Snow falling over the illuminated streets of Pripyat, captured in ZONE 01:23

A night inside the Zone

PRIPYAT, UKRAINIAN SSR
26 APRIL 1986

ZONE01:23

One shift. One way out.

The plant is still humming. The city is still asleep. Thirty minutes, an unfinished field assignment, and a road home through the dark.

A 30-minute browser game Keyboard & mouse recommended

Actual in-game capture

Scroll to explore

01 Atmospheric exploration

02 A night against the clock

03 On foot or behind the wheel

The night shift / 00:55

You know how
this night ends.
Find your way out.

An ordinary assignment.
An extraordinary night.

You are a trainee dosimetrist reporting for duty at Unit 4. Sign the log, collect your meter, and meet Sasha in the machine hall. Beyond the control room, a sleeping city waits under the first snow.

Follow the shift’s instructions or explore a little further. When the alarms come, your priorities change. Leave the block. Head south. Get through the checkpoint.

Take the shift

Inside the world

Quiet rooms.
Unquiet machinery.

From the warm glow of the control room to the cold beyond the perimeter.
All images captured in-game.

Illuminated instrument panels and desks in the Unit 4 control room
01 The control roomWhere the shift begins
A long industrial corridor marked with ochre stripes and overhead lights
02 The golden corridorFollow the signs
Towering turbine machinery beside the walkway through the machine hall
03 The machine hallMeet Sasha at TG-8

People of the night shift

A moment
at the desk.

The crew are watching their instruments. Ask about the test, their stations, or the long hours before dawn. Choose a topic, listen, then return to your rounds.

R Speak with nearby crew
Optional conversations. The shift keeps moving.

A conversation with the shift chief at his control-room station, captured during gameplay
04 The night shiftActual conversation view

Your route through the night

Stay curious.
Keep moving.

There is a shift to finish.
There is a city to leave.

  1. Report for duty.

    Collect your dosimeter, find your contact, and secure your pass. The plant’s stairways, galleries, and service rooms connect your route.

    UNIT 4
  2. Keep the line open.

    Calibrate your meter, compare readings, and patch the city telephone circuits. Carry a stranger’s letter south and preserve your observations in a signed field notebook.

    PRIPYAT
  3. Reach the checkpoint.

    Your departure is at 01:25. The night unfolds in real time. When the sky changes, leave unfinished work behind and follow the emergency route south.

    THE PERIMETER

Your shift is waiting

Step into
the night.

Put on your headphones.
Take a breath. Open the door.

Play ZONE 01:23

Or press G to begin

Field guide / Getting started

WASD
Move / drive
Mouse
Look around
E
Interact / enter vehicle
R
Speak with nearby crew
M
Field map / notebook
Shift
Sprint
Space
Jump / brake when driving
Esc
Pause / mission & settings

Best experienced with a keyboard and mouse. Touch controls are available on mobile. Adjust visual quality in the pause menu to suit your device.

Checkpoints save your progress in this browser.