ARIDA: Backland's Awakening

Lore & Background

The game was developed by a team of eight independent developers from the Bahia studio Aoca Game Lab, founded by historian Filipe Pereira. Funding came from SECULT - Secretary of Culture of the State of Bahia, through Edital Culturas Digitais FCBA 2014. The atmosphere is inspired by the Canudos Region of the late 19th century, an area hit by a great drought. To portray the environment faithfully, the team traveled to the Canudos region and spent several days observing it.

Set in the Canudos Region of 1896, the game has Cícera overcoming obstacles imposed by extreme drought. During the narrative, she takes part in historical events such as the War of Canudos (1896–1897). The player gathers resources and learns survival strategies, including harvesting and cooking cassava to eliminate hunger, digging wells for water, and cooperating with other characters. The main challenge is managing tools, inputs, and resources effectively.

Reader's Guide

ARIDA: Backland's Awakening received positive reviews, with an aggregate score of 93/100 on Steam. Praise was directed at the music and art, while criticism focused on a lack of polish and poor performance at release. The game's significance lies in its portrayal of a specific historical and environmental crisis—the drought and War of Canudos—through the lens of survival mechanics. By requiring players to manage scarce resources like water and cassava, it emphasizes the harsh realities of the Brazilian backlands. The developer's background, with a historian as studio founder, and the team's field research in Canudos, contributed to the game's atmospheric authenticity. Its legacy includes recognition for its artistic and musical direction, despite technical shortcomings noted at launch.

Did You Know?

• The game was originally known as Projeto Sertão.
• The development team consisted of eight independent developers from Bahia.
• The studio Aoca Game Lab was founded by historian Filipe Pereira.
• The game received funding from the Secretary of Culture of the State of Bahia.