The fifth annual Ukrainian Games Festival has officially launched on Steam, running through August 24 and featuring an unprecedented collection of over 680 Ukrainian games and upcoming projects. This year’s event marks the largest celebration of Ukrainian game development to date, showcasing more than 50 new game reveals, 190 playable demos, and hundreds of discounted titles with savings reaching up to 90 percent off. The festival coincides with Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24, adding particular significance to this showcase of creative resilience.

Organized by Ukrainian publishing agency Palaye, the week-long digital event represents a remarkable achievement for a nation that has continued to produce world-class video games despite enduring more than four years of full-scale war following Russia’s invasion in February 2022. The festival demonstrates the remarkable determination of Ukrainian developers who have maintained their creative output while facing unprecedented challenges including power outages, air raids, and the displacement of millions of citizens.

Major Releases and Highly Anticipated Titles

The festival features an impressive lineup of new releases during its run, including several highly anticipated titles. Tukoni: Forest Keepers, Last Pirates: Die Together, The Sinking City 2, and Profits 2167 are among the games launching during the event. Perhaps most notably, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope, the expansion to the critically acclaimed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, is scheduled to release on August 21. The original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was developed under extraordinary circumstances by GSC Game World, whose team was forced to relocate from Kyiv to Prague during the early stages of the war before eventually returning to Ukraine.

Deep discounts are available throughout the festival, with the complete Metro series offered at up to 90 percent off and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl discounted by 33 percent. The Sherlock Holmes series from Ukrainian developer Frogwares is also available at up to 90 percent off, while newer titles like SAND: Raiders of Sophie receive their first-ever discount at 20 percent off. Independent releases including Ostriv, Becastled, and STONKS-9800 are also participating in the sale with discounts ranging from 20 to 33 percent.

UGF Direct Showcase Debuts with 60 Trailers

Making its debut this year is UGF Direct, a new video showcase format featuring more than 60 trailers and announcements from Ukrainian developers. This presentation style mirrors similar showcases from major publishers and demonstrates the growing maturity and organization of the Ukrainian gaming industry. Among the standout reveals is Steel Core from Starni Games, a turn-based tactical strategy game featuring customizable mechs defending mining outposts against alien swarms in a roguelite campaign across hostile worlds.

Other notable announcements include Sarco from Hello Andromeda, a first-person horror experience where maintaining visual contact with a sarcophagus is the only thing preventing a primordial being from escaping. Saturn 94 presents a Soviet retrofuturist station-management game set aboard a failing facility orbiting Saturn, challenging players to keep the station operational while deciding whether to follow Party orders or defy them. The diversity of genres represented showcases the breadth of creative talent within Ukraine’s development community.

Personal Stories Behind the Games

Several games featured in the festival carry deeply personal stories that reflect the current reality faced by Ukrainian developers. Hear My Light, a short narrative puzzle-shooter about guiding a brother through a contaminated combat zone using drones and sound, is being developed solo by Stas Shostak, creator of Titan Chaser, who is currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This project exemplifies how Ukrainian developers continue creating art even while defending their country on the front lines.

Tulpa the Unseen Lover from Horse Position brings together professional animators whose impressive credits include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Zootopia 2, and Overwatch cinematics. The choice-driven visual novel explores themes of creating a perfect companion and dealing with the consequences. Meanwhile, I Hear the Forest from Podoba Interactive offers slow-burn folk horror drawing on Ukrainian folklore traditions, featuring talking trees, flying witches’ heads, and cursed dryads in a story about a forest ranger who may not survive his assignment.

The festival’s prominent placement on the Steam front page from August 17 through 21 provides valuable visibility for Ukrainian developers seeking to reach global audiences. This exposure is particularly crucial for smaller independent studios that might otherwise struggle to compete for attention in an increasingly crowded marketplace. The event serves not only as a commercial opportunity but also as a powerful statement about the continued vitality of Ukrainian culture and creativity during wartime.