Occupation game: online survival game about Bucha, Mariupol and Hostomel is created in Ukraine

Olena Barsukova, Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia — MONDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER, 2022

An online game called Ukraine War Stories, in which players have to survive the occupation, save their relatives, and leave Bucha, Hostomel and Mariupol to get to a safe place, has appeared in Ukraine.

The game was developed by the Ukrainian studio Starni Games. One of the developers was himself in Bucha during the occupation.

The game contains three visual novels about cities that were occupied by the Russians.

According to the developers, each novel is based on real-life events, and the photos used were taken in the cities mentioned in the story.

"The novels cover events from the earliest strikes on Hostomel airfield to the massacre in Bucha and the desperate resistance in Mariupol. Your task is to save your own life and your loved ones and get yourself to safety.

This will require great courage and ingenuity, and it will not always be possible to do it without casualties," says the developers’ blurb that accompanies the teaser for the game.

In each city affected by the occupation, players are faced with a particular scenario.

For example, this is how the game developers describe Bucha:

"Yarik Kravchenko and his sister Vika have come to Bucha to wait out the attack on Kyiv. Their mother Yana is a medic who is defending the capital in the ranks of the Territorial Defence Forces, and Yarik and Vika are stuck in Bucha and can’t evacuate on their own. And the Russian occupation is getting bloodier."

The game was created by a studio based in Kyiv.

One of the developers was under occupation [of the Russian army] in Bucha. He and his family spent a week in a garage basement until it was possible to evacuate.

Russian invaders looted the man's house.

The developers say they drew on this experience when creating the game.

The game is due to be released in October 2022 and will be completely free.

"We won’t earn anything from this project. Our goal is to tell a global audience about the experience of the people of Ukraine," say the developers.

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