The authors of the mystical detective game Tales of Tiolis are seeking 10 million rubles for development and porting. The project already has a demo version
Continuing our section "Developer/Publisher Wanted," where indie teams share about themselves and their projects. Next up is Omne Lab studio. They are developing Tales of Tiolis, a game about investigations with action elements, executed in a post-Soviet futurism style.
If you're an indie developer ready to talk about your project and are also looking for investments, a publisher, or someone to join your team, don't hesitate to write to us in the Telegram column — https://t.me/overwordly.
The head of the studio, Artem Berdnikov, talked about Tales of Tiolis.
Artem Berdnikov
About the Team
The Omne Lab team has over six years of development experience specializing in creating software and mobile applications in the fields of game development, AR, and VR. Our portfolio includes projects for festivals, concerts, museums, and public spaces.
In our portfolio: the educational game Omunica, the marketing AR platform Arograf (included in the Russian software registry), and an AR solution for sports broadcasts (a patented development).
Specifically regarding Tales of Tiolis, a team of three consistently works on it: a director, an artist (the ideological inspirers of the project), and a developer. Additionally, two 3D modelers, an animator, a sound engineer, and a scriptwriter assist with the development.
We work on the game in our free time after our primary jobs. Development is funded by our own resources. If investments are secured, the team is ready to fully switch to the project.
About the Project
Tales of Tiolis is a mystical detective game with action elements set in a post-Soviet futurism style for PC and consoles.
The plot follows inventor Thomas as he searches for his missing fiancée in the town of Tiolis in Altai. The town is under quarantine because, due to mysterious events, the thoughts of its residents have started to materialize. Tiolis plunges into a new reality at the border of the material and mental worlds. Amidst this, city factions must resolve age-old disagreements and reach a common understanding to restore normal life.
Work on the project began several years ago as a hobby. There have been both productive periods and lulls. During this time, we tried many game mechanics and genres (even fighting!). We experimented with game engines Unity and Unreal. After a detailed analysis of all development aspects, we presented interim results at Epic Con and received feedback.
Since then, significant changes have been made – we focused on solutions that help tell the story, make the gameplay engaging, and the development quick and predictable. We conducted research on game genres and audience sizes, discarded unnecessary game mechanics. Ultimately, we settled on the Unreal Engine 4, then moved to its fifth version. We reworked existing locations, added new levels, characters, and paid attention to dialogues (with professional voice acting) and the script. Creating cutscenes is a resource-intensive process for a small team, so we had to delve into neural networks for content generation.
The current USPs for Tales of Tiolis are:
- a game-film with action mechanics;
- non-linear storytelling from different characters' perspectives;
- moral dilemmas in a unique setting;
- a mysterious city at the junction of mental and physical worlds;
- an original visual style for each character.
About Gameplay/Mechanics
The game's events unfold in the city of Tiolis (Tiolsk), divided into various locations. The game features a main plot-driven mission and small side quests.
The game's starting location is the Detective's Office, where an unknown character tries to reconstruct the game's events using various tools (a VCR, a map, character dossiers, and a timeline).
Levels feature different mechanics:
- moving around the city (chases, pursuits, courier missions);
- stealth;
- parkour;
- puzzle-solving;
- search for items and information;
- variable dialogues that depend on the actions and characters of the heroes.
The game will be divided into eight chapters. In each, the player controls a unique character with their own abilities and goals. As a result, events in the game can be viewed from different perspectives. In the final chapter, storylines converge to a single finale with varying details. Depending on the choices made during the game, you will see one of several endings.
One of Tiolis's features is its mental component. Each character in the game is unique, with their own mental world superimposed on reality, completing and distorting it.
About the Target Audience
The game will interest fans of Disco Elysium, titles like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, those nostalgic for Soviet-style brick low-rises and courtyards, and simply lovers of the retro-futurism setting.
Tales of Tiolis is for those who appreciate richly detailed stories and love exploring game worlds. Its mysticism and detective storyline in the spirit of Twin Peaks, leisurely narrative style and charismatic characters, unique atmosphere, and moral undertones are what we focus on in the project.
We also have a "relocation program to Tiolis." We offer to make your character-avatar and settle them in Tiolis; during the game, you can meet and interact with them.
About the Business Model
The game will be released on:
- Steam;
- VK Play (possibly);
- PlayStation 5;
- Xbox Series;
- Nintendo Switch 2 (possibly).
The initial release will feature the main story lasting over 30 hours, designed for single-player mode. Later, we'll release DLCs with side story arcs, multiplayer mini-games, and player ranking tables.
We have a detailed project implementation plan. We are set for a successful launch. Currently, we've completed a full demo of one hour of gameplay.
About Metrics
Currently, a closed testing of the demo is ongoing, and the results are optimistic – the errors' corrections significantly improved the gameplay and the game overall. The project's advertising campaign is being prepared for launch. To reach breakeven (accounting for future investments), it is necessary to sell 10,000 copies, which is quite achievable for an indie project. We aim to sell at least 30,000 copies.
Whom We're Looking For
We're currently seeking investments and a publisher. Development will take about nine months. An additional three months are needed for console porting. The release is planned for fall 2026.
The required amount of investment is 10 million rubles.
How to Reach Us?
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For partnership inquiries, collaboration, and participation in closed testing, please contact us:
- Phone: +7 (906) 011-22-29
- Telegram: @omnelab
- Website: https://tiolis.ru/info