- Javanese folklore, lynching narratives, Indonesian slasher violence… Southeast Asian horror expanding into the ‘New Weird’ space
- Six One Indie Showcase Exclusive Announcement: GameSpew, Rely on Horror, Gematsu, and Noisy Pixel Draw Simultaneous Attention
AGNI: Village of Calamity, a survival horror game developed by Indonesian studio Separuh Interactive and globally published by Wired Productions, a specialist in psychological narrative games, was exclusively announced at the Six One Indie Showcase.
The game is a cinematic survival horror title set in the forbidden village of Desa Purba in Jabba, depicting the journey of investigator Agni as he tracks down his missing partner. It is characterized by maximized tension created by a hybrid camera combining fixed and tracking perspectives, relentlessly pressing pursuing enemies, and a puzzle-centered exploration structure.
In particular, psychological horror combining Indonesian folklore and surreal direction creates a unique atmosphere. Amidst a narrative where reality, memory, and nightmares are intertwined, players track down the truth of the events while simultaneously confronting their own slowly crumbling mental state.
A Combination of Lynchian Narrative and Javanese Folklore… Reconstructing the Sense of Horror
The work is set in the forbidden village of Desa Purba in the Java region. Based on a ‘Lynchian narrative’ inspired by Lynch’s signature surreal direction, ‘Agni’ maximizes psychological anxiety through a structure where reality, memory, and nightmares are intertwined.
The hybrid camera, combining fixed and tracking views, creates tension by utilizing both limited visibility and sudden threats simultaneously. Furthermore, the addition of chase-type enemies, bizarre creatures, and intense body horror expressions completes a unique horror that combines Indonesian folklore, ritualistic grotesqueness, and slasher-style violence, while inheriting the conventions of traditional survival horror such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
The game features bizarre creatures, unsettling body horror, intense depictions of violence, and scenes dealing with emotional trauma. Due to its overall focus on high-level horror and psychological themes, it is primarily targeted at adult players.
The released trailer uses music produced by Wired Productions’ in-house label, Black Razor Records, further emphasizing the work’s emotional weight and unsettling atmosphere.
An investigator consumed by guilt… The intersection of external pursuit and internal collapse
The player controls Agni, an investigator belonging to a secret agency. Consumed by guilt, Agni defies orders and heads to the forbidden village of Desa Purba to find his missing partner.
The investigation extends beyond a simple missing person case into a journey that gradually leads to violence, obsession, and psychological breakdown. As they venture deeper into the village, their perception of reality wavers, memories and fantasies intertwine, and questions are raised about the limits of the human spirit.
The work combines a narrative tracking external events with the psychological experience of an internal breakdown to express personal and cultural horror centered on trauma, choice, and loss.
“Turning Indonesia Fear into ‘New Weird’”… Attention from Global Markets
Overseas media outlets are also paying attention to Agni. GameSpew evaluated the collaboration with Wired Productions positively, and We noted the meeting of a publisher strong in psychological narratives and Indonesian horror, and highlighted Rely on Horror as an example of the global expansion of the Southeast Asian horror genre.
Separuh Interactive stated, “Our goal is to expand Indonesian horror into the realm of ‘New Weird,’” adding, “We aim to present a new horror experience through a psychological thriller that shakes the player’s perception of reality.”
The Choice of a Psychological Narrative Publisher… Wired Productions’ Direction
Wired Productions is a company that has consistently published narrative-driven games dealing with dark and uncomfortable emotions. Managing Director Leo Zullo expressed his anticipation for the project, stating, “‘Agni’ is a work that perfectly aligns with the publisher’s identity.”
Developer Separuh Interactive also plans to demonstrate the potential of Indonesian storytelling in the global market through this work, aiming to maximize immersion by combining animated expressions with interactive experiences.
Agni: Village of Calamity is drawing attention as an attempt to expand the framework of existing survival horror by combining horror deeply rooted in local culture with an experimental narrative structure. Attention is focused on what traces the horror, where reality and nightmares intersect, will leave behind, and the lingering afterimages that will not easily fade even after the gameplay.
Information regarding ‘AGNI : Village of Calamity’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Separuh Interactive (Indonesia) |
| Publisher | Wired Productions (Wartford, UK) |
| Genre | Cinematic Survival Horror / Psychological Thriller / Slasher |
| Release platform | PC (Steam / Epic Games Store) / Xbox Series X|S / PS5 (Additional platforms to be announced later) |
| Scheduled for release | 2026 (exact date TBD) |
| background | Java Forbidden Village ‘Desa Purba’ |
| Camera method | Fixed hybrid camera |
| music | Black Razor Records (Wired Productions’ own record label) |
| inspiration | Resident Evil · Silent Hill / Lynchian Narrative / Indonesian Folklore |
| public event | Six One Indie Showcase Exclusive Announcement |
| Main Keywords | Indonesia, New Weird, Psychological Horror, Slasher, Javanese Folklore, Fixed Camera, Trauma |
| Steam Page | Go to Wishlist |
