"I don't want the gloss and sterility of perfect actor voices in the dead space of recording studios," says Georgy Beloglazov from Brickworks Games about working on the new Sublustrum

On November 26, a remake of Sublustrum, a cult Russian adventure game by Phantomery Interactive, was announced. The App2Top editorial team discussed the development of the new game and what it will entail with Georgy Beloglazov, founder and CEO of Brickworks Games.

Georgy Beloglazov was the director of Phantomery Interactive, which released Sublustrum in 2008 and "Phobos 1953" in 2010. The studio subsequently engaged in developing games for social networks for a prolonged period. In the late 2010s, Georgy launched a new studio in Cyprus called Brickworks Games, specializing in mobile survival games. Among its key projects are Grim Soul and Cyberika. The new version of Sublustrum, scheduled for release in the fall of 2026, is being developed under the Phantomery Interactive brand, with Brickworks Games as its publisher.

Alexander Semenov, App2Top: Why did you decide to return to the remake of Sublustrum now?

Georgy Beloglazov — Founder and CEO — Brickworks Games

Georgy Beloglazov, Phantomery Interactive and Brickworks Games: I've often thought about Sublustrum over the years. This game was the starting point of my journey in game development and greatly influenced my understanding of the impact games can have as an artistic expression or, if you will, as an art object. For a long time, I didn't have the time or energy to return to the project, even though the rights were acquired long ago.

A few factors have coincided now.

Technologically, it's now possible to recreate in full 3D the atmosphere and level of detail we envisioned back in 2008.

I've managed to reunite part of the key people from the original team. This was an unexpected gift from fate.

Several personal events in the past year have made me rethink my path and return to things I want to see through to the end.

How did you initially define what the new version of the game should be? Is it just a transition to modern technology, or a deeper reimagining of the original?

Georgy: It's definitely not just a transition. It's a conscious effort to express all the ideas of Sublustrum as they sounded in our minds back then, but were technically unreachable.

It's important for us not to lose the essence of the original while creating a cohesive experience that works on feelings and emotions, not just nostalgia. For me, this isn't just a remake, but a reimagining, a sort of "second life" for the game.

The original game was developed by only four people. Who were you able to bring back to the team? How challenging was it to assemble the team after so many years, and how far had everyone scattered?

Georgy: In 2007, each of us wore multiple hats. We've managed to bring back three of the key people from the old team. Some are handling 3D again, others art, and some are helping with marketing. People have lived in different countries, from Germany to Vietnam, changed careers, and gone through different life stages.

Surprisingly, it all happened very naturally and synchronously. It felt like another turn of the spiral for me. In 2007, we came together just as spontaneously and immediately knew we'd work well together.

It's often said that development has become easier with new tools. Is that true?

Georgy: Development has become faster, but not easier. The principle "easy to learn, hard to master" is more relevant today than ever.

AI greatly assists small studios, but we consciously almost don't use it in Sublustrum. Art is created the old-fashioned way, manually (otherwise, what's the point?). AI only helps with very specific routine tasks, like upscaling low-resolution old photos that would be unreasonable to restore manually.

It's important to understand that the quality bar has risen significantly over the years. Numerous stunning games have come out: The Medium, Soma, Observer, Dear Esther, and others. We now have to try three times as hard to impress players who have experienced these wonderful games.

Additionally, transitioning to full 3D, besides requiring detailed environments, introduces new complexity with puzzles and logic that didn't exist before.

The previous question wasn't asked casually. The original was created in two years. Am I correct in understanding that the remake is expected to take around the same time?

Georgy: I believe it will take a bit longer because development is structured differently now.

In the original, we didn't have room for experiments. All the time was spent trying to achieve what we envisioned and stick to the deadlines.

Now, we spend much more time on prototyping, exploring visual language, designing puzzles, and testing. This lengthens the path but enhances the game's quality.

What specific overhauls does the remake require?

Georgy: In short, almost everything.

• All graphics are being recreated from scratch.
• Most puzzles have been reworked or completely reimagined.
• Locations have been translated into full 3D, allowing for free movement.
• Visual techniques have been reimagined, including stylization under analog film and vintage lenses.
• The narrative has become more cohesive and complete. We couldn't realize several plot branches back then due to time constraints.
• Interfaces are completely redesigned.
• There will be at least one alternative ending in the game.

 

How many people are currently working on the project?

Georgy: About 20. It's still a small team, but no longer "apartment" development like in 2008.

