Mudrunner in the style of Disco Elysium is maybe not the most obvious videogame mashup imaginable, but that’s pretty much what seems to be going on with Zarya, an upcoming “narrative simulator” about a guy named Vasily who’s just trying to earn a living and do the occasional solid for his friends in a deeply rural post-Soviet backwater.
Zarya—not to be confused with the Overwatch character of the same name—has been listed on Steam for more than a year now, but it went completely under my radar until the recent release of a new gameplay trailer.
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The video doesn’t do a great job of explaining what the game is about, but the vibe is impeccable: Driving rough, Soviet-era vehicles on roads that mostly exist as either distant memories or wishful thinking is clearly at the heart of the experience, but Vasily’s also doing some grilling, he’s going fishing, he’s doing a little shopping, he’s going for a sunset walk—the man seems to be living not a bad life, all in all.
The Steam page gives off much the same impression: While your day job of running deliveries can make you “an off-road legend,” it’s the underlying narrative that sounds more interesting to me.
“Dive into the stories of people living far from civilization. Assist the villagers with their challenging tasks. Grill kebabs with the guys in the garages, go fishing with Petrovich, take the harvest to the market, tow cars, and try not to end up in a pit, as the last time a tractor was seen in the village was 30 years ago. Enjoy a plethora of authentic post-Soviet ‘clichés’, from old cars to familiar childhood landscapes and the simple joys of life.”
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Not a whole lot to go on there either, but again, the vibes—I dig them, and I want to know more. When that will happen is anyone’s guess at this point, but there is an option to sign up for a playtest on Steam. Don’t hold your breath waiting to get in anytime soon, though: The most recent update on that I can find was posted in September 2024, when developer SBSR said it was “collecting applications” but hadn’t actually started sending out invites.
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