Persian Corridor is a 3D third-person stealth-narrative adventure that explores the "untold history" of WWII Iran through the eyes of Kurosh, a grieving boy hoping to reunite his family. It is a game about the cost of escapism, where the hero’s journey into the Shahnameh (Persian Mythos) is both his greatest weapon and his most dangerous addiction. Think of Titanfall (swapping past and future mechanic) and This War of Mine.
The game revolves around a high-stakes risk/reward mechanic that represents Kurosh's mental state:
Grey Reality (Normal): Authentic stealth gameplay. Steal medicine and rations from occupying forces. High tension, limited resources.
Golden Myth (Easy): Press Q to escape into a sun-drenched fantasy. Kurosh becomes a hero of legend. AI sight-cones shrink, and he gains the strength/abilities to bypass physical barriers.
The Debt (Hard): Time is the currency. Every second spent in the "Golden Myth" must be repaid in the "Ink Nightmare". If Kurosh overstays his welcome in the fantasy, the nightmare time doubles. In this state, soldiers become monstrous Daevas, and the environment becomes a lethal, distorted trap. Player could press Q again but it stores the time for their next visit in the nightmare realm. If they over skip the nightmare, their mental state collapse and it's game over.
Example in another game:
The Fractured Family: The story is driven by two brothers and a Father representing stages of grief: Darius (Denial), Kaveh (Anger), and Kurosh (Bargaining).
Cultural Resilience: Persian mythology is integrated as a psychological coping mechanism, not just window dressing. The hero's Journey is naturally implemented for the main playable character.
Historical Gravity: Set against the backdrop of the "Bridge of Victory", highlighting the civilian struggle, starvation, and the occupation of Northern Iran.
The "Debt" Mechanic: A unique twist on the stealth genre that forces players to manage a "time-budget" of safety vs. horror.
Untold History: One of the first major indie titles to focus exclusively on the Iranian civilian experience during WWII.
Visual Duality: A striking contrast between desaturated 1940s realism and the vibrant, "Persian carpet-pattern" aesthetic of Persian art.
Engine: Unreal Engine (Targeting "Mid-Potato" optimisation for accessibility).
Team: Led by Hamie Nouri (Designer). Scaling to a strike-team of <7 specialists.
Budget Targets: * £20K (Alpha): Core mechanics and Vertical Slice.
£500K (Director's Cut): Full production, high-fidelity assets, and expanded narrative.
Funding Strategy: Seeking Grant funding (Gov Cultural Grants, UE Grant), Crowdfunding (Kickstarter 2025), and Strategic Publisher Partnerships.
Release Target: Nowruz 2028 or 29 (PC - Steam/Epic).
This timeline might shift since Hamie has gotten a new full time job.
Yalda 2026: Pre-Production and Documentation.
Nowruz 2027: Vertical Slice (The First Shift).
Mehregan 2028: Beta Phase (Full Content & QA).
Nowruz 2029: Worldwide Launch.
"Grief is a ghost. In the Persian Corridor, you don't just feel it... you survive it."