Dordogne

Dordogne is a heartfelt adventure game set in the picturesque French countryside, where players explore the nostalgic memories of a young woman named Mimi as she revisits her childhood summers spent with her grandmother. The game blends a unique watercolor art style with immersive gameplay, allowing players to uncover hidden stories, solve puzzles, and capture moments through photography. With its evocative soundtrack and emotional narrative, Dordogne delivers a reflective and visually stunning experience that celebrates family, memory, and the passage of time.

Dordogne: A Watercolor Journey Through Memory and Nostalgia

Introduction

Dordogne is a narrative-driven adventure game that invites players to explore the fragmented memories of Mimi, a woman in her early 30s who returns to her late grandmother’s house in the Dordogne region of France. Developed by Un Je Ne Sais Quoi and Umanimation, and published by Focus Entertainment, the game is a poignant exploration of family, memory, and the passage of time. With its hand-painted watercolor visuals, evocative soundtrack, and intimate storytelling, Dordogne stands as a unique and emotionally resonant experience in the adventure genre. However, its brevity, occasional narrative ambiguities, and simplistic gameplay mechanics have sparked debate among critics and players alike. This review delves into the game’s development, narrative depth, gameplay systems, artistic achievements, and its place in the broader landscape of video game storytelling.

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Development History & Context

The Vision Behind Dordogne

Dordogne is the brainchild of Cédric Babouche, founder of Un Je Ne Sais Quoi and a veteran animator with over 15 years of experience in film and television. Babouche’s inspiration for the game stemmed from his own childhood summers spent in the Dordogne region, where he stayed with his great-grandmother. The project began as a personal endeavor to translate his memories and artistic style—rooted in traditional watercolor painting—into an interactive medium. Babouche’s collaboration with Umanimation, a transmedia production company, allowed the game to merge his cinematic storytelling sensibilities with the interactive possibilities of video games.

The game’s development spanned approximately four to five years, with a team of over 30 artists, designers, and programmers. Babouche’s insistence on hand-painting over 180 landscapes and characters on paper before digitizing them lent Dordogne its distinctive, organic aesthetic. This labor-intensive process was a deliberate choice to preserve the authenticity of watercolor textures, which Babouche believed would evoke the fluidity and impermanence of memory.

Technological and Artistic Innovations

Dordogne was built using the Unity engine, with additional tools like Blender employed for 3D modeling. The game’s art pipeline involved scanning Babouche’s hand-painted watercolors and integrating them into 3D environments, creating a seamless blend of 2D and 3D visuals. The result is a living, breathing world where brushstrokes animate gently with the wind, and light filters through foliage in a way that mimics the softness of a painted canvas.

The soundtrack, composed by the French electronic duo Supernaive, complements the visuals with a melodic, atmospheric score. The music shifts dynamically between the game’s two timelines—Mimi’s childhood in the 1980s and her adulthood in 2002—using brighter, more playful tones for the past and subdued, reflective melodies for the present. The game also features full voice acting in French, with English subtitles, adding to its immersive quality.

The Gaming Landscape at Release

Dordogne launched on June 13, 2023, across multiple platforms, including Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game entered a market increasingly receptive to narrative-driven, emotionally resonant experiences, following the success of titles like What Remains of Edith Finch, Firewatch, and The Last Campfire. Its release coincided with a growing appreciation for indie games that prioritize artistry and storytelling over traditional gameplay mechanics.

However, Dordogne faced challenges in standing out amid a crowded field of narrative adventures. Its short runtime (approximately 3–5 hours) and lack of complex gameplay systems led some critics to question its value proposition, despite its undeniable artistic merits. The game’s reception was further complicated by its release on the Nintendo Switch, where technical limitations resulted in performance issues that detracted from the otherwise polished experience.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Plot Overview

Dordogne follows Mimi, a 32-year-old woman who returns to her grandmother Nora’s house in the Dordogne region after Nora’s death. Mimi’s relationship with her grandmother is strained, and her memories of the summers she spent there as a child are fragmented. Through a series of letters, photographs, and audio recordings left behind by Nora, Mimi begins to piece together the events of her last summer in Dordogne in 1982, when she was 12 years old.

