Masala Games Redefines India in Detective Dotson by Embracing Authenticity Over Stereotypes

Editor's Note: IGN India spoke directly with Masala Games founder Shalin Shodhan for this interview. We have paraphrased and edited the responses to split them into relevant topics for easier readability and understanding.

Detective Dotson is an upcoming detective game that immerses players in the role of a small-time detective navigating modern-day India. As part of the journey, you will solve mysteries and explore "a very Indian city" in this adventure game.

The game, scheduled for release by Q3 2024 on PC, is being developed by Masala Games, an Ahmedabad-based studio founded by Shalin Shodhan. Shodhan, known for his work at EA and Pixar on movies like Toy Story 3 and Brave, leads a 30-person team comprising game developers, animators, storytellers, and artists.

A game demo is already available on Steam and has gathered attention from gamers and content creators worldwide. As Masala Games prepares for the final stretch of development, we talked to Shalin about the team and the game.

Shodhan told IGN India that the team is “dedicated to crafting memorable experiences for gamers across the globe.” He added, “Detective Dotson is a light-hearted adventure game where you explore the cosy streets of modern-day India, meet colourful characters, collect clues and solve 'It happens only in India mysteries.'” Here are all the important things he discussed in the rest of the interview.

A Setting Rooted in Indian Culture

For Masala Games, Detective Dotson represents the idea of India and its stories. “Around 20 percent of the world lives in India, and yet there are barely any games that have India as a setting. If we don't fix that, who will? For us, telling our stories is important rather than someone else, and it won't be an appropriate representation. So in essence: the idea of Detective Dotson stemmed from India and our interpretation of it.”

The development team also considered the portrayal of India in gaming, focusing not only on its fantastical and mythical elements but also on its everyday aspects. Shodhan explained, “We believe that contemporary India is a great space to tell stories for the world instead of adding to the myriad of fantasy and mythical-themed games that focus on India. The modern-day setting, inspirations from our pop culture like Bollywood as well as crime shows like CID, and our unique aesthetic make Detective Dotson a cultural joyride through our country unlike any other.”

For Indian players, Detective Dotson offers relatable environments, from serene temple pathways to cosy apartment complexes. Shodhan emphasised the sense of familiarity these settings evoke, lending the game a warm and inviting atmosphere. With the inclusion of Indian elements like Bollywood dance, Indian politicians, and astrologers, Detective Dotson promises a hint of novelty.

Appealing to a Global Audience and Reshaping The Perception of India

While Detective Dotson celebrates Indian culture, Masala Games aims to ensure its appeal reaches gamers globally. The game's design strives to make cultural elements accessible and engaging for players worldwide, avoiding any sense of disconnection. Presenting India authentically is important, Shodhan says, especially in a way that reflects its contemporary reality rather than relying on outdated stereotypes.

Around 20 percent of the world lives in India, and yet there are barely any games that have India as a setting. If we don't fix that, who will?

Shodhan noted, “A lot of it stems from our presentation of India. Rather, showing India the way it is. In a way, it's like putting emotion out in the form of pixels. We wanted to show the wholesome cosiness we associated India with. That meant disregarding references and years of consumed narrative that suggested Indian locations were dilapidated and dirty. Instead, we had to stop and look around because India isn't like that.”

The Masala Games founder elaborated, “So we started referencing the India around us rather than the image of it in collective media, and that re-training was quite a challenge. The end result? A fresh take on India that non-Indian folks are absolutely charmed by, and Indian folks are coming up to us and saying 'It feels like summer vacation when I was a kid'. These alone made all the iterations and revisions pay off.”

Attention to detail extends to the game’s environment, with signage and voiced dialogue authentically reflecting Hindi language and Indian accents. Masala Games is prioritising authenticity to offer players a genuine and immersive experience so Detective Dotson can sincerely represent the country's cultural richness.

Gameplay and Presentation, Including Graphics

While Detective Dotson’s cultural elements will draw players in, the focus is also on the gameplay mechanics to keep them engaged. Collecting and utilising the evidence through the evidence board system is an interesting detail frequently used in pop culture, including movies, TV shows, games, and even memes.

Shodhan explained the game's mechanic, saying, “While [cultural elements] help get players' interest, the unique gameplay aspects are what will keep them coming back for more are elements like our evidence board system. I think it addresses some key issues with detective games while being super accessible and visually appealing. So far players have been engaging very well with this system, and we're excited to use it as a framework to generate more entertaining cases. There's aha moments built in, and you can't just trial-and-error your way through. At the same time, there's very reasonable hints in there so you won't get stuck. What's more is, we scale its complexity as you get deeper into the game and each time you crack it, it's done in a way to make you feel clever.”

Regarding graphics, Shodhan decided to use pixel characters, as they lent themselves well to their objective of capturing the endearing and expressive nature of Indians. “But to make the characters truly pop, we decided to make the world 3D and a bit more realistic,” he revealed. “At first, we went looking for some assets in the marketplace to get a running start, but soon realised that there are no 3D assets representing modern India. So we had to build all of that on our own. We hope to address this issue after our release, by giving assets back to the community so other creators don't hit roadblocks in telling their stories from modern India.”

To capture audience attention, Masala Games believes in the appeal of indie games. Shodhan explained, “While we don’t have the budgets of big AAA studios, we do believe that there’s a strong audience preference for indie games. Between the ongoing lay-offs in the AAA space and general ennui setting in for yearly, rote releases, we’ve realised through our marketing efforts, that there’s a vocal, active set of gamers that wants to support and play indie titles be it Indian or international streamers.”

Detective Dotson will be accompanied by a 3-episode miniseries serving as a prequel. More details about this companion piece will be unveiled closer to the game’s launch in Q3 2024. Until then, you can wishlist the game on Steam:

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Rayan Sayyed is a staff writer for IGN India with a primary focus on Asian entertainment spanning from anime, manga, games to films and dramas from the East. You can reach out to him at rayan_sayyed@ign.com, or find him on Twitter @rayanaver and Instagram @rayansayyed.