Articles Everlasting Summer

The best Russian games range from cult PC classics like Space Rangers 2 and Heroes of Might and Magic V to global hits like Atomic Heart, Escape from Tarkov, Pathfinder and MiSide — here are 62 top video games from Russian developers on PC and consoles. Russian studios have been making world-class games in almost every genre for decades, and many of them found their biggest audiences abroad. This list covers story-heavy RPGs and tactics, art-house horror, cult visual novels, strategy games, simulators, online shooters and the classics that started it all. Almost everything here can be bought and played today, mostly on Steam, and for every game we explain what makes it special and who it is for.

This top list gathers the best visual novels: genre classics, mobile romance stories, otome games, horror titles, experimental projects, and free games for those new to the genre. A visual novel is a narrative genre that combines elements of literature, illustrated cinema, and interactive gameplay. As with reading a book, the focus is on text, supplemented by static background images and music. As a rule, there are no battles, jumping, or other dynamic gameplay elements. But unlike books, visual novels are interactive: the player makes choices that determine how the story unfolds and which ending is reached. The player does not simply read a story — they influence it. That is what sets visual novels apart from an ordinary book. Today, visual novels are no longer just anime and light dating simulators. In our selection you will find dark detective stories, psychological horror games, and romantic comedies — playable on PC from the comfort of your armchair, or on a smartphone to unwind or pass the time.

Time and again, we notice a trend: while there are few AAA releases, and many of them disappoint, niche indie games unexpectedly rise to prominence. There have been such examples before, from Undertale and Stardew Valley to Hades and Disco Elysium. In the last weeks of 2024, a similar phenomenon emerged with MiSide — an anime horror game, where a charming girl named Mita turns the protagonist's life into a nightmare.