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- Better Horror: a game based on Soviet horror stories will be released on VK Play
Better Horror: a game based on Soviet horror stories will be released on VK Play
Izvestia studied the Russian game "Filmoscope of Horrors: Green Eyes", which will be released in 2026 on the VK Play and Steam platforms. It was created in the style of the 1980s, plays on the childhood fears of schoolchildren of the late USSR and is inspired by Soviet folklore and the work of Eduard Uspensky. The authors of the project have created a visual series in which there is a place for technological graphics in the spirit of "pixel art" and symbols of the Soviet era. Experts are confident that the novelty will find its own player not only in Russia and the CIS. Read more about the project in the Izvestia article.
What will the new horror story tell you about?
In 2026, "Filmoscope of Horrors: Green Eyes", a visual novel set in 1986 in the USSR, during the period of late perestroika, will be released on playgrounds. The main character, Dasha, a fourth—grade student, violates her mother's ban and turns on a mysterious green plate.
This act becomes the starting point of events that go beyond the usual everyday life: images begin to appear around the girl, resembling characters from Soviet children's horror stories. Gradually, the situation acquires the features of a psychological and mystical conflict, in which the boundary between reality and imagination is rapidly blurring.
A frame from the game "Filmoscope of horrors: Green Eyes"
The player acts as both an observer and a participant in the events: his choices determine the development of the plot and the ending of the story — from gloomy to neutral or relatively favorable. The visual style is based on minimalistic but expressive pixel art with animated scenes that create the effect of reconstructing the episodes experienced by the heroine. Despite the individual everyday details that emphasize the era, the overall tone of the work remains restrained and disturbing, relying on an atmosphere of uncertainty and a gradual increase in threat.
— Are such projects needed abroad? Yes, after all, if this is something painfully familiar to us, then for a foreigner it is something new and unknown, the terrible Soviet world, demonized for decades, which suddenly turns out to be cozy and colorful in places. There is definitely a demand for such authentic projects in Asia, and in the West, too," says Gleb Kadomtsev, Director of Business Development at Game Art Pioneers.
Screenshot from the game "Filmoscope of horrors: Green Eyes"
The full version is designed to take about four hours to complete. The project is being developed by Novosibirsk—based Fishnauts studio, which sees the game as the beginning of a series based on the phenomenon of Soviet oral horror stories, a cultural phenomenon where collective childhood fears have formed a specific layer of semi-mythical images.
Soviet retro is back in fashion
Players are attracted to an era familiar to them from their own memories or the stories of their parents, but presented through a modern narrative format — where the past becomes a stage for drama, mysticism or alternative history. Publications on VK Play social networks related to this project and, in general, to content where "Soviet retro" is combined with elements of horror, traditionally cause high engagement and active discussions. This confirms the presence of sustained interest from the audience, said Alexander Egorov, head of media and indie business at VK Play.
A frame from the game "Filmoscope of horrors: Green Eyes"
— "Green eyes" very accurately fall into the nostalgic wave. This is a project that appeals not only to horror fans, but also to those who grew up watching Soviet horror stories and filmstrips. He has his own audience — players over 40 years old, who need to feel the atmosphere of childhood, mysticism and folklore, and not just be scared. The prospects are good: the subtlety of the presentation decides in this genre, and the project is fine with that. The issue is marketing scaling. Personally, I've had this game on my list of future purchases since the announcement," he added.
According to him, horror is a genre built on strong emotions and based on a loyal fan audience, so constant attention is especially important to him.
Such projects often gain popularity through reviews and broadcasts — the unusual world, gloomy visual solutions and vivid image of the "Soviet horror story" are suitable for content that easily spreads on social networks. In this scenario, a small budget, simple technical execution and a niche but loyal audience give a high chance of payback even without a major marketing campaign, says Mikhail Pimenov, Director of Development of the gaming industry at Synergy University.
A frame from the game "Filmoscope of horrors: Green Eyes"
— As someone who heard stories about "green eyes" and "red hand" in the pioneer camp as a child, I am very positive about the idea itself. But as an expert on the gaming market, I think it's still difficult to call the project a full-fledged game: in the available demo, the gameplay is minimal. At this stage, it's more of a slightly animated comic with choices in individual episodes. At the same time, it remains unclear exactly how the decisions made by the player affect the further development of events," said Oleg Dobroshtan, a gaming industry expert and writer.
The expert believes that if the project does not follow a certain trend, which is difficult to predict, then its audience will be quite modest.
The Soviet style is in demand again, according to Alexandra Ivanitskaya, founder of the Welsharess studio and developer of the Spellmeister game. She notes that in recent years, the TV series "Pishcheblok" and games such as Atomic Heart and "Bunny" have become vivid examples of nostalgic projects for the USSR. The idea of transferring children's Soviet horror stories to a new media can find its niche, but only if the developers do not lose their fighting spirit before the release of the full version in 2026, she concluded.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
