Summary
It takes a particularly special game to tell a meaningful story without using dialogue or text. Previously, a handful of games have accomplished this, including the yarn-themed puzzlerUnraveler,the undersea adventureAbzu,the memeticUntitled Goose Game,and others. Soon, a new game will be entering the pantheon of meaningful text-free experiences:Koira,the upcoming title from developer Studio Tolima and publisher DONTNOD.Koirauses a combination of visuals and music to tell the story of a traveler and a puppy who come together to journey through a snowbound forest. Developing a game without using text, the game’s director reveals, was a process that involved both highs and lows.
The decision to makeKoiratext-free came early in the game’s development process, explained Ben Lega, who directedKoiraand also serves as the head of Studio Tolima. Initially, Lega and Reginald Nowe, who composedKoira’ssoundtrack, comprised the entire development team. Working with such a small team, Lega decided that focusing onmusic and visualsand not including text would be the best choice of action. Although the Studio Tolima team has expanded since,Koiraremains a story told through music, art, and the gestures and expressions of its core characters.
Many Factors Led To The Team’s Decision
Lega listed numerous factors that contributed to the decision. One was personal preference - he himself does not enjoy text-heavy video games, and is a fan of media that tells stories using little or no dialogue. Examples Lega cited included “the [films] ofCharlie Chaplin, Disney’sFantasia,or games likeJourney.“Another was the small production team and budget; initiallyKoirawas a two-man project, and Lega and Nowe felt that they did not have the resources to include elements like localization or potential voice acting.
The result is a stunning one: instead of speaking words, the protagonist and puppy communicate with one another using musical sounds, similar toJourney.They are even able to harmonize together in order to active mysterious statues that appear throughout the game’s woodland setting.Images are also used to establish rich visual storytelling - for example, the puppy’s worries about needing shelter from the cold can be communicated by a thought bubble showing a tent.
The Development Process Featured Both Highs And Lows
The process of developingKoirawithout dialogue or textwas not always an easy one. While Lega and his team remained committed to the decision, there were several points at which they struggled. Describing the creative process, Lega said:
“The design philosophy grew very quickly into doing the whole game without a single word of text, not just the storytelling aspect. And the time we gained by not writing dialogues we would have to translate, we lost in scratching our heads on how to convey clear narrative intent and gameplay tutorials without writing a single word. But the challenge was exhilarating!”
However, Lega and the Studio Tolima team ultimately created an effectivestory that works without text. The process resulted in many changes that improved the game and its storytelling. For example, the main character’s design evolved to be animated very distinctively. As Lega explained, “he is split between his body, his hands, his head, his eyes and his pupils. This allows us to make him act in a lot of ways throughout the game by tweaking his facial expressions, where he looks, [and] what he does with his hands.” Nowe’s musical score also facilitates communication between the game’s main duo.Koira,which is scheduled for a 2025 release, will be a memorable addition to the pantheon of games that tell stories without using a single word of dialogue.
