Stunning Chinese Ink Indie Harmonie Needs A Publisher To Take The Kind Of Risk It Asks Its Players To

There are some truly stunning indie games out there, and half the trouble we have as fans is just seeing them after they’ve already been through a lot of trouble and strife getting to that point.

Before a game launches on Steam, sometimes before it even has a Steam page, its developer needs to have a decent chunk of it to show to Valve and, ideally, a publisher. A publisher is a company that usually offers up enough money to help a developer finish making its game in return for a certain amount of profit on top of that investment, recouped from sales. But actually getting a publisher can be more of a feat than making the game.

A Game As Pretty As Harmonie Deserves A Publisher

Meet Harmonie. It’s a gorgeous boss rush action game that’s inspired by Chinese ink paintings and watercolours. Honestly, just a stunning art direction, one that’s very reminiscent of Okami. In it, you play as Xio, wielding the living brush Astra (yes, this also sounds a bit like Okami, too, but bear with me). You’ve been sent to defeat the Guardians of the Dream, and every victory causes you to live through the story of the boss you’ve defeated, restoring balance while revealing the truth to you that others might not want you to know.

What sets this game apart from every other boss rush title, aside from its amazing art and visual style, is its combat. The more you attack, the more of your health is converted into ink. You’ve got to choose when to end a combo and take off the pressure so you don’t pay the ultimate price without compromising combos or opportunities for dealing the most damage.

Every boss fight is a story in Harmonie. You’re going to get frustrated as you fight these tough enemies with unique mechanics, but when they’ve taken their last breath, you’ll see their story for what it really is. The truth will slowly set you free, and might even reframe everything you’ve been told.

So, why, when a game sounds this awesome, is Harmonie struggling to find a publisher? It was shared on social media recently by Indie Game Joe (who regularly shares incredible indie games), and developer L’Atelier explained, “This week has been really hard for us. We’ve had two major publishing opportunities fall through because, while they loved Harmonie, they felt it was too unique for the current market.” They add that the positive response to Joe’s posts gave them hope.

I think it’s terribly sad that publishers are having to drop games like Harmonie because they’ve got to focus so much on games that should sell well based on metrics you can test. This means publishers are looking more for games in genres that have performed well in the past and with features that have been proven to be popular with the biggest audiences. Tried and tested formulas that make sense for a business because they fit in a box. But games have always been about breaking boxes, just ask Mario.

What I find most frustrating is that if Capcom hadn’t taken a chance on Okami, we’d never have gotten one of the best and most artistically interesting adventure games in living memory. I played that game through at launch and restarted it as soon as I finished because I adore its art, its story, the insanely long intro, the useless hero you’re constantly supporting, the painting mechanic that’s subverted in an endgame boss fight, and everything else that makes it unique. Not everything that makes it fit in with the most comparable product on the market at the time, The Legend of Zelda.

I’m hopeful that Harmonie and other games that set themselves apart from the herd will find publishers because of the response real players and fans give when these titles are broadcast to them from a big enough platform. If you like the look of the game, go and give it a wishlist and help L’Atelier find a publisher to bring it to life.

About the Author

Jamie Moorcroft Sharp

Editor

Jamie adores the indie games that you don’t hear about until you’re on a video essay binge at 3AM and suddenly the sound of them changes your life. He’s played games all his life and loves looking at the intricate details that make them magical and different. If there’s a wierd list, embarrassing feature, or something else far too out there on Bonus Action, there’s a good chance he wrote it. But that’s not all! He’s also an absolute fiend who never knows when to stop when he puts on his dirty robes and takes on his D&D persona as a Mud Warlock who acts on that tiny voice in your head when it wonders what would happen if you did something really dumb right now. He’s easy to beat in a TGC, though, just keep an eye out for his crazy card combos.

Visit Website View All Posts