ARTE France and French studio Darjeeling Productions, in collaboration with co-developer Blue Ramen Studio and co-publisher GCores Publishing, have announced that The Merlies, a playful “wholesomevania” adventure that sees players explore a miniature Solarpunk world alongside a group of endearing creatures known as Merlies, will launch on September 29 for PC and Mac via Steam, as well as Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 via backward compatibility.

In The Merlies, players guide a squad of tiny birds through a wild, overgrown world built from the leftovers of human civilization. As they explore, climb, and unlock new passageways using some of the Merlies’ unique abilities, they gather scraps to build and decorate a cozy village for their community, whilst gathering tiny friends scattered all around the world.

Rather than combat or high-pressure challenges, The Merlies invites players to slow down, observe, and care. There are no enemies here, only obstacles to navigate carefully, and fragile Merlies who can be lost if you’re not paying attention. Progress comes through resourcefulness, not force: upcycling scraps of human junk into cozy new comforts for your village. Featuring a handcrafted art style, gentle sound design, and a solarpunk spirit of exploration, The Merlies offers a comforting journey that celebrates imagination, kindness, and the joy of discovery found in small things.

The game is developed by Darjeeling Productions (Californium, Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective) in collaboration with Blue Ramen Studios (Mafate), with both studios bringing their distinctive creative sensibility to a lighter, playful adventure focused on exploration and wonder.

For ARTE, The Merlies continues its commitment to supporting original, artistic games that explore new ways of telling stories through play, following a catalogue that includes Vectronom, To Hell with the Ugly, 30 Birds, Looking for Fael, Tom the Post Girl, Beyond the Plastic Wall and Matelotes.

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