After five years of development, Atawhai Interactive just released Toroa: Skycall, a gorgeous flight sim where you play as a Northern Royal Albatross making an epic journey across the Pacific Ocean. No shooting, no combat, no stress. Just pure exploration, soaring on wind currents, and uncovering stories grounded in Māori culture. The New Zealand-based indie team announced the launch during Frosty Mini 2025, a showcase highlighting games from Australia and Aotearoa. If you’re tired of violent power fantasies and want something genuinely peaceful, this might be exactly what you need.
You’re an Albatross Going Home
The premise is beautifully simple. You play as Toroa, a Northern Royal Albatross trying to reunite with your family. Your journey takes you across the vast Pacific Ocean, riding wind currents, meeting sea creatures, and navigating through storms and cloud mazes. There’s no timer pressuring you, no enemies chasing you, and no fail states forcing restarts. The entire experience is designed around the meditative joy of flight and exploration.
Gameplay involves gently paddling across the water when you need to rest, then taking flight along multiple wind paths. You can soar high above the sea or skim just above the ocean surface. The wind mechanics are apparently nuanced enough that mastering them feels rewarding, but forgiving enough that you won’t spend hours fighting the controls. It’s the kind of game where becoming better at flying doesn’t mean unlocking new abilities, it means understanding the natural systems and working with them.
Māori Culture at the Core
What sets Toroa: Skycall apart from other flight sims is its grounding in Māori culture and mythology. The game features Tāwhirimātea, the Māori God of the winds, who helps guide Toroa on the journey home. The developers clearly treated this cultural foundation with respect rather than using it as surface-level aesthetic dressing. Developer Mickey mentioned in the launch announcement that the team poured love and dedication into making sure the cultural elements felt authentic.
The storytelling approach focuses on uncovering stories of the past as you fly through dream-like clouds and oceanic environments. You’ll meet dolphins, sea lions, and other creatures of the sea and sky, each encounter revealing more about the world and Toroa’s place in it. The narrative isn’t spelled out through cutscenes and exposition dumps. Instead, it unfolds naturally through exploration and discovery, which fits perfectly with the relaxing tone.
Five Years of Development
Atawhai Interactive is a small New Zealand team, and Toroa: Skycall is their first commercial release. Five years is a long time for any indie studio, let alone a debut project. The team consists of Lisa, Connor, Mickey, Max, Heramaahina, David, and Byron, and based on their launch statement, they’re thrilled and emotional about finally getting the game into players’ hands.
The game was Kickstarter-funded, meaning backers have been waiting years to see the finished product. Now that it’s out, the team is planning to fulfill the remaining Kickstarter reward tiers in the new year while also working on inevitable bug fixes and patches. They’re also hoping to get Steam Deck compatibility working soon, which makes perfect sense for a relaxing portable experience.
Early Reception
The game launched on December 8-9, 2025 (depending on timezone), and early reactions from the New Zealand gaming community have been overwhelmingly positive. Reddit users in the New Zealand subreddit praised the visuals and concept, with one commenter mentioning they’ve had the game wishlisted for ages and did a double-take when the release notification popped up. Another player knows one of the developers personally and emphasized how awesome the team is.
Formal reviews haven’t hit yet since the game literally just launched, but the reception during showcases earlier in the year was extremely positive. Flight sim enthusiasts and cozy game fans have been anticipating this one specifically because it fills a niche that doesn’t get much attention: pure exploration flight without combat or complex management systems.
Available Now on PC
Toroa: Skycall is out now on Steam for PC, with Nintendo Switch and other console versions potentially coming later based on demand. The developers mentioned that Switch compatibility is something they’re interested in, though nothing has been officially announced yet. Given how well games like A Short Hike and Spiritfarer performed on Switch, a portable version of Toroa would make perfect sense.
For PC players, the system requirements seem reasonable. The game is built in Unity and focused on smooth, flowing flight mechanics rather than photorealistic graphics. That doesn’t mean it looks bad, the art direction clearly emphasizes dream-like visuals and atmospheric environments over technical fidelity. It’s the kind of game that probably runs well on older hardware while still looking gorgeous.
Bug Reports and Updates
As with any indie launch, there will be bugs to squash. The developers are actively monitoring Steam discussions and have set up a Discord server where bug reports are easiest to track. They’re also accepting email reports at kiaora@atawhaiinteractive.com, which is a nice personal touch. The team emphasized that they’ll be keeping an eye out for issues and pushing patches as needed.
Beyond bug fixing, the developers hinted at continued support depending on how the launch goes. Aside from Kickstarter reward fulfillment, they’re focused on making sure the game runs smoothly for everyone. Steam Deck compatibility is the major post-launch goal, which requires specific optimization work but would be huge for the game’s accessibility.
