A master of all sciences: a biologist creates a game based on Soviet fiction

Nikita Nikiforov, an employee of the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, creates the computer game Mayak ("The Lighthouse"), about humanity's first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. During the day, the scientist explores the mechanisms of chronic vascular inflammation, and in the evenings he draws scenes, writes music, programs and works on the plot. "Izvestia" was one of the first to test the game, which takes place in the Russian mountain observatory of the future in the Caucasus. Whether the "Lighthouse" project will be able to become popular and attract a wide audience is in our material.

The game is about humanity's first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization

A new game about humanity's first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization is being created in Russia. At the center of the story is researcher Nina, who works at a mountain observatory, where scientists encounter a mysterious signal from space. One of the key details of the plot is the sequence of prime numbers — 3571, 3559, 3557, after which the countdown suddenly ends. The developer intentionally does not disclose the meaning of the numbers: it is connected with one of the main mysteries of Mayak and its ending.

— I can only say that the events related to these numbers in the universe of the game seem absolutely logical to me. I hope that after completing the game, the gamer will think: probably, everything could really have turned out that way," the author of the project told "Izvestia".

Photo: Nikita Nplus1

He considers Mayak to be a genre of serious science fiction and strives to make the image of space as logical as possible from the point of view of modern science. It is impossible to completely avoid artistic assumptions. It is not disclosed which scientific concepts formed the basis of the plot.

Nikita Nikiforov had never programmed or written scripts for games before. He works at the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology. His research group studies the mechanisms of chronic inflammation of the vascular wall associated with the development of atherosclerosis.

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For about a year, the author of the project studied engines, experimented with two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics, and gradually came to a format in which each scene is drawn manually.

— I used to play games sometimes, but now I'm playing game creation. And this is even more interesting," the developer noted.

Now it takes about a week to create one or two scenes. Each one is created separately and is not repeated, so the author himself admits that this approach significantly increases the amount of work. Another feature is the linear plot with no choice of lines or alternative endings. According to the author of the project, this is a conscious decision: he himself prefers games in which the author clearly formulates the message and leads the gamer to one denouement.

Photo: Nikita Nplus1

— When a game has many endings and I go through one of them, then I go to watch the others. And then I start looking for which one is canonical. My focus is blurring. Sometimes you just want to relax and immerse yourself in history, when difficult moral choices are not on your conscience, but on the conscience of the characters themselves," he explained.

Mayak does not aim to directly promote our space program. The author calls the project a declaration of love for space, physics, mathematics, astronomy and science fiction. At the same time, the Russian context remains part of the game's world: events take place in the Caucasus, and the Russian observatory of the future becomes the setting.

Soviet fiction is back in fashion

— We've always been good at making robots. The best Soviet robots worked on the moon, and many of their achievements still remain unsurpassed. The first spacecraft to land on Mars was also Soviet. I hope that modern Russian technologies will be able to continue this tradition," explained science popularizer Vladimir Surdin.

According to him, Russian cosmonautics may rely on automatic planetary exploration in the future. This approach is much cheaper than manned expeditions and at the same time more effective from a scientific point of view.

Photo: Nikita Nplus1

— Perhaps this is how we will be able to re-enter the ranks of the world leaders in space exploration. Unfortunately, we are currently lagging far behind, and artificial intelligence can help narrow this gap," he said.

Gaming blogger Alexander Melikhov believes that Mayak is able to attract attention due to its non-standard approach to space subjects. According to him, the project stands out for its combination of science fiction, hand-drawn graphics and the atmosphere of the Russian scientific environment.

— Mayak is interesting primarily for its approach. This is not another attempt to make a universal space game designed for the widest possible audience at once. The author's personal story and interest in science are felt here, and this helps the project stand out from other independent games," he told "Izvestia".

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The authors turned archaeology into an expedition with a museum, excavations and legends about Scythian gold.

An additional advantage, in his opinion, may be the very concept of first contact. It allows you to build a line not so much around the action, but around the atmosphere, mysteries and science fiction story.

Photo: Nikita Nplus1

At the same time, the prospects for such projects on the international market remain ambiguous, according to IT expert Sergey Pomortsev. The Russian developer will have to compete with thousands of independent authors who annually release games on global platforms.

— For a domestic audience, such a project may be interesting precisely because of the combination of a space theme, science and a recognizable context. But outside of our country, demand will depend primarily on the quality of the game itself and the author's ability to convey its idea to a foreign audience," he noted.

According to him, the local context alone does not guarantee the interest of an international gamer. At the same time, the expert does not exclude that niche projects with a strong author's concept can find an audience abroad.