We’re not sure why the chickens lay explosive eggs though, which is one of a few elements that suggests that Canadian developer Awaceb did secretly want to make a more directly Zelda-influenced game, but decided to pull back from a straight action adventure. That adds up to hundreds of different possibilities, although the number of uniquely useful ones are fairly limited, with various birds, fish, and insects coming in handy for movement, plus a dog to dig up treasure and a gecko that can climb up walls.

The most interesting element of the game is the ability to ‘soul jump’ into any object or animal you see. Parts of Tchia are very realistic but it’s certainly not a clinical simulation.

(Although you can just play it for fun, or jam with other people, the ukulele also has a practical use in that it works very much like Link’s ocarina and can change the weather, the time of day, or call a specific animal.) We know even less about playing a ukulele but that also feels impressively realistic and nuanced. We don’t really know much about sailing boats but we’re pretty sure they work the way Tchia portrays them. The graphics may look cute but this is a proper sandbox adventure, with a convincing physics system. Tchia soon gains access to a wider range of equipment, from a boat to a ukulele, and it’s all controlled in a surprisingly realistic fashion. Even though the main bad guy has a habit of eating small children. As in Breath Of The Wild, you’re left to explore however and wherever you want and while there are ‘fabric soldiers’ to oppose you, you’re in far less immediate danger than any comparable game. As well as a glider, Tchia starts her adventure armed with a slingshot, and her arsenal doesn’t really get much more formidable from there.

Tchia rating