Why Cozy Games Matter
Toroa: Skycall fits into the growing cozy games movement that values relaxation, exploration, and emotional resonance over challenge and competition. Games like Spiritfarer, A Short Hike, Unpacking, and Chicory: A Colorful Tale have proven there’s a massive audience for experiences that don’t demand mechanical mastery or stress management. People want games they can sink into after a long day, games that make them feel peaceful rather than pumped up.
The albatross premise is particularly smart because it naturally justifies the gameplay loop. Albatrosses are legendary travelers, capable of flying thousands of miles across open ocean. They master wind currents and spend most of their lives in the air. Playing as one doesn’t require convoluted lore explanations or suspension of disbelief. You’re doing exactly what albatrosses do: flying, exploring, and making your way home.
Supporting New Zealand Game Development
Toroa: Skycall is part of a broader push to highlight game development from Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Australia. The Frosty Games Fest and Frosty Mini showcases specifically focus on projects from these regions, giving indie developers visibility they might not get competing against AAA marketing budgets at major international events.
New Zealand has a surprisingly active game development scene despite its small population. Studios like Grinding Gear Games (Path of Exile), PikPok, and RocketWerkz have put out successful titles, and indies like Hollow Ponds (I Am Dead) and now Atawhai Interactive are gaining recognition. Having games that incorporate Māori culture and perspectives adds important diversity to an industry that’s often criticized for homogeneity.
The Importance of Cultural Authenticity
Too often, games borrow from indigenous cultures without understanding or respecting them. Toroa: Skycall stands out because the developers are based in New Zealand and clearly worked to ensure the Māori elements were handled appropriately. This isn’t a case of outsiders extracting cool aesthetics without care for context. The integration of Tāwhirimātea and other cultural elements appears thoughtful rather than exploitative.
This matters because representation isn’t just about visibility. It’s about accuracy, respect, and giving communities agency in how they’re portrayed. When done right, games can be powerful vehicles for sharing cultural knowledge and perspectives. When done wrong, they perpetuate stereotypes and erase nuance. Based on early reactions, Atawhai Interactive seems to have gotten this right.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Toroa: Skycall?
Toroa: Skycall is a relaxing flight adventure game where you play as a Northern Royal Albatross making an epic journey across the Pacific Ocean. It features no combat, focusing instead on exploration, wind mechanics, and stories grounded in Māori culture.
When did Toroa: Skycall release?
The game launched on December 8-9, 2025 on Steam for PC. Console versions haven’t been announced yet, though the developers are interested in Switch compatibility.
Who developed Toroa: Skycall?
Atawhai Interactive, a small indie studio based in New Zealand. The team consists of Lisa, Connor, Mickey, Max, Heramaahina, David, and Byron. This is their first commercial release after 5 years of development.
Is there combat in Toroa: Skycall?
No. The game is entirely focused on peaceful exploration and flight mechanics. You navigate wind currents, meet sea creatures, and uncover stories without any combat or enemies.
What are the Māori cultural elements?
The game features Tāwhirimātea, the Māori God of the winds, who helps guide your journey. The narrative and environments are grounded in Māori worldview and mythology, handled with respect by the New Zealand-based development team.
How long does it take to complete?
Unknown at this time as the game just launched. Based on the description and scope, it’s likely a 3-5 hour experience focused on quality over length, similar to other cozy exploration games.
Will Toroa: Skycall come to Steam Deck?
The developers are hoping for Steam Deck compatibility soon. It’s not available at launch but is a priority for post-launch support.
Is Toroa: Skycall coming to Switch?
Not officially announced, but the game is listed on Nintendo Life as coming to Switch eventually. The developers haven’t confirmed a date or platform beyond PC.
Why You Should Play This
If you’re exhausted by games that demand reflexes, reward violence, and stress you out, Toroa: Skycall offers something genuinely different. It’s a game about being present in a beautiful space, mastering natural systems, and experiencing a journey that values the process over the destination. The fact that it meaningfully incorporates Māori culture rather than just extracting aesthetic elements makes it culturally significant beyond just being a good game.
Five years is a long time for a small team to dedicate to a single project, especially their first commercial release. The passion and care that went into Toroa: Skycall shows in the details, from the cultural authenticity to the focus on making flight feel genuinely magical. This is the kind of indie game that deserves support because it’s trying to do something meaningful rather than just chasing trends or copying successful formulas.
So if you’re looking for something to wind down with after work, or you just want to experience what it’s like to be an albatross riding wind currents across the Pacific Ocean, Toroa: Skycall is available right now on Steam. Tell your friends, leave a positive review if you enjoy it, and support small studios making games that prioritize heart over hype. The gaming industry needs more projects like this.