Konstantin Reus from Odesa has developed a new computer game titled Broken Life, which illustrates the war in Ukraine through the character of a military cat named Leo. The game's plot focuses on a journey through destroyed territories, searching for family, and fighting for survival after occupation.
The idea for the project stemmed from Konstantin's personal experiences during the full-scale invasion. Development began in March 2023, and the first part was released in April 2025, with a total of three parts planned.
Leo, the main character, a former military cat, returns home after the city is liberated and seeks to uncover the fate of his family.
“The plot involves a nation of dogs attacking cats under the slogan ‘we are one nation.’ I wanted players to visually see that these are different peoples, represented as different animals,” Konstantin Reus shared in an interview.
The game's narrative is inspired by real events that the author and his wife experienced while helping people in the villages of Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Konstantin recalls witnessing destruction and desolation after the occupiers retreated, which was a profound emotional shock.
During the shelling of Odesa and prolonged blackouts, he conceived the idea of creating a survival game. Initially, the project included practical advice, such as how to start a generator or find food, but the story evolved to become deeper and more complex.
The character of Leo the cat was inspired by a walk through Odesa, where the author encountered graffiti that read “Cats of the Armed Forces,” which motivated him to create the character.
The gameplay follows a non-linear approach, where the player's choices affect the development of the story. There are no absolute good or bad decisions in the plot — everything depends on the path chosen by the player.
