Kejora

For Berangin Creative’s debut game, Keejora is good first attempt. Even with the game’s problems, there’s still just enough here to make for a worthwhile playthrough, but the game’s unutilised potential brings down what could have been something quite special.

Kejora’s gorgeous art can’t mask a clunky, buggy core that feels undercooked and frustrating far more often than it is enjoyable.

However, the shortfalls in its awkward gameplay, lackluster sound design, and noticeable UI blips stagger that experience to a degree, and it probably could have used more time in the oven on those fronts. Nevertheless, if you're a fan of hand-drawn animation in games, especially of the Ghibli variety, I would say to give it the chance it deserves.

Kejora is a short and simple game with an animated art style reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films and the books I read in school to help me learn different languages. Despite its efforts and how much I thoroughly enjoyed the introductory act and the larger themes, questions, and ideas, the limitations of its clunky gameplay, declining quality of its story, frequent bugs, and an immersion-breaking lack of sound effects left me less engaged, indifferent, and bored by the end of it all.

To bring this all home, Kejora, despite the occasional flaws that I noted, was a pleasure to experience. The story spoke to matters of protecting those around you and what you would do to ensure the safety of others, and did so in a nice, concise few hour package. And in a world of video games that ask upwards of 100 hours of gameplay to finish (yes, I play JRPG’s if you weren’t aware), a brief tale like Kejora is a welcome experience.

Berangin Creative have set the standard for 2026 with their latest release, Kejora. Published by Soft Source Publishing, Kejora is an immersive tale of cursed magic, bravery, and forgiveness. This side-scroller is an indie gem and surprisingly immersive to play, leaving you reluctant to step away without completing the game.

The latest project from Berangin Creative is a journey worth undertaking for anyone who prioritizes the contemplation of visual art over systemic complexity, yet it demands a certain degree of indulgence regarding its sometimes timid narration and stumbling technical refinement. It is a title that warms the heart with its palette but fails to deeply etch itself into the soul, hindered by an excessively linear nature and a ludic structure that struggles to evolve. For these reasons, while remaining an experience endowed with praiseworthy directorial dignity, Kejora stops just short of the threshold of excellence.