We have already shared with you the inner workings of The Black Ice development—we talked about mechanics, the save system, and optimization. But today we want to shift the focus a little and show you the people behind the game.
A total of seven people are involved in The Black Ice project. We will tell you about three key figures.
Meet two members of the Red Crab Games team (which has become part of the Antelus Games family) and a narrative designer from Antelus Games.
We asked them about how they got started in game development, what they love about their work, why they believe The Black Ice will find its audience, and what it's like to work at Antelus Games.
Mikhail Muzhailo
Game designer, co-founder of Red Crab Games
At the dawn of the project, I was everything at once — a game designer, a scriptwriter, and a programmer. Practically everything you see (or don't see) in The Black Ice was created by me personally. Now that the team has grown, I have more time to focus on game design and technical aspects.
For me, The Black Ice is a Russian mix of Resident Evil, Dead Space, and Anabiosis. Maxim and I, both engineers who assemble 3D printers, decided at the end of 2023 to quit everything and do what we really love. Namely, games. In our free time, we came up with the core of the game. The game of our dreams, the one we would like to play ourselves. We came up with the plot, the location, the setting, and the mechanics. First, we wrote it down on paper, and then we learned from scratch, without mentors or courses. Now the project has grown significantly, and we believe it will be a hit — because we are investing not only our time, energy, and resources, but also our hearts and souls! We work conscientiously to proudly defend the honor of domestic game development.
We are extremely passionate about what we do. Thank you to everyone who supports us. Whether it's a kind word, a repost, a penny, a subscription, or adding our game to your wish list — it doesn't matter, we appreciate everyone's contribution! Without you, none of this would be possible!
What I like about Antelus Games is the close-knit team, the pleasant atmosphere, and the responsible approach to work.
Maxim Kulibaba
Game designer, 3D artist, level designer, co-founder of Red Crab Games
Most of the objects in the game — from buildings to characters — were created by me. I am self-taught, just like Misha. We had to learn everything ourselves, step by step.
In 2023, we rented an office and started learning the engine and writing the story together. Then, based on the game world we had created, we smoothly transitioned to the technical side, and here we are today. At that point, we immediately decided that I would be in charge of visuals, and Misha would be in charge of technical aspects. After that, we each honed our skills in our respective fields, learning from our mistakes and relying solely on our own experience, as there were no mentors or people around who could give us advice.
I like the atmosphere at Antelus Games — a kind, creative team that I enjoy working with.
We want to create the game of our dreams. A game that will touch the hearts of players. One that players will enjoy, just like in the good old days.
Alexander Lapaev
Screenwriter, narrative designer at Antelus Games
I was the last to join the team and received a huge, well-developed base from Anton and the guys at Red Crab Games to describe and translate this onto paper. My job is everything related to the story: from lore and dialogue to the notes that the player finds. I am responsible for the atmosphere, mood, and how the player perceives the world.
The Black Ice is our take on survival horror, but with its own story, partly based on real events. We are trying to breathe new life into the genre, bring back forgotten mechanics, and add new ones.
Why do I believe the game will be a hit? Because it will have a good story, interesting gameplay, and powerful presentation. And also because we are passionate about what we do. You can feel it even from a distance: we have never met in person, but we work as one.
Antelus Games is a team! Everyone has a passion for what they do. It energizes us and helps us move forward. And, of course, the desire to create an excellent product that will resonate with players!
If you are interested in taking a look behind the scenes of all our projects, subscribe and add The Black Ice to your favorites. We will continue to tell you about those who work behind the scenes of game development, share ideas, write lines of code, and select the right emotions for facial animations.