What does it take to spend nearly a decade refining a single idea until it becomes the foundation of a studio?
For Shrikkanth Sreedharan, director, game designer, and programmer behind Denari, the journey has been one of persistence, clarity, and constant iteration. What began as a rough solo prototype gradually evolved into a culturally rich action game built around telekinesis, shaped by years of public playtesting, funding setbacks, and deep mechanical refinement.
In this conversation, Jorge Fernández, from Brave Zebra, speaks with Shrikkanth about leaving software engineering to pursue indie development, how Denari found its core identity, the principles behind its combat design, the influence of cultural heritage on its worldbuilding, and what it really takes to survive a long funding journey as an independent studio.
Chapters of the Interview:
- 00:00 — Introduction: Meet Shrikkanth & What Is Denari?
- 2:33 — From Software Engineer to Indie Founder: Taking the Leap
- 7:00 — Building Astronaut Diaries: Prototypes, Team & Creative Leadership
- 14:22 — Finding Denari’s Identity: Telekinesis, Iteration & Community Playtesting
- 21:17 – Combat Design Deep Dive: Inspirations, Rhythm & Fairness
- 32:43 – Art Direction & Cultural Influences Behind Denari
- 40:28 – Narrative Structure: Hero’s Journey, Story Circles & Design Constraints
- 46:21 – The Funding Journey: Rejection, Coaching & Learning to Pitch
- 58:00 – From Fear to Publisher: How Ninja Kiwi Came On Board
- 1:03:05 – Release Plans, Future IP Vision & Lessons from the Journey
All the questions
Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us what Denari is about?
I am the director, game designer, and programmer at Astronaut Diaries, an indie studio based in New Zealand. Denari is a single player narrative driven action game about a young boy with telekinetic powers who must defend his people against an invading empire. Mechanically, we operate within the isometric hack and slash space, but we twist that formula through telekinesis. Players can catch projectiles, redirect attacks, manipulate enemies, and turn combat situations into expressive interactions rather than simple damage exchanges.
At its core, the game explores identity, belonging, and cultural tension. Much of that comes from our own lived experiences as a team shaped by indigenous and immigrant heritage.
You originally trained as a software engineer. What led you to transition into indie game development?
I genuinely enjoyed software engineering. I liked the structure and the problem solving. At the same time, I always had a strong creative drive. I grew up playing music, writing songs, and eventually composing for a friend’s indie project. Game development felt like the perfect intersection of technical systems and creative expression.
About nine years ago, I made the decision to leave my engineering job and focus fully on building prototypes. In hindsight, it was a risky move. There are advantages to gaining experience within established studios, especially when it comes to credibility and funding. But at the time, I believed deeply in the project and felt that if I committed fully, I could give it the best possible chance.
How did Denari evolve from a solo prototype into a full studio project?
The earliest versions were extremely abstract. You controlled a capsule fighting other capsules. There was no art direction, no narrative, just mechanics. But the combat felt promising. My philosophy was to focus on gameplay first. If the core interaction was strong enough, collaborators would see the potential.
That is exactly what happened. Artists joined after seeing the prototype, and we began meeting weekly to iterate. Over time, the project gained cohesion. The team remained small but aligned. What kept us together was belief in the vision and a culture built on autonomy with alignment. Everyone understands where we are going, but each discipline has ownership over how they contribute creatively.
Telekinesis became the defining mechanic of Denari. How did that decision happen?
Interestingly, telekinesis was not part of the original concept. In the beginning, we were designing from the bottom up, experimenting with interactions and observing what felt compelling. One early idea we liked was that enemies could damage each other. From there, redirecting attacks started to emerge naturally.
When we began applying for funding, we struggled to clearly articulate what made the game unique. That forced us to refine our identity. Telekinesis became the unifying pillar that connected our mechanics. Once we committed to that idea fully, many other design decisions became clearer.
You have emphasized playtesting throughout development. What role did it play in shaping the game?
Playtesting was fundamental. We brought prototypes to expos and community events and observed players closely. The key was not reacting emotionally to individual opinions, but identifying patterns. If multiple players struggled with the same mechanic for the same reason, that signaled a systemic issue.
This iterative loop continued for years. In many ways, the public helped shape the game through consistent feedback. It also reinforced the importance of clarity in mechanics and communication.
Combat in Denari feels responsive and readable even in chaotic encounters. What principles guide your combat design?
Reliability is the first principle. If collisions or hit detection feel inconsistent, players lose trust immediately. We separated animation from collision logic to ensure precision and consistency.
The second principle is readability. Visual effects are not decorative. They communicate rules. If a telekinetic window lasts half a second, the effect must clearly represent that timing. Every visual cue should be distinct and meaningful.
Finally, we think about combat rhythmically. Enemy behaviors follow consistent cadences. Even in crowded fights, that underlying structure allows players to anticipate patterns and respond intelligently rather than react randomly.
You often describe rhythm as a systemic foundation rather than a stylistic choice. How does that influence gameplay?
Everything operates around a consistent internal tempo. It is not a rhythm game in the traditional sense, but actions follow predictable patterns. That consistency creates fairness.
We prefer adding complexity through layered encounters rather than simply increasing speed. Creativity thrives within constraints. By maintaining consistent timing rules, we can introduce sophisticated combinations without overwhelming players.
Denari features strong cultural influences in its art and narrative. How did that shape the worldbuilding?
Our team comes from diverse cultural backgrounds, and we wanted that reflected authentically in the game. Weapon designs draw inspiration from Maori bone carvings. Clothing silhouettes reference South and Southeast Asian garments. The opening festival sequence takes cues from celebrations such as Diwali and Pongal, including decorative floor murals.
Narratively, we explore themes of invasion, displacement, and identity. We relied on structured storytelling frameworks to guide us, which was particularly helpful as relatively new narrative designers. The structure provides clarity while still allowing emotional depth.
The funding journey took several years. What did that process teach you?
For a long time, we received no funding at all. We applied for grants and competitions repeatedly and were rejected each time. Eventually, we realized we did not fully understand how publishers and investors evaluate projects.
Through mentorship and iteration, we refined our pitch, clarified our market positioning, and better articulated our unique value. In many ways, funding follows the same principles as game design. You test, gather feedback, refine, and try again. Persistence and clarity were ultimately what made the difference.
