Hello!

This is Anna Orlova, game designer from 7x7. I am writing to share the result of our year-long work. We have launched an important and large-scale project that became possible thanks to the support of our partners and readers.

This is Sinemorsk oil inclusive, a social visual novel about an environmental disaster and the power of civil society in Russia. The game is already available on Steam, including in English.

What Is the Project About?

The game is based on a real tragedy: a massive fuel oil spill in the Black Sea near Anapa. In December 2024, volunteers from all over the country came there to save the coast. But a year and a half later, when media attention had faded, the flow of donations dried up. The volunteers faced burnout and systemic pressure because local authorities tried to downplay the scale of the disaster and take credit for the activists' work.

At 7x7, we write a lot about volunteer initiatives, including those that emerge in response to a specific incident. We cover how people from different cities come to the site of a fire or a fuel oil spill, search for a missing child, or create foundations to help flood victims. We always try to follow these initiatives long after the peak of the disaster. Readers quickly forget about what happened, but those affected still need help even after a long time. However, while at the height of the crisis people willingly send money, come to help, and follow the volunteers' work, just a few months or even weeks later, activity drops and the flow of donations dries up. 

We tried to think of a way to change the attitude toward the problem. We wanted to show people that their sustained contribution to volunteering is more valuable than a one-time effort, and that responding to disasters requires a long-term commitment. One of the ideas we came up with was to regularly remind our readers which initiatives still need help and what condition the affected people and areas are in after some time.

However, simple posts, lists of initiatives, and individual articles do not always work to achieve this goal. We wanted to emotionally engage people with the problem and show them ways they can contribute to its solution.

One of our experiments in this area is a visual novel about an environmental disaster. We conducted dozens of interviews with people who took part in those events. It was important for us to show that sustained, long-term support is more important than a one-time emotional impulse.

Gameplay

The player takes on the role of Lena, an environmental blogger. She arrives on the coast to promote her blog and eventually becomes the leader of a volunteer headquarters. The player will:

• Assemble a team and fight burnout.
• Interact with officials and pro-government structures.
• Find a balance between activism and personal safety.

The game has over 40 endings, showing how the decisions of a single person can influence the fate of an entire region.

Why Did We Make It?

Our goal is to engage the audience emotionally. We want to inspire people to move from spontaneous help to sustained volunteer work and support for environmental initiatives, even after they disappear from the headlines. We hope this story will encourage someone to participate in their first local cleanup, turn a one-time effort into a long-term commitment, subscribe to environmental channels in their region, or make a donation to volunteer initiatives. 

By releasing the game in English, we hope to show the international community how civic solidarity works in Russia.

Your Help Matters

We would be delighted if you tried the project yourself.

1. Play the game.
2. Share your feedback. Your opinion is very important to us. You may reply to this letter or leave a review on Steam.
3. Spread the word about the game. If you could recommend it to your colleagues or relevant media outlets, it would greatly help us promote the project.

We thank you once again for staying with us and helping us make independent social projects possible. Your support will be an invaluable contribution to raising awareness of sustained volunteer work in Russia and will allow us to create even more important social games.