Video games are gaining mass appeal as more than half of humanity is staying home to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. And it’s no wonder: Games help distract from distressing news and transport the player to other worlds.
In the last four weeks, record numbers of people have been using Steam, the world’s most popular gaming platform. Steam reached its peak usage on April 4 with 24.5 million concurrent users online, 8.1 million of which were in-game. During March, Steam experienced a 23.7% increase in concurrent users online.
Ukrainian game development studios have something to play for everyone. There are games that can complement the current atmosphere with post-apocalyptic settings. Or there are games perfect for escapism: with engaging stories and characters, beautiful landscapes and satisfying puzzles.
Some Ukrainian games have become classics and others are brand new releases. But all of them help people go on an adventure while staying safe at home.
“Metro 2033 Redux” is a shooter video game set in Moscow after a nuclear war. (4A Games)
Post-apocalyptic shooters
Ukrainian studios love making video games about the end of the world, and the reason may be the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. In fact, the most acclaimed Ukrainian game ever is set in the Chornobyl exclusion zone.
“S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl” is a shooter survival game that imagines what would happen if there were another nuclear explosion in modern-day Chornobyl. Although made back in 2007 by GSC Game World studio, it has an immersive story, atmosphere and open-world gameplay that predated survival games popular today.
Loosely based on “Roadside Picnic,” a novella by Soviet-Russian sci-fi writers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, and the film “Stalker” by acclaimed director Andrei Tarkovsky, “STALKER” became a favorite for generations of Ukrainians. The original game was followed by a prequel and then a sequel that have improved graphics and expand on the themes of isolation and hidden dangers. Another sequel is coming in 2021.
Buy “STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl” on Steam for $19.99 (in the USA) or Hr 279 (in Ukraine).
“Metro 2033” is a more action-packed and better-looking shooter set in a Moscow of the future where people have been driven to living underground in the city’s subway following a nuclear war. It was created in 2010 by the 4A Games studio founded by three developers from GSC Game World. They made an improved “Metro 2033 Redux” version and two sequels in 2013 and 2020.
Based on a novel by the same name by the Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsky, “Metro 2033” follows the main character Artyom through the subway tunnels and wastelands above to save his fellow survivors. The game has a more linear story than “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” but offers flashier action and better graphics. One detail that especially ties the game to the current moment is that Artyom has to wear a gas mask every time he goes outside.
Buy “Metro 2033 Redux” on Steam for $19.99 (USA) or Hr 279 (Ukraine), PlayStation Store for $19.99 (USA) or Hr 649 (Ukraine), Microsoft Store for $19.99.
“Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter” is an investigative game based on the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. (Frogwares)
Detective games
Few things are as enthralling as solving a mystery, and detective, or investigative, games let the player do just that. It’s a niche genre in which the Ukrainian Frogwares studio is the best. Just as the main protagonist of their games is the world’s best detective.
“Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter” is only the latest in a series of eight games based on the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, meaning that it has the best graphics. But all of Frogwares’ detective games stand out for their innovative investigation techniques. “The Devil’s Daughter” also throws in action and a stunning mystical story.
Buy “Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter” on Steam for $49.99 (USA) or Hr 579 (Ukraine), PlayStation Store for $49.99 (USA) or Hr 649 (Ukraine), Microsoft Store for $54.99.
“The Sinking City” is Frogwares’ latest game with “free investigation” game mechanics – where the player is free to pursue any cases and leads in an open world without much guidance. Besides solving mysteries, the player also has to preserve the sanity of the main character while exploring the flooded horror world inspired by the stories of writer H. P. Lovecraft.
Buy “The Sinking City” on Epic Games for $59.99 (USA) or Hr 849 (Ukraine), PlayStation Store for $59.99 (USA) or Hr 1,799 (Ukraine), Microsoft Store for $59.99.
“Cossacks 3” is a real-time strategy game set in Europe of the 17th and 18th centuries. (GSC Game World)
Strategy games
It’s nice to feel in control in times of uncertainty, and strategy games can give that feeling. The player can build cities, develop economies and command armies in Ukrainian strategy games.
“Cossacks 3” is the 2016 remake of another cult classic by GSC Game World, where the player leads one of 20 European nations in the 17th and 18th centuries, developing and leading their armies into massive battles. The game returns players to the golden age of the real-time strategy genre of the 2000s, when the original “Cossacks” was released. Contemporary 3D-graphics make the game playable for younger generations, too.
Buy “Cossacks 3” on Steam for $19.99 (USA) or Hr 279 (Ukraine).
“We Are the Dwarves” is more of a tactical action game than a strategy one, but it has some of the fighting elements of the best real-time strategies. Combining fantasy and science fiction, the game gives the player control of three Dwarven astronauts who go on an expedition to find a new star for their race. Each his own set of skills – ranged, melee or stealth – that will be useful in fighting hoards of space aliens. It was developed by the Whale Rock Games studio.
Buy “We Are the Dwarves” on Steam for $14.99 (USA) or Hr 169 (Ukraine), PlayStation Store for $14.99 (USA) or Hr 489 (Ukraine), Microsoft Store for $14.99.
“Ostriv” is a nuanced city-building strategy game set in 18th century Ukraine. Unlike other games in the genre, “Ostriv” allows the players to lay out their cities without any grid and angle restrictions. There are dozens of types of buildings and roads, activities like farming and trading, and dynamic changes of seasons. The game is in the “Early Access” stage on Steam, meaning that it is playable but still under development. Its single developer Yevhen8 promises a lot more all-encompassing features.
Buy “Ostriv” on Steam for $24.99 (USA) or Hr 169 (Ukraine).
“Cradle” is an adventure game set in a robotized Mongolia of the future. (Flying Cafe for Semianimals)
Adventure games
Perhaps the most imaginative are adventure games, since they are the easiest to make technologically. This allows small independent teams of developers to narrate the wildest of stories through interactive forms of puzzle-solving and exploration.
“Cradle” is a sci-fi adventure game set in the Mongolian steppe, where the player has to explore and solve puzzles to bring a female robot to life. This world of robotized Mongolia is vast and full of beautiful details, like yurts and flying Soviet trams. There are insightful dialogues and fun mini-games too. The game was developed by the Flying Cafe for Semianimals studio.
Buy “Cradle” on Steam for $12.99 (USA) or Hr 209 (Ukraine).
“Mortificatio” is a gloomy adventure set in Medieval caves and dungeons full of mysteries and puzzles based on alchemy. The developers NedoStudio did their research into the myths and history of alchemy and its ancient symbols to provide for the right atmosphere. The story and music create an engaging experience for the player.
Buy “Mortificatio” on Steam for $0.99 (USA) or Hr 21 (Ukraine).
