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My Uncle Merlin – an indie game influenced by Slavic Motifs

New weave of Slavic themed games, thumbs up

kalhh (CC0), Pixabay

When you hear the words “wizards in space”, you definitely know there is something odd in the making. Still, the guys from the Serbian game studio Pocket Mana are developing an interactive adventure on the subject and their artwork is heavily influenced by Slavic themes.

The Characters

Starting with Uncle Merlin, an old grumpy wizards, that wears a sweater-vest and a sleeping cap, both of which are an essential part of any Serbian grandpa look.

The patterns on his, and the clothing of other wizardly characters, are inspired by the ones you can see on some classic Slavic rugs. If you’re a 90s kid who grew up in Eastern Europe, you’ve probably had the cold, blister-providing experience of washing the damn thing.

The dragon named Georgie (jokingly referring to the dragon-slayer) is another example. According to Slavic folklore, a number of animals can in fact turn into dragons when and if they reach a certain age. Georgie was quite obviously – a ram.

The UI and the Universe

The UI of the game is also based on rhombuses, also a main element of Slavic rug patterns. This is quite rare in the gaming world, as it differs drastically from the more common circle, round based elements. The map of the game’s peculiar universe is based on these rotated square shapes as well.

The Music

Performed in a jazzy style, the Chapter 1 theme is clearly influenced by Serbian and Macedonian folk music. You can hear that the rhythm is quite unorthodox, compared to what we’re used to hearing in video games. The instruments included are heavily represented in Slavic music. You can check out the song here, and have a listen for yourself!

The Project

My Uncle Merlin has been in the making for just over 5 months and it’s being developed by Pocket Mana, an indiedev trio based in Niš, Serbia. It is currently live on Kickstarter, with a free playable demo available for download.

What do you think?

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