Released during the Steam Next Fest, INAYAH – Life After Gods presents itself as an interesting 2D action platformer with RPG and metroidvania elements. Plus with interesting character improvement mechanics.
ExoGenesis Studios is a new company founded by international game and software development veterans. To name some previous works we mention titles such as Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader and Pathfinder, Wrath of the Righteous. Many of their members have worked for companies like Blizzard and Disney. INAYAH- Life after Gods is actually their first work.
Just with the arrival of the demo, we also received another news: the game will be released on March 27, 2025.
Let’s see together the characteristics of a demo which, although short, shows several interesting ideas.
A Remarkable Aesthetic Concept
Although INAYAH- Life after Gods is the first production of an independent studio, on an aesthetic level it presents itself very well. Both environments, creatures and characters are all hand-drawn. The attention to detail is truly meticulous. There is no shortage of background details and animations that make everything more immersive. Even the presence of cut scenes, not only before the bosses, makes everything remarkable.
The soundtrack is no different. Immersive tracks and well married to the biomes they represent. Although in this demo we only encounter two biomes, the work seems good.
Even the bosses are well characterized and different from each other, with different and readable moves and gimmicks.
There is also collectibles and texts to take to learn about the lore and world building.
INAYAH, Gameplay and Level Design
The experience with the demo, although short, shows several interesting aspects.
First of all the construction of the maps which is very reminiscent of the metroidvania style. With the possibility of acquiring new skills and weapons that also affect exploration.
The choice of difficulties before the game is interesting. We can choose the story mode, the normal one (recommended by the developers) or the difficult one.
Furthermore, it is possible to build a personalized difficulty level. The player manages both the challenge level of the enemies and the platform phases.
The areas seem well interconnected and revisitable thanks to the improvements. There is a lot of verticality and some platforming phases can be challenging.
Weapons and Skills
Interesting features of INAYAH- Life after Gods are the available weapons, their impact on gameplay and character improvement.
In the demo we use 3 weapons: dual blades, a flail and fists.
Initially we start only with the dual blades. From the first moments we understand that weapons have a fundamental role in navigating the map. Just think that the first thing we will learn in the tutorial is that slashing while in the air allows to increase the height of the jump.
Each weapon has 3 abilities and peculiarities such as damage and attack speed. While slashing, the ZEAL is charged which allows you to activate the other two abilities. Be careful because the skills have a cooldown and must be managed. For example, the dual blades have a parry with a particular timing and are more suited to combat. The flail and fists, although useful, seem more dedicated to exploration. The flail uses magnetism to cling to particular supports. The fists provide defense and allow you to climb certain surfaces.
Beyond this we will also get the canonical double jump and dash in middle air.
Skill Tree and Improvement
In the menu, each weapon has different entries and each has its own skill tree. We can choose what type of build to do. Be careful because once we take one direction we will be barred from the others. So you have to choose which build to follow and experiment. We have many choices and they influence the progression with active and passive abilities. Interesting are the increases in percentages and critical damage that can be obtained by carrying out certain actions.
In addition to this we have to choose which skill to assign. At the moment we have limited space, so you have to choose depending on the situation.
Looking carefully we find relics that can increase our health or give passive bonuses once some conditions are met.
My Two Cents
INAYAH- Life after Gods demo, although short, bodes well for its final version. The bosses are challenging but readable, only the third (the final one) gives a bit of a hard time. The potential we see in weapons, in their use in skill trees, gives us hope. These latter mechanics fit well with the map and its development. The enemies are not particularly dangerous, except for a few who you have to pay close attention to. The boss fights are well readable and varied. To think that in less than an hour of play, if you explore well, we can even find three of them.
Far from giving a hasty judgment or analysis, the title seems to have what it takes to be a good product.
The demo is available for free on STEAM. Try it if you are a fan of the genre.
