Tchia

Tchia is an open-world adventure inspired by the nature, culture, and rich folklore of New Caledonia, the very homeland of the development team at studio Awaceb. The player takes on the role of the girl Tchia, who, after her father is kidnapped by a local tyrant, sets out across an archipelago full of tropical islands, caves, and villages to rescue him, discovering along the way a magical ability called Soul-Jump, inherited from her deceased mother, which connects her to the spiritual world of nature.

This ability lets Tchia temporarily take control of almost any animal or inanimate object she comes into contact with — she can turn into a bird and fly through the air, into a fish and swim through the depths, or even take control of a piece of cloth, a boulder, or a small boat to solve environmental puzzles. This system gives the player enormous freedom in how they approach exploring a sprawling yet compact world full of small side activities, such as playing the ukulele, cooking local dishes, gathering resources, or taking photographs with a camera. The game also includes stealth passages and lighter combat sequences against hostile factories polluting the pristine islands with soot, and the player can also simply sit down at any time and watch the sunset over the ocean.

On PlayStation 5, the game benefits from open, colorful landscapes and quick travel between islands with no noticeable delays thanks to fast loading. Music drawing on local musical traditions and authentic instruments gives the whole world a very distinctive and unmistakable atmosphere. Tchia was praised upon release above all for its distinctiveness, cultural authenticity, and for how effortlessly it manages to combine open-world exploration with an intimate family story about loss and belonging, which makes the game feel far more personal than most open-world adventures of similar scale.

Why play it: For players craving a distinctive, culturally authentic open-world adventure that links exploration of colorful islands with an intimate story about loss and belonging.