Mortrëshka 1905 is a unique blend of sokoban-style merging puzzles and a grim colony sim, set in an alternate Russian Empire where, after the tragedy of Bloody Sunday, the spirits of the dead cannot find peace.
The main protagonist, Mortrëshka, uses necromancy to resurrect the deceased. She is aided by her matryoshka sisters and living water. Help her perform the dark ritual to restore balance to the Empire… at any cost.
GATHER THE SISTERS AT THE BONFIRE
Each level is a game board featuring a cemetery in a different corner of Petrograd.
The player moves the sisters (matryoshkas) and pushes bottles of living water.
Necromancy is performed by connecting all the sisters and placing living water on the graves. This activates the ritual bonfire.
RESURRECT AND MANAGE
The unified matryoshka is sacrificed on the bonfire, and with the help of living water, the dead are resurrected. This is not just part of the story — it's your key resource. Bring them out onto the map of Petrograd and assign them to points of interest to influence the life of the empire.
TWO PATHS — ONE GOAL
Choose your revolution:
Peaceful path: Send the resurrected to bakeries to feed the hungry; to hospitals to advance medicine; to banks to save the economy. Improve the people's lives from within.
Radical path: Use the army of the dead to seize the Winter Palace, join pickets and protests. Overthrow the old order through chaos and strikes.
BEWARE OF RASPUTIN, DON'T DISTURB THE EMPEROR
The Emperor is watching events unfold and may lose patience: protests will cease, and the dead will return to their graves. Between levels, Grigori Rasputin himself is watching your game. He will use dark magic to interfere with rituals, confuse the sisters, and steer history down an unpredictable path.
RETRO AESTHETICS
Pixel art inspired by retro stations such as NES/ZXSpectrum/SEGAMasterSystem: a limited palette, expressive silhouettes, and contrasting subdued colors. The visual style emphasizes the mysticism and melancholy of Petrograd, while referencing old screens and archaic display techniques, enhancing the atmosphere of ancient magic and urban desolation.
Mortrëshka 1905 is a story about how even in the darkest fairy tale, the choice remains with the player. Will you restore the empire through kindness, or drown it in blood? The decision is yours alone.