Nodding Heads Games
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2017
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 1
About Nodding Heads Games
Nodding Heads Games is an independent game development studio established in January 2017 in Pune, India. Its work draws on Indian mythology, folklore and cultural history, bringing those influences into narrative-driven action-adventure games for international audiences. The studio combines game design, storytelling and distinctive visual direction with development for PC, consoles and mobile platforms.
Its debut, Raji: An Ancient Epic, follows a young acrobat chosen by the Hindu deities Durga and Vishnu to rescue her brother from the demon warlord Mahabalasura. The game's visual identity draws on Pahari and Rajasthani miniature painting, with architectural environments and 2D shadow-puppet sequences supporting its mythological storytelling. Combat, evasion and platforming build on the protagonist's acrobatic abilities.
Unveiled during a Nintendo Direct showcase, Raji first launched on Nintendo Switch on August 18, 2020. PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases followed in October that year. The studio subsequently developed an Enhanced Edition, released in July 2022, adding Hindi voice acting, ray tracing and revised combat modes. A mobile edition followed through Netflix Games in 2023, extending the game's reach to iOS and Android audiences.
Development and direction
The studio's production capabilities span concept development, narrative writing, game design, 3D modeling, technical animation, visual effects, gameplay programming, audio direction and quality assurance. Its work brings hand-painted art direction together with real-time environments and action systems, while adapting its games across different hardware and distribution platforms.
As of November 2026, the studio is developing Raji: Kaliyuga, the announced sequel previously referred to as Raji 2. Production has moved to Unreal Engine 5. The sequel introduces a dual-protagonist approach, pairing Raji with her brother Darsh in a cosmic mythological conflict. This continues the studio's focus on Indian-inspired worlds while expanding the character relationships and combat concepts established in its first game.
More about Nodding Heads Games
Founders and leadership
- Avichal Singh: co-founder, director, Lead Designer and Game Director.
- Shruti Ghosh: co-founder, director, Art & Narrative Director.
- Ian Richard Maude: co-founder, director and Art Director. Before establishing the studio, he worked at companies including Stainless Games, Ubisoft, Acclaim, Rockstar and The Chinese Room.
Operating model
The official press kit describes a distributed team spanning India, Greece, the USA, Kazakhstan and the UK, working alongside local personnel in Pune. These international contributors do not constitute additional studio offices.
Early funding and publishing
After a late-2017 Kickstarter campaign fell short of its goal, Shruti Ghosh sold her apartment to fund payroll and sustain development. Early support included an Epic Games Unreal Dev Grant and participation in Square Enix Collective. The studio signed a publishing agreement with Super.com in March 2019.
Recognition
Raji: An Ancient Epic received a Best Debut Game nomination at The Game Awards 2020. The report also identifies the game as an India Game Developer Conference Awards Game of the Year recipient, without supplying the award year. These distinctions belong to the game.
Notable credits
4 creditsOffices
Where Nodding Heads Games is based
- Pune, Maharashtra, India
Pune offices
HeadquartersAbout this office
**Office** Status: active Headquarters Address: Soho Flat No. 310, 3rd Floor, Panchshil Towers, Haveli, Pune, Maharashtra 412207, India Registered headquarters within the studio's Pune operational base. --- **Office** Status: active Address: 4th Floor, No. 15 A, Suite No. 698, City Vista, Fountain Road, Kharadi, Pune, Maharashtra 411014, India City Vista premises listed as an operating address and in an import/export branch filing. --- **Office** Status: inactive / historical Address: No. A-26, Sumangal Heights, Sr. No. 12/1/12, Anandnagar, Nimbaj Nagar, Wadgaon Bk, Pune, Maharashtra 411051, India Former registered address in the studio's early Wadgaon Budruk founding base. The report supplies no end date.
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