Game developer Pavlo Podberezko is working on a new narrative project, Whispers Among the Poppies, which is inspired by the experiences of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Game developer Pavlo Podberezko is working on a new narrative project, Whispers Among the Poppies, which is inspired by the experiences of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
«During a full-scale invasion, a small boy flees the destruction, wandering through familiar but destroyed cities, desolate, silent, filled with shadows. Alone, but not entirely alone. Gifted with the ability to hear the voices of those no longer with us, he tries to understand what happened by listening to the silent thoughts left in the air,» the game’s description on Steam says.
Whispers Among the Poppies features hand-drawn 2D graphics, stylized as a child’s drawing, and a minimalist soundtrack. The game’s narrative is told without any text, with the characters' thoughts displayed in special speech bubbles.
According to the developer, the game will offer a short but profound journey that «leaves a mark on the heart.» Whispers Among the Poppies was inspired by «real-life experiences of war.»
Previously, Pavlo Podberezko released a project called Shapik: The Quest, which resembles games from the famous Czech studio Amanita Design. He started working on it in his city in Zaporizhia, but was forced to leave due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and completed development in a village in Vinnytsia.
«Constant rocket attacks, poor living conditions, and even worse conditions for a pregnant wife, constant reading of the news and watching videos of deceased acquaintances and people I knew. I am constantly in a kind of suspended-depressive state and cannot accept that we have become homeless for life,» Podberezko, who lost his home and cat during the Russian shelling, said about his feelings.
Whispers Among the Poppies currently does not have a release date, but the game has already received a demo as part of the Ukrainian Games Festival 2025, which can be played on Steam.