The narrative unfolds non-linearly, alternating between Mimi’s present-day exploration of the house and flashbacks to her childhood. In these flashbacks, players experience Mimi’s adventures with her grandmother, her budding friendship with a local boy named Renaud, and the tensions within her family. The game’s central mystery revolves around the estrangement between Mimi’s father, Fabrice, and his parents, Nora and Édouard, as well as the circumstances surrounding Mimi’s near-drowning incident, which left her with gaps in her memory.

Characters and Relationships

• Mimi (Adult and Child): The protagonist’s dual perspective allows players to contrast her adult cynicism with her childhood innocence. Adult Mimi is reserved and introspective, while young Mimi is curious and rebellious, often clashing with her grandmother’s expectations.
• Nora: Mimi’s grandmother is a complex figure—warm and nurturing in some moments, but also stubborn and controlling. Her letters reveal a woman deeply attached to the Dordogne region and its traditions, but also someone who struggled to connect with her son, Fabrice.
• Renaud: A local boy who becomes Mimi’s friend during her summer in Dordogne. Renaud’s home life is troubled, and his relationship with Mimi is marked by a shared sense of isolation. His presence in the story raises questions about class, belonging, and the judgments of the adult world.
• Fabrice (Mimi’s Father): Fabrice’s estrangement from his parents is a central theme. His letters and interactions with Mimi reveal a man who resented his upbringing in the countryside and sought a different life for himself and his daughter. His relationship with Nora is fraught with unresolved conflict, which Mimi must confront as she uncovers the past.

Themes

1. Memory and Nostalgia: Dordogne explores how memories shape identity and relationships. The game’s watercolor aesthetic reinforces the idea of memory as fluid and subjective, with colors bleeding into one another and details fading over time. Mimi’s journey is one of reclaiming lost memories, but also of accepting that some aspects of the past may remain unclear.
2. Family and Estrangement: The game delves into the complexities of family dynamics, particularly the rifts between generations. Nora and Fabrice’s strained relationship mirrors Mimi’s own struggles with her father, highlighting how unresolved conflicts can echo through time.
3. Childhood vs. Adulthood: The contrast between Mimi’s childhood and adult perspectives underscores the loss of innocence and the weight of responsibility. The vibrant, sun-drenched landscapes of her youth give way to the muted, introspective tones of her present, reflecting the emotional toll of growing up.
4. The Passage of Time: Dordogne is deeply concerned with the inevitability of change. The game’s setting—the Dordogne region—is depicted as a timeless place, yet the characters’ lives are marked by irreversible transformations. The letters, photographs, and audio recordings serve as artifacts of a past that can never be fully recaptured.

Narrative Strengths and Weaknesses

Dordogne’s narrative is at its strongest when it embraces ambiguity and emotional subtlety. The game’s refusal to provide neat resolutions to its central conflicts—such as the exact nature of Fabrice and Nora’s feud—mirrors the messy, unresolved nature of real-life relationships. However, this ambiguity has also been a point of contention among players. Some critics argue that the game’s ending feels rushed, leaving too many questions unanswered. For instance, the circumstances surrounding Renaud’s alleged theft of Édouard’s watch and Nora’s sudden outburst during the picnic are never fully explained, leading to frustration for players seeking closure.

The game’s reliance on environmental storytelling—through letters, audio tapes, and objects—is both a strength and a weakness. While it encourages players to piece together the narrative themselves, the lack of direct exposition can make certain plot points difficult to follow. Additionally, the game’s pacing has been criticized for being uneven, with the story taking too long to build momentum before resolving abruptly in the final chapters.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Gameplay Loop

Dordogne is primarily an exploration-driven narrative adventure, with light puzzle elements and minigames. The core gameplay loop involves:

1. Exploration: Players navigate Mimi’s grandmother’s house and the surrounding Dordogne countryside, interacting with objects that trigger memories or reveal hidden clues.
2. Memory Collection: As Mimi explores, she collects mementos such as photographs, audio recordings, stickers, and written words. These items are stored in a scrapbook, which serves as a tangible record of her journey.
3. Puzzle-Solving: The game features simple puzzles, such as assembling a camera, unlocking doors with keys, or solving a map-based riddle to locate hidden areas. These puzzles are designed to be intuitive and accessible, with no fail states.
4. Minigames: Occasional minigames, such as gardening, drawing in a binder, or recording ambient sounds, provide variety and reinforce the game’s themes of creativity and memory.

