Here’s a heart-warming, visually striking game from Belgian indie game developer Studio Tolima. Koira is described as a “poetic adventure game” where you befriend a doggy and explore a snowy forest. It just launched as of April 2025.
There’s lots of standard indie game excellence going on here. It’s a beautiful little game with an engaging premise, backed up by a rather marvellous score. Thus, let’s explore its dog-based, snow-based joys.
Embrace the Poetic Adventure of Koira
This one is only on PC and PS5 at the moment, but expect other console releases in future.
Koira reminds us straight off of underrated gem Hauntii (2024). There’s the same vibe here, although quite a bit more snow in this one.
For the story, you take control of a human type character. You wake up and soon find a trapped little doggy, whom you rescue and take ownership of. After that, it’s your job to protect the little monster from the bad things in the forest.
Although you do meet some new friends along the way, including Kodama like forest spirits and other hairy monstrosities.
It’s a really stunning looking game and that score is pure magic (more on that further below). Here’s a 15 minute segment to bask in the artistic glory of this SOB.
Koira isn’t intended to be a challenging gameplay experience, but there is some mild peril to overcome. You encounter hunters and must flee from them, all whilst this enigmatic forest throws up light puzzles and moments of reflection.
It’s a cute game with a mildly macabre edge, the graphical style hinting that something dark lurks just around the corner. But it is, ultimately, a game about friendship.
We found it all rather charming.
Being an indie game, the playtime is limited. You can complete it in just over two hours, which has triggered off the usual critics complaining about that. This still continues to baffle us—it’s a £10 indie game, they’re well know for being short and it’s time to remember that from one title to the next.
Anyway, our huffing and puffing aside, this is a delightful experience and ideal for the discerning gamer after an introspective fix.
Hats Off to Koira’s Melancholic Soundtrack
The score reminds us of Cœur de pirate’s amazing work in CHILD of LIGHT (2014). The score was composed by Nowe Réginald who keeps a very low profile online, so we don’t know much about him.
However, he’s done a fabulous job here.
Koira’s use of sound design is a classic example of how smaller budget indie studios can nail it. There’s no dialogue in the game, so it’s essential for the various sound effects and musical flourishes to tie the narrative together.
Yes, then, the score helps to tell the story. It’s very piano heavy and ramps up the atmosphere as the human thing and dog grow their bond.
All 14 tracks can be found on YouTube if you wish to hear more of it. Another fine example of indie games doing music right and a perfect complement to a concise, compassionate game.
