Chernobyl Liquidators Simulator is an upcoming game on Steam that puts you in the boots of one of the recovery team members of the Chernobyl disaster thirty years ago, and the experience is gruelling.
As you may be aware, there is no real way of knowing how many people died as a result of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The report undertaken on the disaster by Soviet Union officials calculated the death toll to be two, pertaining to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant employees killed in the reactor explosion. However, in terms of the number who were directly affected, it is accepted that 30 people died from immediate blast trauma and acute radiation syndrome, including the crew of liquidators who removed the highly radioactive debris from the roof of the plant.
If you've seen the HBO show Chernobyl, you'll know the system that these soldiers had to contain the radiation. These people could only spend 40 to 90 seconds shoveling the debris due to the risk of severe radiation poisoning. The sheer scale of the disaster meant that the crews needed to repeat these trips to the roof several times, and the recovery workers were exposed to an effective dose equivalent to an extra 50 years of typical natural background radiation exposure.
Advert
In a decidedly different vein, Chernobylite is an upcoming science fiction survival title who returns to the Exclusion Zone to search for his missing love. Check out the trailer here.
"Chernobyl Liquidators Simulator is a realistic take on the disaster, where you will NOT fight mutants and monsters, instead work hard to contain the radiation, help the people and conspire with the government," read the description from developer Live Motion Games. That, I assume, is a reference to Chernobylite and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series that insert sci-fi elements into their alternate timelines exploring the explosion of the reactor. If that's your speed, then these games are great, but I admit they do paint a gloss over the real, lived experience of this harrowing event. The demo is available on Steam right now, and it's not for the fraidy cats among us.
Fires engulf swathes of the plant and it's your role to contain the damage and ensure everyone's safety for further cleanup. However, the water reserves you have access to are limited and liquidators need to close in on these flames in order to douse them. If the player stands too close to the fire or the radioactive debris, health depletes significantly. Every playthrough is more tense than the last, with sections of the plant wrecked by the explosion, featuring massive chasms, floods, total darkness and makeshift platforms left by other liquidators. One excellent feature is the map, which is attached to your clipboard, offering a realistic yet limited view of your surroundings.
Advert
"The clean up was full of tough choices for the liquidators, from uprooting people from their homes to killing innocent animals. Your decisions will matter - will you blindly follow orders or disobey and listen to your heart?" continued the developer's description. History buffs and fans of a mystery game should definitely check this one out.
Featured Image Credit: Live Motion Games, PlayWay S.A.