern, we'd meet in an Ashram," he notes. Fahadh emphasizes that Ogre Head's games are not targeted at a specific audience, but rather aimed at being accessible to everyone. "We're making games for everyone, regardless of region or genre," he says. "Our games are genre-specific rather than region-specific, and that's what we've always focused on. The fact that I'm Indian is reflected in our games, but that's not our primary focus." As for Ogre Head's long-term goals, Fahadh aims to build strong IPs that the studio can leverage in the future. "I'm trying to build worlds, not just games, and we're heading in that direction," he says. "My ideal Ogre Head would be a studio that produces a wide range of creative ideas, including comics, movies, and animation. Gaming is a tool for us to spread our message of Indian fantasy, and we'll see where it takes us."