This video game simulates the loneliness of a Russian village

A traditional wooden Russian hut, infinite acres of fields and forests, and not a single soul for hundreds of miles… If lockdown has made you hungry for even more forced isolation, then you’re in for a treat (kind of) with the video game Simulator of Loneliness in a Russian Village.

The romantics among you will enjoy diving into a world of clean, traditional samovars, flowing oceans of greenery, and the nooks and crannies of wood-crafted cupboards (just beware of the rats). The bareness of the game also alludes to the lack of opportunities and rapid depopulation in remote Russian rural areas.

“In this game, there is no combat system, and there are no monsters, levelling, quests,” the creators say. “You are not waiting for a dynamically developing plot and exciting adventures. Where do you even look for adventure in a tiny, abandoned village?” they tease. “Once there was a bustling life; however, the lack of work, entertainment and generally any prospects forced all the residents to leave. You are the only one who did not exchange wide fields, dense forests and a morning swim in the river for office work and a dull life in a nine-storey panel house.”

Simulator of Loneliness in a Russian Village is available to buy on Steam.