THE WOLF OF DEREVNYA
The collaborative and supportive nature of the Bay Area Developer’s Collective was palpable at MAGWest 2023. Developers in the collective pointed out other games and encouraged gamers to demo their neighbors' work — so much so that I had difficulty discerning who the developer was for each game. This outstanding community is full of small projects from Nectarmancy to Hexcross. I had the pleasure of interviewing the developer of one of these radical indies: The Wolf of Derevnya. This interactive visual novel features a jaded hero from a small village threatened by a mysterious monster. When the villagers of Derevnya begin turning up maimed, suspicion falls on you. You must track down the beast to clear your name and save the village — but to unravel this mystery, you must confront your past.
Nightwell Games' debut title, The Wolf of Derevnya, is a survival-horror narrative game set in the rich medieval world of Kievan Rus'. An initial demo version of this game was created for InkJam 2022 and Spooktober 4th Annual Visual Novel Jam, and it made some waves. Less than a year later, Nightwell Games released a full-length version. The Wolf of Derevnya is a 7-chapter hand-illustrated, choose-your-own-adventure game. There are over 1200 meaningful choices in this game and 7 different discoverable backstories. The Wolf of Derevnya also includes a customizable protagonist, which you often don’t see in visual novels. This game has 4 variable endings and an atmospheric, ethereal original soundtrack.
If you’re looking for a visual novel full of mystery and horror, The Wolf of Drevnya is for you. Personally, I’m looking forward to curling up with this one during our next dark and stormy evening.
Audio transcription coming soon…
