Know by Heart Shows Off Gameplay Trailer

Know by Heart is an upcoming point-and-click game developed by Moscow-based Ice-Pick Lodge.

A game about accepting loss, Know by Heart tells the tale of childhood friends. After growing up and apart, they revisit, share old memories, and begin to rekindle the relationship. Unfortunately, circumstances out of their control conspire to ruin the reunion.

With its modern neoclassical piano soundtrack, Know by Heart is approximately five hours long. It brings to mind post-Soviet hamlets at the turn of the century, the sort of environment where everyone knows everyone and everyone’s business. To know something by heart implies an intrinsic mastery, of knowing something without having to think about it. Know by Heart hopes to invoke that response with its emotional plot and create the sensation of time flying. Game mechanics will center around thoughts and memories of the main character, along with a number of smaller mini-games.

Misha, the main character, feels trapped in a miserable job, but his school crush returns to town one day, clearing away the doldrums. Feeling hope of escaping the small-town boredom well up within, Misha reconnects with his old friends. They get together, reminisce, and become friends again. A short vignette of the small-town life, however, threatens to tear their bonds asunder. Only with your choices can you bring these friends back together, or give them the closure to end it on their terms. Multiple endings let you see how your words, actions, and thoughts affect the story. It’s up to you whether it ends for them happily or otherwise.

Other games developed by Ice-Pick Lodge include Pathologic and its sequel, Pathologic 2. You can Wishlist Know by Heart on Steam now, as well as check out the gameplay trailer above. According to the Steam page, expect it sometime in the next few months.