from marginalia to wayang: reimagining medieval battle games through southeast asian storytelling
The first time I bought and started playing Inkulinati, I was immediately drawn into its unique premise - medieval European margin art coming to life in tactical combat. Two weeks of playing has not only entertained me but sparked an idea: what if we applied this ingenious format to Southeast Asia's rich tradition of shadow puppetry?
Wayang kulit, with its intricate puppets and complex narratives serving as moral and spiritual lessons, feels like a perfect fit for a tactical battle game. Like the medieval marginalia that inspired Inkulinati, wayang puppets already exist in a 2D artistic space, telling grand stories of heroes, gods, and mythical creatures. While I'm not aiming to faithfully recreate the traditional wayang kulit screen setup, its aesthetic and narrative elements provide rich inspiration for a chess-like grid-based tactical game.
The cultural tapestry we could draw from is incredibly rich. Beyond the Indian-origin epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, we have indigenous Indonesian epics like Panji tales—hailing from my hometown Kediri, East Java and spreading its influence as far as Indochina—with its hero Raden Panji Asmarabangun and beloved Dewi Sekartaji. The Damarwulan epic brings us the story of a royal guard rising to become king of Majapahit, while La Galigo—one of the longest epic poems in the world—tells the vast creation myth of the Bugis people from South Sulawesi. Malay folklore adds heroes like Hang Tuah, Thai shadow puppetry brings the Ramakien's unique interpretations, and Chinese legends introduce their own heroes. Each region's unique artistic style and storytelling traditions could inform different unit types, abilities, and battle mechanics.
The grid-based combat system would support diverse tactical play inspired by character archetypes from wayang kulit. Refined warrior characters like Arjuna could have precise, multiple-tile bow attacks, while grotesque rakshasa demon characters might have wide-reaching area attacks that push or pull enemies. The Punakawan's trickster nature could translate into abilities that swap positions or create confusion effects. Some characters, like the mighty Bima, could have powerful straight-line charge attacks referencing his signature direct nature, while sophisticated characters like Krishna might excel at diagonal movements and supporting nearby allies. Each character's movement and attack patterns would reflect their traditional personality and role in the epic narratives.
From the Epic of Ramayana, beyond Hanuman, we could have Rama with his divine bow, the noble Lakshman, and the complex antagonist Ravana with his ten heads potentially offering unique tactical abilities. The demon king's multiple heads could translate into interesting gameplay mechanics, perhaps allowing multi-directional attacks or the ability to survive multiple defeats.
Journey to the West offers another rich vein of characters. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, could be a trickster unit with shape-shifting abilities and his signature extending staff. Zhu Bajie could provide heavy-hitting but unpredictable attacks, while Sha Wujing could offer support abilities reflecting his steady, monk-like nature. Tang Sanzang, despite being physically weak, could have powerful defensive blessings that protect and heal nearby allies.
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (San Guo) would add strategic depth with its legendary generals. Imagine deploying Guan Yu with his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, utilizing his famous loyalty to boost nearby allied units. The cunning Zhuge Liang could have special tactical abilities that manipulate the battlefield, while Lu Bu could be a high-risk, high-reward berserker unit that's difficult to control but devastating in battle.
These characters wouldn't exist in isolation - the game could feature interesting cross-cultural team compositions. Picture combining Ravana's demon army with Cao Cao's strategic genius, or pairing Sun Wukong's trickery with Hanuman's divine strength. The intersection of these narratives could create fascinating gameplay dynamics while highlighting the historical cultural exchanges across Southeast Asia.
The visual style would honor the intricate craftsmanship of traditional wayang kulit puppets - the delicate cutwork patterns, the bold colors, the distinctive character designs - while adapting them for modern gaming sensibilities. The game could even incorporate the traditional gamelan music that accompanies wayang performances, creating an authentic audiovisual experience.
Like Inkulinati's clever integration of medieval manuscript culture, this game could weave in educational elements about Southeast Asian performing arts and storytelling traditions.
Such a game would not only provide engaging tactical gameplay but also serve as a celebration of how the region has long been a crucible of cultural exchange, where Austronesian traditions—already foundational to most Southeast Asian cultures—have merged with influences from Chinese, Indian, and other folk traditions.