Hollow Home: Ukrainian RPG set during the siege of Mariupol hits Steam Next Fest
A Ukrainian indie studio has updated its demo for Hollow Home — an isometric RPG set during the Russian siege of Mariupol — ahead of Steam Next Fest (June 15–22, 2026). The demo already holds 97% positive reviews on Steam, and Berlin-based publisher Crunchy Leaf Games came on board in May 2026, targeting a full release by late 2026. If you're looking for something that goes beyond typical war-game spectacle, this one is worth trying now for free.
The game
Hollow Home follows 14-year-old Maksym, a boy who wakes up to find his city under bombardment in the first days of the full-scale invasion. There is no combat. Survival runs entirely through dialogue, choices, and relationships — each day parcelled out in limited action points that force genuine moral trade-offs. The city map changes as destruction spreads, and branching questlines mean your decisions carry real weight.
The closest comparison is This War of Mine (the 2014 Polish game about civilian survival under siege), but Hollow Home is grounded in a specific, documented event. Twigames' developers lived through the siege of Mariupol themselves. The visual style and dialogue presentation draw comparisons to Disco Elysium — portrait-driven conversation bars that feel closer to a messaging app than a traditional RPG.
The game has already picked up serious festival recognition: Best Conference Game and Game Star at Games Gathering 2024, winner of the Nordic Game 2024 Pitch Battle, and Most Promising Game at Indie Cup Ukraine 2023, per Games Press.
What's next
The updated demo is live on Steam now and includes new content plus fixes from earlier builds. Steam Next Fest runs June 15–22, making it a good window to try it before the crowd moves on. Twigames plans to launch a Kickstarter in July 2026 to fund the full release, which is targeted for late 2026.
The launch is Steam-only for now — no console ports or Epic Games Store listing have been announced. A Disco Elysium-style narrative RPG built on first-hand experience of one of the war's most documented sieges is a rare thing. The demo is the best argument it has, and the reviews suggest it makes that argument well.
