Ice-Pick Lodge has announced the release window for its upcoming game Know By Heart. The game will launch on Steam and is available to wishlist now.
Know By Heart tells the story of Misha, a young man stuck in a monotonous job. One day, his old crush from schools returns to town. For the first time in years, Misha has something to look forward to.
While the group of old friends reunites, something unusual begins to happen that threatens to tear them all apart. It’s up to them to look forward and rekindle their friendship before the past tears them apart.
The game’s main focus is about accepting loss. The developer worked to recreate the illusion of returning to childhood and growing up through plot, music, gameplay, and mini-games. The title takes place within a quiet provincial Russian town “where traces and echoes of the Soviet era can still be seen and heard.”
Know By Heart is around five hours long. The game’s emotional plot can be replaced over and over again to experience multiple endings.
However, the game only features the thoughts and memories of the protagonist. it’s up to players to help Misha work through his past if he wants to rekindle the friendships of his childhood friends or else lose them forever.
The graphics combine low poly characters in a detailed town. Players walk through and speak with characters without faces. Misha’s journey will take him through a variety of locations and speaking with different residents. With the return of his childhood crush, Misha’s days have become much more vibrant.
The game’s official description states:
Misha, the protagonist, is stuck in his monotonous, dead-end job, until one day the routine is shattered as his school crush returns to town. For the first time in years Misha regains hope of escaping the ennui of his daily life. A brief but tumultuous episode of the town’s life is interwoven with the story of a gang of childhood friends coming back together. It’s up to them to journey down memory lanes and rekindle their friendship, but their memories of the past and the very bonds between them become threatened…
Know By Heart launches on PC via Steam in Q2 2021.