Gorky 17 is an atmospheric game combining elements of adventure, RPG and turn-based strategy, set in a dark, sci-fi vision of Eastern Europe. The action begins in November 2008, when NATO receives information about the complete destruction of Gorky 17 – one of the former Soviet "secret cities". A year later, on the grounds of an abandoned military base in Poland, a vast laboratory complex is discovered, which hides a terrifying secret. After the sudden appearance of grotesquely deformed creatures, the area is hermetically sealed. A three-person team of NATO specialists under the command of Cole Sullivan is sent inside. Their mission is to discover the truth about the events in Gorky 17 and try to survive in a city overrun by an unexplained threat.