Character Progression and Player Agency

Dordogne does not feature traditional character progression mechanics. Instead, progression is tied to the unfolding narrative and the player’s exploration of Mimi’s memories. The scrapbook serves as a form of progression, allowing players to curate their own version of Mimi’s story by choosing which photographs, sounds, and words to include. This mechanic encourages reflection and personalization, though its impact on the overall narrative is minimal.

Player agency is limited to exploration and interaction. While players can choose the order in which they explore certain areas, the game’s linear structure ensures that the story unfolds in a predetermined sequence. The lack of branching pathways or meaningful choices has led some critics to describe Dordogne as more of an interactive storybook than a traditional video game.

UI and Accessibility

The game’s user interface is minimalist, with a focus on immersing players in the watercolor world. The scrapbook and inventory systems are intuitive, though some players have noted that the controls can feel clunky, particularly in first-person minigames like assembling the camera. The game includes accessibility options such as adjustable puzzle difficulty and customizable controls, but the lack of subtitles for Occitan dialogue and the occasional illegibility of handwritten letters have been criticized as oversights.

Innovative and Flawed Systems

1. Scrapbook Mechanic: The scrapbook is Dordogne’s most innovative feature, allowing players to compile a personalized journal of Mimi’s memories. However, the mechanic is underutilized, as players are often limited to creating only one scrapbook page per chapter. The inability to revisit missed collectibles also diminishes the scrapbook’s potential as a reflective tool.
2. Photo Mode: The game includes a photo mode that lets players capture moments in the watercolor world. While this feature enhances the game’s emphasis on memory and nostalgia, it is somewhat redundant given the scrapbook’s similar function.
3. Puzzle Design: The puzzles in Dordogne are intentionally simple, designed to avoid frustrating players. However, some critics have argued that the puzzles are too simplistic, lacking the depth and challenge found in other narrative adventures like The Witness or Return of the Obra Dinn.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Setting and Atmosphere

Dordogne is set in the Dordogne region of southwestern France, a area renowned for its picturesque villages, rolling countryside, and the meandering Dordogne River. The game’s environments are meticulously crafted to evoke the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage, with locations such as the market town of Sarlat, the cliffside village of La Roque-Gageac, and the commune of Castelnau-la-Chapelle serving as backdrops for Mimi’s journey.

The game’s dual timelines—1982 and 2002—highlight the contrast between the vibrancy of childhood and the introspection of adulthood. The 1982 segments are bathed in warm, golden light, with lush greenery and bustling marketplaces reflecting the carefree energy of youth. In contrast, the 2002 segments are more subdued, with muted colors and quiet, empty spaces emphasizing Mimi’s sense of loss and reflection.

Visual Direction

Dordogne’s watercolor aesthetic is its defining feature. The hand-painted environments are rich in detail, with brushstrokes visible in the textures of trees, buildings, and even the characters’ clothing. The game’s art style is not merely decorative; it serves a narrative purpose, reinforcing the themes of memory and impermanence. The watercolor textures bleed and blur at the edges, mimicking the way memories fade and distort over time.

The game’s use of color is equally deliberate. The childhood segments are dominated by bright, saturated hues—golden wheat fields, azure skies, and emerald forests—while the present-day segments feature a more restrained palette of grays, blues, and earth tones. This shift in color reflects Mimi’s emotional journey, from the innocence of childhood to the melancholy of adulthood.

Sound Design

The soundtrack, composed by Supernaive, is a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling. The music blends electronic and acoustic elements, with synths and guitars creating a dreamlike, nostalgic atmosphere. The score adapts dynamically to the player’s actions, swelling during moments of discovery and fading into ambient textures during quieter, more introspective scenes.

