It looks like a real recording, but it’s a video game: this is the unsettling Russian game, I Have No Change review

Its visual section is confusing many players due to the way it combines 3D and FMV.

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In recent days, a small independent game has been gaining a lot of attention thanks to a series of images that, at first glance, seem to show a surprising level of realism. Its name is I Have No Change and behind the project is a small Russian studio that is betting on a rather unusual mix within the industry.

The proposal combines scenarios created in Unreal Engine 5 with characters made using FMV, i.e., real actors recorded on video and integrated directly into the game. The result is generating a lot of curiosity because, in motion, the transition between both visual styles is much more natural than it seems.

I Have No Change mixes simulator, psychological tension, and real actors

The game puts us in the shoes of Matvej, a 27-year-old who lives in a Russian city covered in snow and inherits a small night kiosk from his grandfather. The experience begins in a fairly mundane way, walking through cold and empty streets to get to work.

Once inside the kiosk, the most interesting part of the game begins. Although the environment and objects are created entirely in 3D using Unreal Engine 5, the customers who appear on screen are real actors recorded on video. The developers have worked especially on lighting and cameras to make the interaction between 3D elements and FMV characters convincing.

Gameplay revolves around seemingly simple tasks:

• Serving customers
• Collecting cash or card payments
• Managing kiosk products
• Cleaning the premises
• Conversing with different characters

But what’s really interesting is the constant tension that the game builds. Customer after customer, the feeling is that something terrible is about to happen, although nothing really serious ever happens. This psychological ambiguity is precisely one of the elements that’s getting the most attention from those who’ve already had a chance to try the demo.

I Have No Change will arrive first on PC in 2027, although the studio has already confirmed its interest in releasing versions for Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 later on.