The Ukrainian game Threads of War, created by 13-year-old Askold Kostyushko with his father Andriy, a game designer at Creoteam, has been released on Steam. Part of the money from the game’s sales will go to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian game Threads of War, created by 13-year-old Askold Kostyushko with his father Andriy, a game designer at Creoteam, has been released on Steam. Part of the money from the game’s sales will go to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Threads of War is a reimagining of the classic NES-era Battle City game. The developers have modernized the concept and added new mechanics, including adapting it to the rogue-lite genre, where you have to choose a route on a map while trying to power up your tank.
The project is also distinguished by its visuals, stylized as Ukrainian embroidery. In an interview with dev.ua, Andriy Kostyushkn said that he wanted to make the game recognizable and «convey the atmosphere of those same dances.» Therefore, it was necessary to look for a style that would be metaphorical, interesting, and pixelated at the same time.
«When I was thinking about the metaphors of the Ukrainian liberation struggle, the Ukrainian spirit, and the fate of man, I realized that embroidery is something that conveys all these ideas. I also realized that using embroidery meets my other needs: uniqueness and pixelation», — Andriy said.
According to the developers, they wanted to talk about war, to touch on topics «that are rarely talked about or not talked about at all» — that it is not faceless units that die in war, but people who «dreamed, planned their lives, and then were forced to take up arms.» In Threads of War, the player can feel this thanks to the metaphors and the way the game mechanics are built.
«Meet Threads of War — a game about how Ukrainians embroider the fate of their country with threads of war,» the release announcement says .
The project offers a campaign in which players will travel through key cities liberated by the Ukrainian army in 2022: northern Ukraine, the Slobozhansk operation, and the deoccupation of the right-bank Kherson region. Threads of War also features a level editor and local cooperative.
Threads of War is now available for purchase for UAH 111 for the Ukrainian region of Steam. 25% of the project’s revenue will go to support the Defense Forces.
«With this game, we want to tell the world more about our war, and also thank the Ukrainian army for having the opportunity to develop the game,» the developers emphasized.
