ISKRA: Beneath The Frost

ISKRA: Beneath the Frost is a single-player, menu-driven survival RPG set during a nuclear winter. After a global war, the people who remain live in basements, tunnels and underground shelters. You are one of them, trying to keep warm and find enough supplies for another day.

You choose where to send your survivor, prepare their equipment and decide what to bring home. The game plays out through illustrated screens and expedition reports, with combat resolved automatically.

OUTSIDE THE SHELTER

Search ruined farmhouses, forest cabins, abandoned roads and industrial sites. Each trip takes time, and repeated searches reveal new routes and help you learn where to look for supplies. A warmer coat or a larger backpack can make the next journey a little easier. Space is limited, though, so you will sometimes have to leave something useful behind.

Cold, hunger and injuries take their toll. Some places are contaminated and require protective gear. Expeditions can fail, but there is no permanent character death. If you collapse out there, someone brings you back. Some survivors call it luck. Others talk about a guardian angel.

A PLACE TO COME BACK TO

A bed, a working stove and walls that keep the cold out can make a place feel like home. Piece your shelter together from what you bring back. What you can build depends on the materials and equipment you find nearby.

During a snowstorm, even familiar paths become too dangerous to follow. Inside the shelter, a small fire keeps the cold at bay while the wind shifts the snow outside. When the weather clears, you may find supplies uncovered among the ruins, or something you missed on your last visit.

PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

Trade supplies, help other survivors and look for traces of your character's forgotten past. The story unfolds through tasks and short passages, with optional daily and weekly assignments to take on along the way.

You may also find a young animal on your travels. Give it a name and choose which companion accompanies you. Each offers different bonuses, gains experience as you explore and stays with you when you move on.

GROW, THEN MOVE ON

Your character gains levels, while skills improve through use: searching, fighting, working on the shelter and treating injuries. Your collection records the items you discover along the way.

Once you meet a region's requirements, the Prestige system lets you move to the next region. You leave your equipment, cash and shelter behind, and your character level resets. You keep part of your skill progress, along with your companions, story progress, collection and achievements. Each region has its own places to explore and challenges to prepare for.

ISKRA is an independent game in active development. Artwork, balance and content are still being refined.