The game’s sound design extends beyond the soundtrack to include environmental sounds such as birdsong, rustling leaves, and the murmur of the Dordogne River. These sounds are not merely background noise; they are integral to the game’s sense of place, immersing players in the rural French countryside. The voice acting, delivered in French with English subtitles, is equally impressive, with performances that convey the emotional weight of the story without resorting to melodrama.

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Reception & Legacy

Critical Reception

Dordogne received generally favorable reviews upon release, with critics praising its art direction, soundtrack, and emotional storytelling. On Metacritic, the game holds scores of 76/100 for the Windows and PlayStation 5 versions, and 74/100 for the Nintendo Switch version. Reviewers lauded the game’s ability to evoke nostalgia and its unique visual style, with Game Informer calling it “like a charming French indie art film come to life.”

However, the game’s brevity and simplistic gameplay were frequent points of criticism. Many reviewers noted that Dordogne’s runtime of 3–5 hours left them wanting more, particularly given the depth of its narrative themes. The Nintendo Switch version, in particular, was criticized for technical issues such as frame rate drops and clipping glitches, which detracted from the otherwise polished experience.

Player Reception

Player reactions to Dordogne have been mixed. While many players appreciated the game’s artistic achievements and emotional resonance, others found the narrative ambiguous and the gameplay underwhelming. On Steam, the game holds a “Very Positive” rating, with players praising its visuals and soundtrack but expressing frustration with its short length and lack of replayability.

A recurring point of contention among players is the game’s ending, which some felt was rushed and left too many questions unanswered. Discussions on forums such as Steam and Reddit reveal that players have developed their own theories about the unresolved plot points, particularly regarding the estrangement between Nora and Fabrice and the circumstances surrounding Renaud’s alleged theft.

Awards and Recognition

Despite its mixed reception, Dordogne has garnered several awards and nominations, including:

• Best Art Direction at the 2024 Webby Awards.
• Best Visual Achievement at the 2024 Pégases Awards (the premier French video game awards).
• Best Audio at the 2024 Gamescom Latam Awards.

These accolades underscore the game’s artistic and technical achievements, even as its narrative and gameplay continue to divide critics and players.

Influence and Legacy

Dordogne’s legacy lies in its contribution to the growing canon of narrative-driven, artistically ambitious indie games. Its success demonstrates the viability of games that prioritize emotional storytelling and visual innovation over traditional gameplay mechanics. The game’s watercolor aesthetic has inspired comparisons to other visually distinctive titles such as Gris and Chicory: A Colorful Tale, suggesting that Dordogne may influence future projects in the genre.

The game’s developers have hinted at a prequel in the form of a short film, Les Ricochets, which will explore Nora’s early life in the Dordogne region. This transmedia expansion suggests that Dordogne’s world and themes may continue to resonate with audiences beyond the original game.

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Conclusion

Dordogne is a game of contradictions—a breathtakingly beautiful experience that is also frustratingly brief; a deeply emotional narrative that is also maddeningly ambiguous; a celebration of memory that is also a reminder of its impermanence. Its watercolor visuals and evocative soundtrack create an immersive, nostalgic atmosphere, while its exploration of family, memory, and the passage of time resonates on a deeply personal level. However, its simplistic gameplay, uneven pacing, and unresolved narrative threads prevent it from achieving the same level of acclaim as other narrative-driven masterpieces like What Remains of Edith Finch or Firewatch.

Ultimately, Dordogne is a game that will linger in the minds of those who appreciate its artistic ambitions, even as it leaves them yearning for more. It is a testament to the power of video games as a medium for storytelling and emotional expression, and a reminder that sometimes, the most profound experiences are the ones that leave room for interpretation. For players willing to embrace its ambiguities and immerse themselves in its watercolor world, Dordogne offers a journey that is as poignant as it is beautiful.

Final Verdict: 8/10 – A visually stunning and emotionally resonant narrative adventure, marred only by its brevity and occasional narrative ambiguities.