Nival Interactive

Nival Interactive at a Glance

Nival Interactive is a Russian studio founded in 1996 by industry veteran Sergey Orlovskiy. The company started releasing games in 1998 and stopped active development in 2017. Over nearly two decades, Nival produced 15 titles on PlayPile, acting as the developer for 11 of them and the publisher for six starting in 2005. Their work covers a narrow field with a heavy emphasis on strategy games. They released 12 strategy titles, 10 role-playing games, and four turn-based strategy entries. They also touched on adventure, tactical, real-time strategy, card games, and a single MOBA title. Most of their output targets PC on Microsoft Windows, with 13 games available there. They also supported Mac in four instances, Linux in two, and offered one game each for Android, iOS, and legacy mobile devices. The studio's output volume changed significantly over time. They released only two games in the 1990s but produced nine titles during the 2000s. Activity slowed to just four releases in the 2010s before they ceased operations. Their reputation for quality is mixed but leans positive. Across ten rated titles, Nival holds an average IGDB score of 70.3 out of 100. Three of their games achieved great ratings above 80, including Rage of Mages II: Necromancer from 1999 with a score of 87.7. Blitzkrieg 2 (2005) reached 81.8, and Heroes of Might and Magic V (2006) scored 80.1. Silent Storm (2003) followed closely at 79.7. Four other titles rated between 60 and 79, while three others fell into the mixed category between 40 and 59. No games dropped below 40. Later releases show a drop in critical reception compared to their peak years. Prime World launched in March 2014 with a score of 59.8. Etherlords arrived in September 2014, followed by InCell in September 2015. The final entry listed is InMind 2 VR from February 2017. Talvisota: Icy Hell appeared much earlier in November 2007 with a score of 70.1. While the studio managed to create several acclaimed strategy and RPG experiences, their later output did not match the high standards set by their early 2000s work.

Release Timeline

Rating Distribution