ARTE France and French studio Darjeeling Productions are launching The Merlies, a playful metroidvania adventure. Yes, that’s a stark contrast right there: metroidvania but playful. The game will land on September 29th, 2026 for PC and Mac through Steam, as well as Nintendo Switch.
The developer is Darjeeling Productions, the studio behind Californium and Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective, working with Blue Ramen Studios, known for Mafate. The original idea behind The Merlies comes from Cosmografik, the creator of Type:Rider and Vandals.
They’re calling it a wholesomevania!
You deal with a community of tiny birds called the Merlies, who are trying to find harmony in a cute post-apocalyptic world. A huge storm has scattered the little birds across the land. So, you’ll gather your birdies, explore the wild world, rescue lost Merlies, and put together a village using whatever scraps you can find.
The Merlies is going in basically the opposite direction. Human civilization is gone, but Nature is healing, and there’s a bright, calm, hopeful take on what comes after humanity. It’s solarpunk rather than the more dystopian Cyberpunk-style post-apocalypse people often associate with the genre.
You explore a colourful, charming 2D world with a squad of Merlies. The more birds you find, the more skills and abilities your group can use. Those specific abilities are important because the game has metroidvania-like progression, with new skills opening hidden passages and previously inaccessible areas.
The Merlies has no enemies and no creatures waiting to fight you
Combat has been replaced with poetic exploration and some deliberately clumsy platforming. Instead, you’ll need to deal with Nature itself. Thorns, rocks, trees, and other parts of the environment can become serious obstacles when you’re the size of one of these tiny birds.
Paths can also be difficult to find inside the wild and bucolic maze. And the Merlies themselves are fragile, so you need to pay attention and make sure you don’t lose one along the way. The village gives the Merlies somewhere to live, while you can also train them and get them ready for future exploration.
The game is all about recycling and upcycling human leftovers, with wacky constructions and clever reuse helping bring comfort and happiness to the tribe. You can grab it from Steam for PC or on Nintendo Switch.
Also, read our scoop on Ravenous Greed, a Game Boy-Era Platformer with Multiple Arcade-Style Stages.
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