Olga: A Narrative Journey Coming This Year

The indie developer Workbench Entertainment (Wounded – The Beginning, 2019) will soon announce the release of its new game, Olga – Episode 1, a new walking simulator that invites us on a wonderful journey of self-discovery. Personally, I find it impossible not to see references or similarities to titles like What Remains of Edith Finch (2017), or even one of my favorites, Firewatch (2016), for reasons that will become obvious once you watch the video featured in this article.

Workbench Entertainment’s proposal will take us, through the eyes of Olga, the protagonist, to Belovodica, a small village hidden in the middle of the Slavic mountains. Olga is a first-person episodic narrative adventure that is not meant to be complex or extremely long. It is not a horror adventure or one filled with great mysteries, but quite the opposite: this title makes us feel comfortable and at ease, offering a cozy and colorful environment. An adventure to relax and unwind with, guided by its story. Below you can watch the Official Announcement Trailer for Olga – Episode 1, courtesy of IGN on YouTube:

Welcome to Belovodica

Olga is an episodic first-person narrative walking simulator that tells a simple story through stylized graphics and a cozy atmosphere. After coming across what’s seemingly the biggest career opportunity of their lives, Olga’s parents leave the country for a few months, leaving her at her grandparents’ home in Belovodica, a hidden, isolated village deep within the mountains. This story takes place at a time when communication devices, such as mobile phones, were not available to those living in such remote areas.

All that Belovodica has to offer Olga is an isolated, calm, and peaceful life with her elderly grandparents, or at least that is what she wants to believe. While as mentioned earlier we should not expect scares or dangers to worry about, we can enjoy the exploration and discovery of this young girl who suddenly finds herself far from everything she knows, and with a responsibility she gladly accepts, caring for her beloved grandparents.

In that place, she has to take care of everything on the farm, tending to the sheep, cooking, growing vegetables, and handling general day to day chores. However, there are plenty of situations that invite her to explore and uncover secrets about her family’s history and her grandparents’ past. Of course, there are small touches of mystery in these moments, but nothing we need to worry about. Olga’s young and curious spirit drives her to go one step further, discovering incredible landscapes as well as hidden corners within the cabin itself that sometimes feel almost magical.

So…

Keep this in mind, my friend, Olga – Episode 1 is not trying to scare us or make us tense, but quite the opposite. It is a short adventure with a deep and highly immersive narrative, one in which we can easily relax and enjoy the journey. If you want to see how it feels, you can visit its Steam page right now, and besides adding it to your Wishlist, you can already try its free demo! And once you have, it would be great if you come back here and tell us what you think about this friendly adventure from Workbench Entertainment. You know gamer, we’ll be reading you! 🙂

Images Source: IGN Official YouTube Channel, Olga – Episode 1 on Steam