Threads of War · published
Two years ago, 11-year-old programmer Askold and his father—a game designer, artist, and musician—decided to remake the retro game Battle City, adding lots of variety and more modern mechanics, and turning the gameplay into a rogue-lite journey where players choose their route on the map while trying to upgrade their tank.
They also wanted to tell a story about war—touching on themes that are rarely discussed or not discussed at all: that in war, it's not faceless units that die, but real people who had dreams, planned their lives, and were then forced to take up arms. And the game doesn’t convey this through text or cutscenes—the player can feel it through metaphors and the way the gameplay mechanics are built.
Two years later, the game is launching on Steam. Meet Threads of War—a game about how Ukrainians embroider the fate of their country with threads of war.
We took Battle City as a foundation, kept what was fun about it, but modernized and added exciting new mechanics—like collecting ammo, passive and active bonuses, boss battles, and more. We also created unique enemies, each with its own mechanic. As a result, you get endless variation: different enemy tank combinations create new challenges, synergy between various bonuses leads to new battle scenarios, and the location generator makes every fight unique.
The game doesn’t just entertain—it reflects our view of war. Behind every tank icon is a human life—a person who lived and dreamed, worked and loved. War is made up of countless human tragedies, and the game lets players feel that through its mechanics.
After each level, you decide how to move forward on the map. Some paths may offer bonuses, others the chance to buy missing shields, and some may let you avoid battle altogether. The map allows you to optimize your route to fit your playstyle. After each run, you earn experience that unlocks new active and passive bonuses.
The game supports a cooperative campaign for two players. After each completed level, the player who scored more points gets to choose their bonus first. This can lead to fun and competitive situations between you and your friend. At the same time, you’ll be able to support each other, snatch upgrades right under each other’s nose, and compete for points.
You can get creative and build your own level. You can design the layout, place ammo and bonus spawns, and set the number and types of enemies.
In the game, you’ll progress through key cities liberated by the Ukrainian army in 2022: you'll free northern Ukraine, take part in the Kharkiv offensive, and drive the enemy from the right bank of Kherson.
With this game, we want to tell the world more about our war and also thank the Ukrainian army for giving us the opportunity to develop it.
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