Indus, a made-in-India battle royale, has just dropped its first-ever trailer, making its debut at the glitzy Times Square in New York City. While in the first glimpse, Indus may appear to be yet another battle royale on the block, things start to get interesting when you spot a Ganesha-inspired battlesuit, looking as rad as Halo’s Master Chief. A deep dive into the game’s ‘Indo-futuristic’ setting reveals strong lore inspired by the Harappa-Mohenjo Daro civilisation, set in 2500, with an engaging story that might just help Indus stand out of the crowd. 


Developed by SuperGaming, the Pune-based studio behind popular titles Silly Royale and MaskGun, Indus’ first trailer reveals a masked protagonist (which could be the starter skin for players) making an Iron Man-esque superhero landing to start his quest to find a mysterious resource of power that can “change the fate of the universe” in a shiny, futuristic world.



Just like any battle royale, we expect the prime goal would be survival and acquiring this ‘resource’ as you take on other players with futuristic guns with shiny battlesuits to match. Things heat up when the protagonist goes face-to-face (err… mask-to-mask?) against another character who looks like a gun-toting Ganesha. This got us thinking, is there more to this ‘Indo-futurism’ than just a loose story to hold the action together?


What is 'Indo-futurism'?


As per Roby, the CEO and self-proclaimed "Chief Janitor" of SuperGaming, the Indo-futurism aspect of Indus is inspired by the Afro-futurism made famous by the Oscar-nominated hit, “Black Panther”. Indus’ writer Ankush came up with the idea of using the Indus Valley civilisation as the backdrop for the game, imagining what if the twin cities didn’t go extinct, but got so advanced that it flew off to a different galaxy. “You’re discovering this galaxy in the year 2500, via this game,” said Roby. 


As per Ankush, Indo-futurism is about portraying “an optimistic vision of India in the future — what could have been, but also what it still can be.” 


Why should you be excited about Indus?


Now, when it comes to games, especially on the mobile platform, a backdrop can only take you so far. At the end of the day, all you want is to jump in, execute some quick 360-degree no-scopes, win your chicken dinner, and move on. 


However, with the deep lore that Indus promises, it appears to be a title that will deliver all of that phat-se headshot action along with a story that keeps bringing you back to the game. Rishi, the communications manager of Indus and also an assisting writer, said, “[Battle royale] is a genre where the story really isn’t up front and centre. Aside from giving you the gameplay and systems that you come to expect from a battle royale, you also need a reason to keep coming back. That’s why the story and the narration are really important in creating a compelling world and universe for you to care about.”


Indus will still have a tricky road ahead. So far, when it comes to gaming or even movies, Indian lore and sci-fi or superhero haven’t really clicked too well (remember “A Flying Jatt” or “Ra-One”?). For this author, Indian mythology still ranks highest when it comes to engaging stories and exciting characters that can keep you hooked for months on end. Given the solid foundations Indus has already set, it seems like a title worth keeping an eye out for.


When will Indus’ pre-registrations begin?


As per the first look trailer, Indus pre-registrations are expected to begin soon. Since Indus was first announced back on Republic Day (January 26), and the first trailer debuted on Independence Day (August 15), it’s safe to speculate that Indus will begin pre-registration in the next major India holiday, in October or November.


A similar timeline could be expected for Indus’ launch date as well. 






Indus recently conducted a Community Playtest, where 80 percent of players showed enthusiasm for the game’s Indo-futurism aspect. For now, all we can do is wait for Indus to break cover to see what it turns out to be.