It's crucial for us to maintain a compact format because Sublustrum benefits from this indie approach. Moreover, I minimally involve freelancers as it requires quite some time to connect with the project's aegis.

The development team is fully staffed, but we are currently looking for people for marketing and SMM.

Were you able to preserve any old assets—models, textures, materials—or does everything have to be recreated from scratch?

Georgy: As I mentioned, almost all assets are being recreated from scratch. The old assets (both 2D and 3D) are obsolete and technically incompatible, but we use them as references and samples, aiming to replicate the original where it was good enough.

We managed to preserve nearly the entire archive from 2008, and this, I admit, greatly aids our work. Incidentally, this was made possible by a stroke of luck: the archive was stored on a forgotten server, which no one accessed for many years.

What unexpected challenges has the team faced during the remake process?

Georgy: The necessity to redo all the 3D art. I hoped we could use old assets from 3D Max, but that proved impossible. Additionally, we are still working on recreating the original stylization: the rusty and worn, instantly recognizable look of Sublustrum, which was so easily created in 2D, but replicating it for complex three-dimensional scenes has been far from simple.

Another unexpected difficulty lies in dealing with our new employees' "game literacy," where they try to bring in more modern gaming experiences. For example, we face our own "Alice in Wonderland" syndrome, where floating pieces of furniture appear in the air in the style of games like Remedy, Expedition 33, or Layers of Fear. We have to remove all this because it's not a trope from the "universe" of Sublustrum and creates a sense of derivativeness.

How different will the new version be from the original? Are there plans for changes in mechanics or approaches, such as the difficulty of puzzles?

Georgy: The remake will differ as much as a stroll through Rome differs from viewing it on Google Maps. Everything has become more lively and tangible.

Most puzzles have been reworked: the logic now takes the 3D environment into account and they should be more intuitive and understandable. The original game's difficulty was sometimes unreasonable, and in 2025, that's no longer the norm.

Will new content be introduced? The original's ending left room for interpretation—will this openness remain or be expanded?

Georgy: Oh yes, there will be lots of new content.

In the original, each subsequent chapter was shorter than the previous one, largely due to tight deadlines and a microscopic budget. We significantly increased the content of each chapter, even the first one. New locations, texts, puzzles, plot twists, and cutscenes have been added. This will provide several additional hours of gameplay.

The openness of the ending will remain. Moreover, we've added an important element that allows for a deeper understanding of the context. I can't reveal more details just yet.

Music was a key element of the original Sublustrum and largely became its foundation. Will the soundtrack remain unchanged, or do you plan to rework it?

Georgy: Music was and remains the foundation of Sublustrum.

We have two options: carefully remastering the music or trying to re-record it in a new quality. Both options are good. I think we'll ask our players on social media how best to proceed.

The game's voice work was also memorable for its "amateurishness," which added to the atmosphere and liveliness. How did you decide to handle the voices and dubbing in the remake?

Georgy: My approach here remains the same as 18 years ago. I don't want polished, sterile voice acting from dead sound recording studios.

In the original, the professor was voiced by Alexey Kasparovich Kasparov, a real professor at the department of paleozoology, and I recorded his voice on an old LOMO microphone in a basement filled with relic animal bones. This same voice-over will be used in the remake. We are in contact with Alexey Kasparovich, and he is enthusiastic about the new texts added to the game.

For the English voice-over, we conducted a separate casting. We listened to over 20 different actors. The main challenge was the accent. We needed an intelligent, early 20th-century academic English without a heavy British or neutral North American accent.

What are your expectations for the project—both creatively and commercially?

Georgy: I hope that the development will be an engaging personal experience, not just another psychological quest. I want people to feel the atmosphere, remember it years later, and discuss it with each other, like in the 2000s.

Commercially, we're creating a niche project. And that's okay. Sublustrum has its audience, very loyal, and I hope it will grow.

At one time, despite the success of quests, you and your team shifted to the free-to-play niche, achieving significant results. Are there plans to return to premium games seriously and for a long time after releasing the updated Sublustrum?

Georgy: Yes, of course. I believe this is the start of a major journey into PC and console art games. Creative freedom and financial independence are crucial for us. And this has become possible due to the strong expertise of my studio, Brickworks Games, in the free-to-play model and its stable financial standing.

Now everything depends on the players' reaction. On how actively they add the game to wishlists, discuss it, and play after release.

I want to believe there's still a haven in the world where people haven't been completely overtaken by the virus of reels and TikToks, where players are ready to read, immerse themselves in the plot, contemplate meanings, and find something more in games than just fleeting fun.