Today is Vyshyvanka Day in Ukraine. And I want to tell a bit about the symbolic meaning of some elements of Threads of War which is made in the style of Ukrainian embroidery used in the Ukrainian vyshyvankas.

Vyshyvanka is not just folk clothing, not just the fashion of those times. The patterns on vyshyvanka have symbolism; they are amulets and protection from evil forces.

When we started making Threads of War, I decided to design the entire game in the style of Ukrainian embroidery because of the amulet symbolism.

• Enemy tanks are depicted as demons and hellhounds.
  
• The Ukrainian tank features a protective amulet on its tower.
  
• If you look closely, the red blocks resemble high-rise buildings from above. These represent cities suffering from warfare and are easily destroyed in the game.
  
• The red and black blocks are fortifications. This colour combination conveys Ukrainian strength and resilience. It's strongly associated with our Independence wars.
  
• The green blocks represent forests, symbolized by one of our brightest symbols - the viburnum.
  
• The blue blocks represent water. They symbolize constant movement and the cycle of life, which I depicted as a whirlpool (which is used in the embroidery too).

Of course, no embroidery or amulet alone can save our land without struggle. The foundation of Ukraine is its people who do something for the country. But the cultural code of embroidery, embedded in our subconscious, gives us strength and inspiration to finally win the War for Independence.

Happy Vyshyvanka Day!

PS This is how the game's credits screen look like in the Demo-version which is already available. My son and I thought this photo would be appropriate in a game designed in the style of Ukrainian embroidery :)

Have you played the demo yet? If so, please write on the forum what you liked and what you didn't. What are your thoughts on the game?

Today we're releasing the demo version of our game!

Threads of War merges Battle City mechanics with rogue-lite progression. The game, styled in Ukrainian embroidery, allows players to experience the liberation of Ukrainian cities during the first year of the full-scale war and can be played solo or in co-op.

The demo version will demonstrate all these features. You'll be able to evaluate the modernized Battle City mechanics, the roguelite progression, and the game's styling (while the screenshots may seem very striking, you'll see how quickly you can get used to the patterns in the demo), as well as the journey of liberating Ukrainian cities in 2022, and the option to play the game in co-op.

For those who enjoy experimenting, we have created an editor where you can create a unique location and play on it.

Here are the quantitative details of the demo version: players will be able to liberate 5 out of the planned 14 regions: Hostomel, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv. There will be three types of enemy tanks, one boss, one music track, and a sufficient number of active and passive bonuses to evaluate the game mechanics.

The game features different levels of difficulty, each distinguished by the presence of new and interesting rules. To fully complete the game, all regions must be liberated across 10 difficulty levels, with each subsequent level unlocking after completing the previous one. The first three levels will be available in the demo version.

Overall, our game focuses less on reaction or accuracy and more on the ability to choose priorities correctly.

For example, you see a nearby bonus on the map that can give you an extra shield. If not collected within five seconds, it will disappear. Meanwhile, an enemy command tank passes by, which, if destroyed, can provide a temporary powerful boost. You also notice a slow, but fortified enemy approaching your headquarters. You need to quickly decide the order in which to act.

My son and I spent considerable time on prototyping and fine-tuning the game's feel, and we believe we have successfully captured that essence.

However, we would love to receive feedback from players about their experience—what they enjoy and what could be improved. This feedback will help us refine the gameplay and release a more polished game. Please leave your comments on the Steam forum.

To make it easier for you to create images for videos, we have compiled a set of game graphics in one folder: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/sxp5qnbfbj1se0s40cgbt/h?rlkey=2yt7zbwpvtib4azp5eoghecub&dl=0