Introduction
Why "Kolyma"?
Kolyma is a region in the Russian Federation named after the Kolyma River. Located in the northeast of Russia, it is historically associated with the Soviet GULAG labor camps and the Russian penitentiary system. The word "Kolyma" evokes the stark beauty of minimalist, untouched northern landscapes, juxtaposed with 20th-century history marked by an unprecedented level of violence and cruelty.
While our game features an original story, it is heavily inspired by the lives and works of Soviet authors who experienced and survived the GULAG.
Time and Space
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The zone of the camp is the game's main hub. The zone has barracks for prisoners, a post office, a dining area, warehouses, an administration building, a hospital and a workshop. Each of the buildings has a certain function in the game. The buildings are associated with different tasks that allow the player to retrieve various items and gather resources.
In the GULAG camp, work is mandatory, so the player can only collect resources, gather items, and accept tasks on Saturdays and Sundays, when prisoners do not work a full day. The choices the player makes during the weekend will determine whether they survive until the next moment of respite.
Time:
Space:
Our game is set in the GULAG prison camp in the late 1930s/early 1940s. You play as Arkady Kojukh, one of the convicts, a victim of the Great Terror. In order to survive, you must adapt to your new reality and try to break free.
Core Mechanics
Kolyma blends two popular game genres: Survival and Deck-Building. You must collect cards to build a strong deck for gambling and gather essential resources to survive.
Survival
Three main factors affect the protagonist and their survival: cold, hunger, and physical weakness. Each aspect is represented by a gauge that fills up over time but can be depleted by consuming collected resources and items. If one of the gauges becomes full, the player will die and must restart from the most recent checkpoint.
Items
Items collected throughout the game are divided into two main types: Consumables and Quest Items.
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Consumables are crucial for everyday survival, as they can alleviate cold, hunger, and physical weakness.
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Quest Items must be obtained by the end of each chapter.
Deck-Building
Gambling is a significant aspect of prison culture and one of the ways to acquire quest items and consumables.​​​
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Surviving, gambling, and making pacts with NPCs drive the plot forward.
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Visit us on Steam for more information!
