The cat is available: a game about Ancient Russia is being created using AI technologies

Russian developers are working on a computer game "Neurobayun" about Ancient Russia, in which AI technologies will be used as actively as possible. Its release is expected at the end of 2026, Izvestia found out. A key feature of the project is the ability to chat with AI using a microphone, and the characters in the game will react differently depending on the age of the speaker. The test version was shown as part of the recent Moscow International Video Game Week, where Izvestia personally evaluated the novelty and its technological potential.

How developers are weaving AI into the gameplay

Within the framework of the Moscow International Video Game Week, the game "Neurobayun" was presented for the first time, combining a story about Russia of the IX–XI centuries and modern technologies. You can communicate with all the characters in the game, their speech is modeled by AI assistants, and it changes depending on the age of the player.

— We are creating two modes — children's and family. The kindergarten is simplified and gentle to the younger audience, developed with the participation of experts in education. The characters are protected from "adult" themes: they simply do not support indecent conversations, while maintaining a safe environment for all players," explained Ivan Klenov, the game's director.

Neural networks are used for two key tasks. First, to generate a unique plot for each player: it is based on the motifs of Russian fairy tales. Secondly, for living characters: each of them has his own character and "gestalt", they understand speech and respond within the framework of their values. The main educational idea is to show the consequences of choice, as in folk tales: good is rewarded, evil turns into problems. The player is free to do things his own way, but the world reacts to these decisions.

— Russian fairy tales are an important part of culture, forming moral principles from childhood. But modern youth often perceive them as a relic of the past, because they have disappeared from the media space. Our task is to return the relevance of fairy tales through a modern form and preserve their educational content. In the game, we show real elements of Russian architecture, recreate peasant life and create full—fledged dialogues with characters," explained Ivan Klenov.

Photo: Ivan Klenov

According to the author, Madness studio focuses on Russia of the IX–XI centuries, supplementing it with elements up to the XV century. Fabulous Russia has always combined reality and anachronisms, so the authors take historical material as flexibly as the genre allows. Therefore, the plot will feature both ordinary characters such as a blacksmith and magical ones, such as a talking cat.

The full-fledged release of the game is planned only at the end of 2026, the project also won a grant from the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives (PFCI). It is currently planned to be released on the Steam platform, and negotiations are underway with VK Play, however, according to Klenov, the authors "are determined to go there as well."

Stop the game: the Roblox platform was blocked in Russia

The reason was the banned propaganda

How did the experts rate the game?

Alberto Garcia, CEO of the Spanish Sputnik news agency, told Izvestia that he was impressed by Russian games such as Neurobayun.

— I think Moscow is already becoming the capital of both video games and esports. In Ecuador, we are impressed by the level of the Russian gaming industry," he said.

Photo: Madness Studio

IT expert Daniil Arzhakov noted that Neurobayun gives the impression of a project with a vivid visual presentation and the atmosphere of a non-standard, almost surreal fairy tale. He stressed that the emphasis is not only on style, but also on technology: a dynamically generated AI storyline looks like a potential breakthrough that can attract the attention of the global industry, especially if the Russian team manages to implement it ahead of competitors. Voice interaction through a microphone is also of interest, although the success of this mechanic directly depends on the accuracy and speed of artificial intelligence.

According to Gulnara Agamova, General Director of the Moscow Agency for Creative Industries (AKI), the purpose of the Moscow International Video Game Week is to introduce foreign partners to Russian developers' games and show that they create not only high-quality content, but also apply innovative approaches in creating their products.

"Business negotiations are already underway, and we expect to conclude new agreements on the export of Russian games in the near future," she told Izvestia.

Photo: Madness Studio

In the context of the universal fascination with AI, it is especially important not to lose the balance between generative technologies and the author's idea, said Svyatoslav Pegov, director of the Center for Sports Programming, Algorithmic Robotics, Cybersecurity and Esports at Ufa University of Science and Technology. The key risks are clear, and the main difficulties are the tendency of AI to "hallucinate," the lack of stability in generative graphics, and the unresolved challenges of creating truly lively dialogues. At the same time, many elements, such as procedural level generation, have been successfully operating without neural networks for a long time.

Miracles on mirages: Russian video games rely on patriotism

There was also a trend towards educational projects at the first IEOM

After getting acquainted with the project, one question remains: will Neurobayun be able to maintain artistic integrity if a significant part of the content is created by AI.

— The support of the PFCI is a serious advantage, but also a responsibility. The release in the fall of 2026 seems to be an optimistic date for such a technologically complex project. There is also a gap between marketing promises and real opportunities. Players today are very demanding of the quality of AI generation," said gaming industry expert Ivan Kalmykov.

Photo: Madness Studio

He recalled that one of the recent Russian projects, created "entirely on neural networks," faced criticism due to the poor quality of the generated content.

Moscow has some of the best game development teams in the world, and in recent years many excellent games have been created that are popular all over the world, says Feng Liangmou, head of the APK Pure Chinese marketplace.