Discover the retrospective trailer here
Paris, October 19, 2023 - ARTE is proud to announce and celebrate its 10 years of involvement in the video game industry. Since 2013, ARTE has been supporting original European video games available on all platforms.
As a co-producer since 2013 and a publisher since 2018, ARTE France encourages and champions independent video game creation. With a track record of 17 co-productions, including 12 projects that have received over 100 awards, the cultural public media outlet promotes European arthouse creations that are original, memorable, and accessible to all.
Arthouse creations: Projects developed by small independent teams, embodying a more artisanal approach rather than an industrial one.
Original: Distinguished by their artistic direction, gameplay, and narrative universes.
Memorable: Works rich in meaning with striking settings and stories.
Accessible to all: Targeted at a broad audience, addressing universal themes.
Building on this 10 years of experience and the success of their games, which have generated 5 million downloads, ARTE France is engaged in fresh new initiatives. This includes "30 Birds," a captivating narrative adventure inspired by mythology and Persian miniatures, set to release in 2024, "The Merlies," an adventure and exploration game featuring a community of resourceful small creatures in a hostile world, scheduled for 2025, and a new game to be announced soon.
Bruno Patino, President of ARTE: "In a world dominated by global publishers, ARTE has chosen to support author-driven projects and independent studios, following an approach that is closer to craftsmanship than industry. Games that combine original narratives, meticulous artistic universes, and intuitive gameplay."
The key games produced or published by ARTE include:
To Hell With the Ugly, released on May 30, 2023, is a point-and-click adventure game adapted from Boris Vian's novel "Et on tuera tous les affreux." It follows the story of Rock Bailey, a young and shallow man who is kidnapped after leaving a jazz club. The player must help Rocky uncover the truth behind his abduction. Published by ARTE France and co-produced by la Poule Noire, the game is available on Switch, PC, Xbox Series, PS4, and PS5.
How to Say Goodbye, released on November 3, 2022, is a narrative puzzle game about grief. A group of recently deceased ghosts is lost in a world filled with spirits, and players must manipulate the environment and characters to guide them to the other side. Published by ARTE France and co-produced by Florian & Baptiste, the game is available on PC, Switch, and mobile platforms.
Inua, released on February 9, 2022, is a narrative point-and-click adventure set in the Inuit culture. Three protagonists with intertwined destinies across decades in the same Northern locations must unravel the fabric of time and solve puzzles to guide the characters. Published by ARTE France and co-produced by IKO and The Pixel Hunt, the game is available on PC, Switch, and mobile platforms.
Vectronom, released on May 28, 2019, is a fast-paced 3D puzzle game where players navigate a world full of obstacles while syncing their movements to the hypnotic electro beats. Published by ARTE France and co-produced by Ludopium and La Compagnie des Martingales, the game is available on PC, Switch, and mobile platforms.
A Fisherman’s Tale, released on January 22, 2019, is a virtual reality adventure game and a 360° video introduction. Players solve puzzles and experience adventures with colorful characters in a sea-filled world. Co-produced by ARTE France with Innerspace VR, the game is available on PS VR, Oculus, HTC VIVE, and PC.
Homo Machina, released on May 17, 2018, is a surreal journey inside the human body's factory, presented as a 2D video game based on the work of German artist Fritz Kahn. Published by ARTE France and co-produced by Darjeeling, the game is available on mobile platforms.
Vandals, released on April 12, 2018, is a turn-based stealth game that pays tribute to graffiti culture and takes players to five iconic street art cities: Paris, New York, Berlin, Sao Paulo, and Tokyo. Players seek out new surfaces to cover and encounter famous works and artists of the genre. Published by ARTE France and co-produced by ExNihilo and Novelab, the game is available on PC, Switch, and mobile platforms.
Enterre-moi, Mon Amour, released on October 26, 2017, is an interactive fiction that follows the journey of a young Syrian migrant to Europe through her instant messaging. Co-produced by ARTE France and The Pixel Hunt, the game is available on PC, Switch, and mobile platforms.
Californium, released on February 17, 2016, is a wild experience that pays tribute to the legendary science-fiction author Philip K. Dick. Players assume the role of Elvin Green, a struggling writer, in a psychedelic universe. Co-produced by ARTE France, Darjeeling, and Nova Production, the game is available on PC.
Type:Rider, released on October 10, 2013, is a platformer and puzzle game exploring the world of typography. Players travel through various fonts, from prehistoric drawings to Pixel Art, solving puzzles while riding on popular typefaces in a stunning sound and visual environment. Co-produced by ARTE France and ExNihilo, the game is available on PC, Switch, and mobile platforms.
About ARTE
As a European public cultural broadcast television channel, ARTE's mission is to bring Europeans together through culture. Deeply rooted in its era, the channel, its platform arte.tv, and its social channels prioritize creation, innovation, and investigation, offering a rich and diverse editorial approach with increasingly innovative original formats.