DOM RUSALOK - game about childhood of post-soviet kids in 90's Russia!

DOM RUSALOK » Devlog

3 years ago by Butuzoff

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Hi!

My name is Yakov Butuzov, and I am an indie game developer from Russia. I would like to present to you a game that I have been working on for two years.

Døm Rusalok – a horror-adventure game about childhood of post-soviet kids in 1990’s Russia; the story is set in a provincial town on the outskirts of the crumbling Soviet Empire. It is a story about children who come across a mystical horror, told through the lens of an era with a special kind of aesthetic of that time only.

Døm Rusalok – is a game about children confronted with a disturbing horror they are unable to comprehend. This is a story that follows the traditions of great works by Stephen King and Robert Stine. Only this time action does not take place in cozy suburban America, but at cellars, basements and yards of provincial 90’s Russia. The post-soviet Russian setting gives the game a unique atmosphere like no other. It creates a space where no can hear your scream.

12-year-old Zhenya’s parents get divorced. He moves to his grandmother’s house for the summer break. Her house faces a big yard where many kids hang out. That is where Zhenya makes new friends. They make friends, fight and reconcile, love and hate, but mostly just play. Life goes on as usual until one kid mysteriously goes missing, and the rest of the group has to face the DØM RUSALOK, an old barn of metaphysical nature. This is a place where the worst nightmares come true.

A number of challenges awaits the children who are about to discover the deepest darkest secrets hidden away in a human soul. A homicidal maniac is on the loose, while the street gangs thrive under the police protection. A cult with a TV psychic medium leader grows in popularity among the people. However, most importantly, at the heart of an abandoned research institute, which the town was originally built around, a somewhat chthonic power is about to awaken.

The main characters of Døm Rusalok are children. The action takes place during the summer of 1996. The story is told from a child’s perspective and shows how an average kid would experience all of the complex and conflicting events of that era. There are four main playable characters. You can play as each character in their own separate storyline. All of the stories are interconnected. Zhenya, Dasha, Kesha, Lesha – four friends who have discovered something mysterious.

The mythical horror genre of the game provides the protagonists with encounters against threats, which sometimes are real, and other times – not so much. The story and the inner turmoil of children reflected through the gameplay are considered to be the key ideas behind this game.

Unfortunately, the game is hardly noticed outside of Russia, although we tried very hard with the translation.

The main goals we had during the developing stage of the game were to have a plot driven gameplay and to create an atmospheric world worth exploring. My friends, Elena and Sergei, help me out with the animation and music aspects of the game. However, I do the majority of the work. We have finally released Dom Rusalok on Steam — January 6, and now on Itch.io!

If you have any problems with access or the game, please, don't hesitate to let me know in case of any questions. My team and I would be very happy if you could enjoy our game.

Thank you for your attention!