Artania is an adventure game in a post-apocalyptic setting interspersed with a retro look, as the actions of the single-player story campaign take place in the recent past - just after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The protagonist of the story is a resident of the state of Artania, which was formed on the post-Soviet territory. The world was plunged into darkness due to a terrible nuclear collapse and the release of huge amounts of radiation into the air. Most of the land, parks, lakes and rivers have fallen into disrepair due to the concentration of toxic substances that cause almost instant death in those who drink radiation water or are near the source of dirty air. All this happened as a result of a large-scale world war that divided the existence of human civilization into before and after.
The gamer will have to solve puzzles and survive in an unfriendly environment, which is very difficult to find because of the dangers that await at every turn. When entering dark rooms, the protagonist is helped by a lighter that illuminates the nearest area around. Due to the variability of endings, of which 7 are available, any decision falls on the shoulders of the player, because all events are not linear and can end in different ways. Interaction with other survivors occurs using a dialog box with the choice of the next replica from the protégé.
The player's task is to travel the world in search of a suitable piece of land for a quiet stay. Movement between locations is done with the help of a locomotive running along the railway tracks. During stops for forced reasons or due to the onset of night, and the gameplay will take place.