Last spring, a team of Ukrainian developers had already broached the subject of war. But it was then a question of slipping into the skin of a driver of the famous tractors seen in videos in the process of towing abandoned Russian armored vehicles, and the bias was resolutely playful. A new project has just been presented, which returns to the conflict with a much more serious tone.
Narration interactive
“In October 2022, announces on its website the television channel 24, the game Ukraine War Stories will be launched, [et il traite de] survival in Boutcha, Hostomel and Mariupol during the occupation by the Russian army.”
The game takes the form of a “compilation of visual news [un genre qui consiste en une sorte de roman graphique interactif] about the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, February 2022. Events unfold during the first month of war. At the center of the action, the civilians, who find themselves under Russian occupation. They will not fight, only try to survive.”
Developed by Ukrainian studio Starni Games, the project trains gamers “in the turmoil of events, from the first strikes on Hostomel to the butchery of Boutcha, and the heroic resistance in Mariupol”.
Stories of survivors
“‘Your mission will be to protect you and your family and evacuate to safe territory’ explain the developers, precise 24. Accomplishing this mission will require courage and intuition, and it will not always be possible to come out without losses.”
One might consider it in poor taste, at the very least, to associate the concept of gambling with this type of experience, but “every short story is based on the experiences of eyewitnesses and real events”. “One of the developers found himself under the occupation”, underlines the site Ukrainian Truth. Il “was forced to hide with his family in the basement under their garage, unable to evacuate. His house, like many others in the city, was looted by the Russians. It recounts the events he witnessed, and the developers used it to create the story, along with other open sources,” add 24.
“The demo, accessible on Steam, offers the story that takes place in Hostomel. In October, for the launch, the visual news about Mariupol and Boutcha will be added”, Explain Gloss.ua, site dedicated to cultural life in Kyiv, which also indicates:
“No gameplay includes text, music and illustrations – images inspired by real photographs taken in the cities concerned. […] The game is not intended for all ages.”
Survive Boutcha
“Precise scenarios are proposed to the players, detailed Ukrainian Truth. The creators take the example of the story in Boutcha: “Yarik Kravchenko and his sister Vika arrive in Butcha to await the end of the attack on kyiv. Their mother Iana is a doctor, she defends the capital in the ranks of the territorial defense, while Iarik and Vika are stuck in Boutcha, and they are unable to evacuate on their own. And the Russian occupation is getting bloodier and bloodier.”
Chain 24 ensures that “the full version will be free, and until the game is released in Ukraine, the demo will remain free to access”. Because the developers claim “not wanting to make money”. For them it is important that “the world know the truth”. Their goal, concludes Ukrainian Truth :
“Telling the people of the world the experience of the people of Ukraine.”