The Merlies is a 2D exploration adventure about gathering a scattered flock of tiny birds and helping them build a home in a world where nature has reclaimed human civilization. Its story centers on the community as a whole, rather than a cast of individually named heroes.
What is The Merlies?
The Merlies is a single-player adventure developed by Darjeeling, Blue Ramen, and ARTE France, and published by ARTE France and GCORES PUBLISHING. Steam lists the game’s release date as September 29, 2026. Its official description calls its style a “wholesomevania”: a 2D world to explore at your own pace, with a growing squad whose abilities help uncover hidden routes. Steam store page
What is the story of The Merlies?
A huge storm scatters the Merlies across the land. You explore the landscape to find the missing birds and bring the flock back together. The story is presented through this shared effort: finding one another, making a place to live, and learning how to move through a changed world.
The birds are small and vulnerable amid natural obstacles such as thorns, rocks, and trees. The official description foregrounds exploration and environmental challenges rather than combat against enemies.
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Who are the Merlies characters?
The Merlies are a community of tiny, expressive birds. The official store descriptions reviewed identify the flock collectively but do not name individual birds or give them biographies. Their abilities matter to exploration, but specific names, species, personalities, and personal histories are not established in those descriptions. Official demo page
How does the flock’s village fit into the story?
Rebuilding is part of the flock’s progression, not just a separate decorating activity. You collect scraps from the vanished human world to build and decorate a village, make room for the birds, and train them for further exploration. As the flock grows and gains abilities, it can reach more of the landscape.
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Discarded objects take on new uses at bird scale: the official description gives a lamp repurposed as a house and an ice cube tray used as a storeroom. This reuse connects the village to the same central idea as exploration: making a life from what the old world left behind.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is The Merlies’ setting and tone?
The setting is a colorful natural landscape healing after human civilization has disappeared. The old world remains in remnants and infrastructure: the birds climb electrical cables and fallen billboards, explore empty pipes, and encounter objects that are enormous from their perspective. The official description cites graphic novels and children’s picture books as visual inspirations. Official Steam description
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- Challenge your friends to see who knows more about Twilight….the more you know, the greater you chance of winning
- Based on the popular novels and TV movie
- Includes board, Scene cards, playing pieces, and dice
- Answer questions about Twilight and your friends to move forward around the board
- Scene cards and board include images from the movie
The developers describe the game as solarpunk and as a hopeful take on a post-apocalypse. Cooperation, solidarity, recycling, and upcycling shape the flock’s community. That is the game’s stated creative framing, not a universal definition of solarpunk or post-apocalyptic fiction.
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- Players can create a 3-D battle arena
- Includes dual-sided gameboards with multiple gameplay scenarios
- Choose from 4 Planeswalkers, each with unique powers and squads
- Summon unstoppable creatures of the night
- Compatible with Magic: the Gathering AOP Board Game System.Includes 5 Planeswalker figures, 4 hero figures, 15 squad figures, 4 dual-sided cardboard terrain boards, 2 glyphs, 20 damage markers, 20-sided die, 8 combat dice, 13 army cards, 48 spell cards, turn marker, 8 counters, 6 1-hex sand tiles, 3 cryptoliths, 3 cryptolith 2-hex sand tiles, and game guide.
What to expect from its exploration
- A changing flock: Finding more birds expands the group available to explore.
- Ability-based routes: Different abilities help reveal passages and secrets in the 2D map.
- Environmental hazards: The stated challenges include natural obstacles, rather than a focus on combat.
- A village that supports progress: Scraps become homes and useful facilities, while training helps prepare birds for further exploration.
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