Russian Developers Recreate Leningrad’s Wartime Ice Road in New Video Game
Russian game studio Iskra is set to release a demo version of Doroga zhizni (Road of Life game) on May 19, 2026, offering a narrative-driven simulator about truck drivers delivering food supplies to besieged Leningrad during World War II. The project was developed with support from the Internet Development Institute and will be free to play.
Players take the wheel of a GAZ-AA truck — the iconic “polutorka” vehicles that crossed the frozen surface of Lake Ladoga during the siege. Gameplay requires players to maintain the truck, navigate snowstorms, avoid cracks in the ice, and make split-second moral decisions, including whether to stop and help stranded people or continue driving to deliver food to starving civilians. The demo includes a first mission lasting roughly 30 to 50 minutes, while the full release is scheduled for fall 2026.
The developers said they studied archival records and eyewitness accounts while building the game. Some characters are based on real people, including the photojournalist Boris, who was modeled after Soviet photographer Boris Kudoyarov, known for documenting the Road of Life during the siege.
The real Road of Life opened on November 22, 1941, becoming the only supply route connecting Leningrad with the rest of the Soviet Union during the blockade. More than 360,000 tons of cargo were transported along the route during the first winter alone, while around 550,000 people were evacuated.
The game’s store pages are already live on VK Play and Steam.
