A group of enthusiasts from three Russian universities is working on creating a reindeer herding simulator with survival elements called Yakut. Visually, the game resembles the well-known survival game, The Long Dark, but is designed with a top-down view.
Yakut
According to the developers, Yakut is an educational project that immerses gamers in the world of reindeer herding and shows what it is like to survive in the Far North, facing its challenges and learning the intricacies of breeding reindeer.
The project's founder, Vlad Pan'shin, noted, "The gaming industry lacks games about reindeer herders. Our goal is to depict the lives of 18th-19th century nomads and their survival challenges. Life in the tundra puts everything in perspective: without reindeer, there is no human."
The project was recognized in the Russian 'Start the Game' competition. The head of the contest emphasized the high interest in such games, adding that the original setting and immersive nomadic experience could attract users. Moreover, Yakut fits well into the trend of popularizing the cultures of Russia's national minorities.
In the current version of Yakut, players must take care of the reindeer and their character by gathering resources and monitoring indicators like health. In the future, the developers plan to add elements of social life and cultural heritage of the nomads to the game.
The release of Yakut is scheduled for the end of 2025. The simulator is set to launch on the domestic platform VK Play and Steam.