Tchia is an adventure where you play a young girl (Tchia) who can climb, glide, swim, and sail around a beautiful archipelago. Along with the usual sandbox quests and play the game offers an unusual ability to take control (and become) any animal or object you can find. It stands out for the surprisingly quirky and funny storybook playfulness and New Caledonia culture that create a compelling and endearing experience.

Play involves exploring the world, meeting people and helping them with missions. You get around by becoming (and controlling) the hundreds of animals and objects you find in the world. As you do you take on their unique gameplays and abilities to travel, solve puzzles and uncover secrets. You might become a bird to fly high over the island, or a fish to discover what's in the rivers and sea, or perhaps a dog to sniff out treasure.

As you progress you discover more of the world and learn tricks to pull off stunts and dives. It's physics-driven, with weather and day-night cycles, so many of the things you do will emerge as you play in the world. Climbing, for instance, lets you ascend anything in the world whether that's a mountain, house or tree. Likewise, sailing your customizable boat requires you to work with the physics of the water and wind.

In this simulated world, there are specific things you can discover and learn. Like the tricks, you can learn to play the ukulele and find a flashlight, slingshot, compass and camera. The ukulele not only offers musical accompaniment but is a useful tool throughout the game. You play along at key story moments during rhythm sections. You can also unlock melodies as you explore the world and trigger special events like attracting animals or triggering rainfall.

The result is a heartfelt adventure with a world, story and characters deeply embedded in New Caledonia culture. This is extended by fantastical elements but even these are rooted in local landscapes, flora and fauna, music, languages, folklore and traditions of the territory.