Aztaka

Aztaka is a 2D side-scrolling action role-playing game from Citérémis, a Canadian independent developer. The game takes place during the Aztec period, offering a fresh take on Aztec mythology and pre-Hispanic Mexican culture. Players control Huitzil, an Aztec warrior on a quest to collect seven phonograms and rescue his civilization from the wrath of its gods.

Gameplay follows the style of classic action role-playing games. Players explore levels by climbing, crawling, and jumping, searching for new items. Defeating enemies earns experience points, which are used to improve attributes and special skills. An inventory screen allows equipping found items and using purchases from merchants, such as potions.

Controls use the WASD keys for movement and jumping, while the mouse handles attacks and grabbing objects. This setup lets players alter parts of the game world, unlock doors, or collect previously unreachable items. As the game progresses, players gain containers to store on-screen energy particles for later use. The mouse also casts offensive and defensive spells, selected from a magic inventory at the bottom of the screen and launched by clicking on-screen targets in sequence.

The artwork reflects historical Mesoamerica with square pyramids, stone temples, engravings, jungles, and mountaintops. The music includes vocals, flute, cello, organ, and drums.

The game was released as a DRM-free digital download on the developer’s website and Direct2Drive in May 2009, launching on Steam in 2010. In 2011, Citérémis offered a limited-time "Developer's Edition" from January 7 to 31, which included the source code, art book, and soundtrack.

Reception from press and game news websites was generally good to mixed. The game was mentioned in an article about indie game development in the Italian magazine The Games Machine.