The video game “Ahro” features a minimalist art style and simple mechanics where the player explores the world both by walking and releasing their spirit to fly nimbly across the sky.
By: Andy Kozlowski | C&G Newspapers | Published October 25, 2024
WARREN — Inspired by his own journey overcoming panic attacks, and wishing to help others do the same, a Warren resident has released a video game with no combat or “game over” screen. It’s a game where players guide a man on a contemplative journey seeking a cure for the darkness that ails him.
The game is “Ahro,” available now on Nintendo Switch and the PC games platform Steam. Developed by Joel Vile, of Warren, and his company Oeh Interactive, the title is published by Nakana.io, an indie label focused on art house games. It launched Sept. 27.
“Ahro” follows a man of the same name through a setting inspired by premodern Asia, with highly stylized landscapes depicted from a 2D side-scrolling view. The protagonist has been experiencing panic attacks, called “breakdowns” in the game. When herbal remedies bring him only mild relief, he sets off on a journey seeking a miracle cure spoken of in legend.
There is no combat in “Ahro.” Instead, there is a strong focus on environmental storytelling — a hallmark of a video game genre often called “walking simulators.” It uses atmosphere and intrigue to draw players into its world, encouraging players to thoroughly explore their surroundings and find key items that open the way forward, advancing the narrative. The largely wordless tale is expressed primarily with subtle audiovisual cues.
The man also has a special power: he can release his spirit from his body when standing at certain platforms, at which point players control a wisp of light that soars freely through the sky above. In spirit form, players can access areas that would otherwise be out of reach, finding new items and story beats, as well as secrets.
“While in many ways it’s very simple, there’s a light strategy or puzzle-type mechanic to the gameplay loop that often surprises people once they start to understand it,” Vile said. “Part of the challenge is understanding the mechanics of the game, especially at first. That’s in addition to understanding the symbolism and the story. Players who are naturally curious will get the most out of the experience.”
Vile said that his game places a strong emphasis on what he describes as “collectible lore” — fragments of information, with three hidden in each level. Once acquired, these can be read as a summary in the pause menu, providing more insight into the game’s world and mythos.
Players can also use their phone to scan an included QR code that will link them to an expanded “lore page” in a printable PDF format. If the player collects all 15 fragments in the game, a new code becomes available that links to a complete booklet with the full story. Vile teases there is a larger puzzle to be solved within the booklet, and the solution unlocks more secrets in the game.
The saying goes that you can’t truly understand another person’s experiences until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes, and games like “Ahro” embody that concept by allowing players to accompany their character on a deeply personal journey. While the premise of “Ahro” is fantastical, the message at the heart of the tale is down to earth, drawing upon Vile’s own struggles with a condition called panic disorder.
He explained that the protagonist, Ahro, is not a warrior trying to save the world. Rather, he is someone who has experienced trauma and loss, and who is trying to make sense of his past in order to overcome anxiety in the present.
“I started dealing with pretty frequent and intense panic attacks in my late 20s, rather suddenly and without an immediate understanding of why. I was later diagnosed with panic disorder, and spent years learning how to deal with it,” Vile said. “Dealing with panic attacks has been, without a doubt, the most difficult thing in my life. Thankfully, while I still have some difficulty with it, I’m better than I was before, by orders of magnitude.”
He said he followed the adage of “write what you know” in crafting the scenario for “Ahro.”
“I really wanted to feel like I could make something positive out of such a difficult experience,” Vile said. “It turned out to be kind of unpleasant at first — publicly dealing with it and needing to think about it all in the form of a game. But looking back, it was actually a vital part of me coming to terms with anxiety and panic disorder. For me, facing and accepting the issue, rather than trying to solve it or run from it, was the biggest key.”
“Ahro” is Vile’s debut game, unless you count a fan mod he made for the seminal first-person shooter “Doom” back in the 1990s. He graduated from the College for Creative Studies with a degree in graphic design and has worked for more than 20 years in advertising, digital marketing, web and print design. He has long wanted to create his own work of art, purely for himself and not for a client. He feels that with “Ahro,” he has been able to accomplish just that.
The idea to create an indie title first came about 10 years ago. In the end, the team consisted of his brother Kevin as lead programmer, and Joel himself for nearly everything else: game director, art director, sound director, character designer, scenario writer, and more. “Ahro” is set in a world he has dreamt of since his early 20s.
A friend, Rich Geyer, assisted with programming early on, while another friend, Julie Craft, helped with brainstorming ideas for the game in general. A mix of people worked on the soundtrack. Andrzej Jezierski provided additional programming for the port from PC to Switch.
Development sped up in the spring of 2020 when Vile was laid off from a job in advertising due to the pandemic. At first, he looked for other jobs, but then he decided to take a break from his normal career and focus 100% on finishing the game. He also redoubled his efforts to contact publishers around the world, catching the attention of a few who didn’t think it would fit for their companies, but who provided pitching tips and helped spread the word.
Eventually, Vile discovered Nakana.io through a list of independent publishers shared on the indie gaming scene. While Nakana.io isn’t funding the game, the publisher provided access to the Nintendo eShop for distribution on the Switch — a platform with more than 141 million units sold as of August 2024. Nakana.io also provided marketing assistance and other resources.
“The game likely would not have crossed the finish line without Nakana,” Vile said. “I can’t say enough good things about them.”
In a statement, Mikaël Bourget, the Polish-based founder of Nakana.io, said he decided to publish the game based on its vibes, message and approach to storytelling. He described the game as both “relaxing” and “strangely thrilling.”
“With a stylish visual and audio atmosphere, no violence and just a few words, its storytelling is unique and universal,” Bourget said.
For those aspiring to make their own indie title, Vile had some words of advice.
“My tips would be to have something unique, or a unique take on a specific genre, so it’ll be less likely to be overlooked,” Vile said.
He cautioned against oversaturated genres such as “roguelikes,” where players explore randomized levels acquiring upgrades that are lost upon defeat, or “Metroidvanias,” a genre where players search for abilities that allow them to reach new places.
“Create a good pitch deck, and then contact every publisher you can,” Vile said. “If they respond saying they aren’t interested, politely ask for advice or if they could refer you to anyone else. Always be super flexible and polite, and try to keep your emails as short and succinct as possible.
“Additionally, I will say I was surprised to find the indie dev and publisher scene is a pretty small world,” Vile said. “And overall, everyone is really kind and helpful.”
For more information and to watch the trailer, visit the game’s website, ahro-game.com.