Draft:Son of Thanjai

Son of Thanjai is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed and published by Ayelet Studio. Set in 11th-century South India during the Chola period, the game takes place in an approximately eight-kilometre area surrounding the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur. Players control Vinnendhiran, a fictional Chola prince inspired by Rajendra Chola, who navigates political conflict and warfare in a fictionalised version of the Chola Empire.^[1][2]

The game's story was written by lyricist and screenwriter Madhan Karky, who joined the project in 2025.^[3][4]

Gameplay

Son of Thanjai is a third-person action-adventure game featuring exploration, melee combat and stealth mechanics.^[1][5] Players control Vinnendhiran, a Chola prince who loses his family, throne, and identity as he travels across regions inspired by the Chola Empire.^[6]

Combat centres on the Surul Vaal, a flexible sword used in South Indian martial traditions.^[6][7] The combat system draws inspiration from Kalaripayattu, one of the oldest martial arts traditions in the world.^[6]

Players can ride horses, elephants and bulls to travel throughout the game world.^[8][5]

Premise

The game is set in 11th-century South India during the Chola period.^[1][9] The story follows Vinnendhiran, a young Chola prince who leaves palace life and encounters political intrigue, warfare and social challenges across the kingdom.^[6][1]

The game's narrative draws inspiration from Tamil history and culture.^[2][4][10]

Development

Son of Thanjai is being developed by the Chennai-based game studio Ayelet Studio.^[2][4] The game was announced in 2025, and a gameplay trailer was released in 2026.^{[11][5][6][12]}

In December 2025, Ayelet Studio announced that Madhan Karky had joined the project as the game's writer.^[3] According to The Hindu, the developers sought to create a game inspired by Tamil history and cultural heritage.^[2][10]

Reception

Following its announcement, the game received coverage from several Indian and international publications, including The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Times of India, Game Informer, GamesRadar+ and Gematsu.^{[1][2][9][5][7]}

Game Informer highlighted the game's setting in 11th-century South India, a historical period rarely depicted in video games.^[1]

The Hindu described the project as part of a broader trend of Indian developers creating games inspired by regional history and culture.^[2]

GamesRadar+ highlighted the game's use of the Surul Vaal weapon and its historical inspiration drawn from the reign of Rajendra Chola.^[7]

Gematsu noted the game's setting in the Chola Empire and its planned release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows.^[5]

Sportskeeda highlighted the game's historical setting and gameplay mechanics.^[13]

Homegrown described the project as an example of Indian developers using video games to explore regional history and cultural memory.^[14]

The Week praised the game's depiction of Chola-era architecture, cultural elements and use of the Surul Vaal weapon, while noting that the teaser's facial animations could be improved and that a gameplay-focused trailer would better demonstrate the game's mechanics.^[15]

Outlook Respawn highlighted the game's focus on Tamil history and cultural representation in gameplay.^[16]

Release

The game was announced in 2025 and is planned for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows. A release date has not been announced.^[5][11]

References

External links

• Official website

Category:Upcoming video games Category:Action-adventure games Category:Video games developed in India Category:Video games set in India Category:Windows games Category:PlayStation 5 games Category:Xbox Series X and Series S games