Ukraine War Stories

About

Ukraine War Stories is a single player role playing game with drama, thriller and historical themes. It was developed by Starni Games and was released on October 18, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

Ukraine War Stories is a set of visual novels about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Set in the early months of the war, it tells the stories of civilians trapped on Russian-occupied territory. All stories are based on real events and eyewitness accounts.

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 231 reviews

story9 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Powerful, emotional storytelling based on real events that conveys the harsh realities and human cost of the Ukraine war.
Free-to-play visual novel with meaningful choices that impact story outcomes, helping players empathize with Ukrainian civilians.
Accurate and informative depiction supported by documentary photos and sources, providing important historical context and raising awareness.

Limited gameplay depth and repetitive elements, with some players feeling choices are predictable or have limited engagement.
English language in the narrative contains occasional grammar mistakes and awkward phrasing that can reduce immersion.
Visual and audio presentation—such as the music and AI-generated art—sometimes considered underwhelming or repetitive.

story
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
80%
5%
The story is a powerful and emotionally engaging portrayal of real events during the Ukrainian war, highlighting the harsh realities and human suffering rather than glorifying combat. While some find the narrative impactful and deeply moving with meaningful choices, others feel it could be more concise and immersive. Overall, the authentic, heartbreaking storytelling earns high praise for its educational and emotional significance.
- “This is one of the most engaging stories I have ever interacted with. It makes it far more meaningful and emotional when you realize the events covered have happened hundreds or even thousands of times in various places through the invasion.”
- “Great game, good work developers. I have completed the game with all the endings. This is a good story-driven game which makes gamers aware of the reality of war, showing that war is not only about glory and bravery but also how citizens face severe issues.”
- “Every novel is a dramatization of eyewitness accounts and real events recorded in the area, condensed into one story. There are three city storylines so far: Bucha, Hostomel, and Mariupol, three cities that have seen the worst of Russian occupation and war crimes.”
- “In «Ukraine War Stories» there is no high scripting and unexpected plot twists, as well as the gameplay itself.”
- “However, the story, while very emotional, fails to really capture my mind and the choices aren't very engaging.”
- “This story could be better told more briefly in a more linear and concise way with fewer (but more relevant and engaging) choices in a Ren'Py engine or something like that.”
emotional
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers an intensely emotional and heart-wrenching experience, often moving players to tears with its deeply tragic and real-life inspired stories about the Ukraine war. Many praise its powerful storytelling and emotional impact, highlighting how it brings awareness to historical and ongoing hardships, though some note that personal connection to the events may affect engagement. Overall, it is recognized as a groundbreaking, meaningful visual novel that challenges traditional game narratives with its raw and poignant portrayal of real suffering.
- “This is one of the most engaging stories I have ever interacted with and it makes it far more meaningful and emotional when you realize the events covered in the story have happened perhaps hundreds or even thousands of times in various places through the invasion.”
- “Firstly, you get an emotional gut punch after finishing every story. Secondly, you remember that the game is based on real stories and this gives you the second emotional gut punch (maybe even more powerful than the first one).”
- “The stories are just heartbreaking, some of the pictures I recognize from places I have actually visited when going to Ukraine from the UK in 2019. It is crazy just how fast life can change for people. Ukrainians were enjoying everyday peaceful lives in Kyiv buying coffee etc., next minute you have Putin deliberately aiming to harm innocent people, now we see missiles land on places we once could walk peacefully.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
75%
19%
The gameplay is a straightforward, text-based visual novel with simple branching choices typical of the genre, often clearly explaining mechanics and conditions for decisions. While lacking unexpected plot twists or complex scripting, it effectively delivers its story with accompanying music and illustrations. Overall, the gameplay is considered solid but somewhat obvious and simplistic.
- “Gameplay-wise, it is a fairly simple visual novel, with a few branches.”
- “The game is a little too obvious about its mechanics, always explaining the mechanical consequences of your choices and even showing the conditions required for choices to be available (e.g. "this choice is possible because Anya's mood >= 2"), while the choices that are not available are still displayed but greyed out.”
- “In 'Ukraine War Stories' there is no high scripting and unexpected plot moves, as well as the gameplay itself.”
- “The gameplay is very typical for the genre, that is, you read and sometimes you can choose options for the development of the plot.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The music in the game receives mixed reactions, with some praising its emotional, soft, and fitting soundtrack that enhances the storytelling and atmosphere, while others criticize its repetitiveness, lack of variety, and insufficient connection to the game's themes. Overall, the soundtrack is considered effective and touching by many but may feel limited or stock-like to some players.
- “Incomparable game, both the story and the music, especially the cello.”
- “And I want to say thank you to the development team, for collecting and bringing these small-but-true heavy stories in a well-packed (the artworks are nice and the music is right!) visual novel to us.”
- “Simple, but efficient, it's like watching a film while reading a book, and the soundtracks are perfect for the scenes.”
- “I'm not a big fan of the repetitive music; the game has only 3 tracks you'll be listening to on repeat for the hour it takes to get through this.”
- “The immersion is weak, music feels pretty stock-like; there are no sound indications or other elements that could make the game somewhat interesting.”
- “Sound/music design doesn't really connect with the game. There's one music track that made me feel sad about corpses laying on the ground, but this feeling is immediately ruined by the game portraying itself as victims while hiding the bad side of their history.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The game's graphics feature a distinctive artistic style, with impressive artwork that captures players' attention and enhances the emotional impact of the story. While some visuals are graphic and intense, they effectively convey the harsh realities of war, earning praise for authenticity and respectful portrayal of real-life events. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's immersive and poignant experience.
- “My favorite part of the game is the artwork; though I can't tell if they're pictures taken from the internet with an oil-painting filter applied, it mostly caught my eye throughout my gameplay.”
- “The artwork I've seen is amazing; respect for the creators.”
- “Thank you to the development team for collecting and bringing these small-but-true heavy stories in a well-packed visual novel. The artworks are nice and the music is right!”
- “The graphics in the game have a certain artstyle but you can identify that Kremlin sh1tface immediately.”
- “The graphics in the game have a certain artstyle but you can identify that Kremlin sh1tface immediately.”
- “Artwork: My favorite part of the game, though I can't tell if they're pictures taken from the internet with an oil-painting filter applied.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is intensive and may require multiple attempts or extra lives, making progression potentially repetitive and challenging.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is highly praised for its clever and entertaining comedic elements, making the story exceptionally funny and enjoyable.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates strong stability, with users reporting no significant bugs or issues affecting gameplay or understanding. It runs smoothly and provides a reliable experience.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a fully free experience with no in-app purchases, and a free demo is available prior to the full release, ensuring no monetary barriers for players.
- “The full game is completely free with no in-app purchases, and a free demo is available until the full game is released.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers good replayability through its realistic and cohesive stories, with varied outcomes based on player choices, complemented by impressive art.
- “The art is amazing and the stories are realistic and cohesive, offering even some replayability based on the choices you'll make.”