[Source- https://www.playkurukshetra.com/]
Line up players with varying health, ability, mana and skills. Seem a bit familiar? When I saw a post on my LinkedIn profile about an online card game that my high school classmate Prateek Shah and his brother Abbas Shah created called Kurukshetra: Ascension that was released on Feb 25, 2022, I looked it up and the first thought that came to my mind was "I wonder if they play Splinterlands!"
I don't know if it's just me. Have a peek and let me know if you think so too.
The Kurukshetra Ascension Trailer
The Cards
At a first glance the players appeared to bear a lot of resemblance to Splinterlands, especially for someone who didn't play video games but I guess most online card games have similar interfaces and layouts. I was looking up other card games like Heartstone, The Gathering Arena, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, Inscryption and they all have similar concepts.
[Source- https://www.playkurukshetra.com/]
The game is based on the Kurukshetra war from the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is a very old and respected Indian story that narrates a great war between two royal families and explores themes of duty, morality, and the human condition. So this may make people gravitate towards it, making the audience much wider.
Having said that, people would be familiar with the characters like Arjuna in the picture below. As kids we all heard stories about Lord Arjuna, the valiant warrior prince of the Pandavas who had insane archery skills, unwavering dedication, and a noble spirit driven by righteousness.
The Characters and weapons
Unlike Trolls, Goblins, Monsters and Sorcerers, Kurushetra's players are well known historic figures like Abhimanyu, a heroic character in the Mahabharata. He was known to be brave and exceptional skill in warfare.
Abhimanyu
Abhimanyu is known for his fearless role in the Kurukshetra war, where he displayed remarkable prowess in battle, particularly his unmatched mastery of the Chakravyuha formation (a military formation), which unfortunately led to his death. Long story short, he hadn't mastered a way out of his own formation.
Pashupatastra
Pashupatastra, a powerful weapon, was bestowed upon Arjuna by Lord Shiva. It was considered one of the most destructive celestial weapons in the story. Pashupatastra had the ability to devastate entire armies and cause catastrophic damage, as its unleashed power was capable of annihilating vast areas with its immense destructive force.
Gandiva
Gandiva, the divine bow of Arjuna, was bestowed upon him by the fire god Agni. It was an extraordinary weapon with celestial origins, known for its exceptional strength, accuracy, and speed. The Gandiva played a pivotal role in Arjuna's legendary archery skills and his significant contributions to the Kurukshetra war.
[Source- https://www.playkurukshetra.com/]
Gamifying the Mahabharata
I can see Kurukshetra taking players on a nostalgic journey, rekindling a phase of Indian culture deeply ingrained in the memories of their childhood and school days. By transforming the Mahabharata into an immersive gaming experience, it resurrects the moments when families gathered around ancient tales. Our grandmothers would have sat with us and told us these stories and they are also enacted during religious festivals. The game reawakens that spark of excitement and curiosity, inviting players to rediscover the epic in a new and interactive way, bridging the past with the present and reigniting the love for India's rich cultural heritage.
[Source- https://www.playkurukshetra.com/]
Raising $830K to Make Kurukshetra Happen
The bros managed to raise $830K for their company- Studio Sirah to create the game. The main investor being Lumikai an Indian Gaming and Interactive media VC. Besides Lumikai, other investors were angel investors like Akshat Rathee (founder, Nodwin Games), Alexis Bonte (chief operating officer, Stillfront Games), Piyush Shah (cofounder, Inmobi), Roshni Rathi (partner, BCG), and Sameer Pitalwalla (Epic Games).
We grew up playing a ton of games, from Contra on Atari to Age of Empires on the PC. It’s always been a bonding point, a connection point for the two of us. We have very different backgrounds. When the pandemic hit, it gave us time to actually get back together as a family and talking about our childhood and gaming. We didn’t see any good Indian content that we would like to play as gamers. There are a lot of hypercasual and casual games, but these are not the games that appeal to us.
[Source- https://venturebeat.com/]
Well, the names might be a bit of tongue twister for the non-Indian players. I can picture @daltono pronouncing em 🤣. Seen a few of his posts on Splinterlands, in fact that's what made me try the game. Hence the reason for that vision!
Look out for my upcoming post about my experience playing Kurukshetra: Asension. I hope you guys found this post interesting. If you did please upvote is and re-blog it.