To date, the designer of computer games Nikolai Dybovsky is the most famous Russian igrodelo. His contribution to the development of culture is invaluable, and his works look like masterpieces of artists. The games created by his company Ice-pick Lodge are widely known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. The works are distinguished by a non-standard approach to the plot, non-linearity and a special animated charm.
Biography of Nikolai Dybovsky
Despite the huge popularity, it is almost impossible to find any information about the designer. At the moment, it is known that the age of Nikolai Dybovsky is 41 years. He was born in Moscow and graduated from the Russian Humanitarian Institute, having received a philological specialty. He was fond of video games from the very beginning of the genre. Grew up on the first masterpieces of the computer and console industry. He was always on the same wave with progressive youth. Parents demanded that the young guy get a serious specialty, and he received it, additionally graduating from the Higher School of Economics. In the late 90s he began to engage in gaming. Even then, Nikolai Dybovsky began to combine hand-drawn games with acting.
By 2001, I had accumulated enough experience to open my own studio. Ice-pick Lodge became the first Russian studio to create original content.
Features of the work of Dybovsky
It is really difficult to characterize the works of the author, since the style has exceptional authenticity. Dybovsky’s works provide an opportunity to feel complete freedom of action, which no one could even dream of before. An analysis of Ice-pick Lodge games can be compared to a reflection on abstract art. Many can see in this only a set of obscure characters and pictures. In fact, everything is much more complicated. The game exists regardless of the user, you can do anything in it. The player has a real choice. There is the possibility of refusing to solve the plot problems, refusing the quest in favor of another, solving any problems that interest the player himself.
"Pestilence. Utopia"
The very first game released by Dybowski studio. "Mor. Utopia" was made four years after the creation of the studio, which raises the question: "What did the authors do all this time?" At first glance, the game is a mixture of a shooter, a text quest, and the likes of RPG. The engine by the standards of 2005 is extremely weak, and the graphics can simply scare the modern gamer. What is the secret to the success of this project?
It's all about the stuffing. The plot is a complex structure with a mass of possible lines of storytelling. There is a certain city in the game, filled with the atmosphere of an existential crisis, depression, and the raging sandstone plague that has been raging for several years. The player will have to deal not only with the storyline, but also with what is happening at all. There is still no consensus on the Internet about what the author wanted to say with his work. But from this it is only better - everyone chooses for himself the answer to this question.
In general, the work has become a kind of artistic experiment. During the work and sales of the game, it became clear that Nikolay Dybovsky was able to create a huge three-dimensional image of emptiness and sadness.
The game was reissued in 2015 on the Steam platform. The old users were pleased with several innovations, such as achievements, improved graphic textures, and lower product prices.
"Turgor"
The second major project of Nikolai Dybovsky and the best-selling game of the studio. "Turgor" is another challenge to contemporary art, another way to attract meaning seekers. The game, like the previous one, received the award "The most non-standard project of the year." This time, the authors made an even more unimaginable game - they replaced the text interaction with the visual one.
The whole plot is a pile of various metaphors and allusions. Amid the entire kaleidoscope of gaming strokes, surprisingly, there is an erotic quest. The game should be considered first of all from the side of aesthetics - design and abstract narration fascinate from the first minutes of gameplay.
The Ice-pick Lodge team has long been accused of plagiarism. The combat system in the game was very similar to the work of the Clover studio. In both works for striking, you must draw special characters. As a result, it turned out that the "ice axes" were engaged in this idea long before the release of Okami.
"Eureka"
One of the last games of Nikolai Dybovsky, released in 2011. The project received many positive reviews and was focused more on the Western market. Unlike previous studio works, the degree of surrealism was significantly reduced, although it was still off scale.
The plot of the game is extremely original and represents a world from which the forces of gravity completely disappeared. The player, in turn, will have to return them by successively launching special generator plants.
If we draw an analogy with previous projects of the company, we can find a clear difference from the usual style. Most likely, the story was written by a new screenwriter. Fans were extremely surprised by this course of events, as the usual allegories and references were practically absent. The studio gained considerable popularity, but lost many loyal fans.
Knock Knock Knock and Kickstarter
The receipt of a new wave of fame was largely associated with an increase in the demands of Dybovsky and his team. To create a new original project, it was decided to use the fundraising platform. The trailer for the work was attended by touches that have long been loved since the Mora - a conceptual view of things, the art of the original story and interesting gameplay.
The idea appealed to fans and Ice-pick Lodge were able to exceed the crowdfunding plan by 136%. For such a platform, this was a real miracle, since no one was engaged in advertising the project. The only way to find out about collecting money was to visit the Kickstarter website itself.
And yet, despite the lack of an advertising campaign, interviews with developers and resource updates, the game was given a green light. Knock Knock Knock appeared on Steam. The game was made in the good old traditions of "ice axes". Strange graphics, an unusual plot - the player will try himself as the manager of a hotel with ghosts. In order to save the life of your character, you must consistently turn on the lights in different rooms and collect notes.
New projects
In 2018, Nikolai Dybovsky continues to engage in crowdfunding projects. After the success of Tuk-Tuk-Tuk, the company decided to publish the sequel to its first masterpiece of 2005, Mor. Utopia. Ice-pick Lodge received more than 300 thousand dollars from fans, which allowed the development process to begin. They promise to release the game within a year, the names of the most generous donators will be written in the credits.