Targem Games announced that Demidoff Corp PICO is releasing on December 14. The game serves as a free retro prologue for the upcoming title Ural metroidvania Demidoff Corp. It was created using the PICO-8 format.
The game puts players in the role of an individual who has been exiled to a remote region. While they've long since forgotten their past secret missions, it seems that their past as a special agent is about to resurface. Apparently, Demidov has seriously offended the Tsar with the latter making the decision to reinstate the status of the players as a special agent. In addition, they've been assigned to a secret mission and that is to track down the industrialist and bring him back, dead or alive.
Armed with a decree ordering Demidov to report to the royal court immediately, players arrive at the designated location. They present the document, but the guards scream: "There’s no such thing as too many workers!" Players are then captured and sent to work in the mines and extract as much malachite as possible. As they move deeper underground, players find no other workers. What they find instead are sick imitations peering out from around the corner.
In the game, the command of the Tsar is absolute. They'll need to get their hands on a pickaxe, mine those malachite, and try to make their way through the underground while at the same time fend off those crazed miners. As they progress, players unlock new abilities, discover mysterious passages, and go back to move forward.
That said, those who can complete the retro prologue can then continue the story in Demidoff Corp. This full-fledged 2D metroidvania is a title that's inspired by Ural folktales as it features world exploration, challenging battles, and an extraordinary story.
Overall, Demidoff Corp PICO is a game where players get immersed in the world of Demidoff Corp through a unique retro format. The game was specifically designed within the limitations of the legendary Pico-8 console as a way of recreating the atmosphere of 1980s video games. The whole project has been rendered in a 128×128 pixel format, a 16 color palette, and the recognizable sprite graphics of the early video game era.
Wishlist Demidoff Corp PICO on Steam now. The game is releasing on December 14, 2026, and to be available free.
