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Dordogne

Dordogne is a stunning hand-painted story about family and finding out who you are.
Dordogne Game Cover
83%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
grinding, stability
90% User Score Based on 515 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 15 reviews

Platforms

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Dordogne Game Cover

About

Dordogne is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by UN JE NE SAIS QUOI and was released on June 13, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Explore the thousand summer colors of Dordogne in a unique narrative experience.

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Dordogne screenshot
Dordogne screenshot
Dordogne screenshot
Dordogne screenshot
Dordogne screenshot
Dordogne screenshot
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Dordogne screenshot
Dordogne screenshot
Dordogne screenshot
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+7
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 515 reviews
story172 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions
  • The game's watercolor art style is breathtakingly beautiful and unique, creating an immersive and nostalgic atmosphere.
  • The narrative is heartwarming, emotive, and explores themes of childhood, family, memory, grief, and reconciliation with a touching and relatable story.
  • Sound design and music complement the visuals and story perfectly, enhancing the cozy and reflective mood; voice acting is well done and adds depth to characters.
  • Gameplay is simplistic and clunky with awkward controls and tedious interactions that often slow down progression and break immersion.
  • The story feels incomplete or rushed towards the end, leaving unanswered questions and unresolved plot threads that frustrate some players.
  • The game is quite linear and short with limited exploration and replay value; collectibles and achievements can be frustrating due to missable items and lack of convenient chapter selection.
  • story
    464 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Dordogne" is widely praised for its heartfelt, bittersweet exploration of childhood memories, family bonds, loss, and nostalgia, all delivered through a beautifully hand-painted watercolor art style. Although some find the narrative simple, linear, and occasionally lacking in depth or resolution, many appreciate its emotional realism, relatable characters, and soothing, reflective pacing that immerses players in a tender, personal journey. Collectible elements like letters and tapes enrich the background, enhancing the story's atmosphere despite some players noting minor plot gaps and clunky gameplay.

    • “A bittersweet story about a woman unlocking the repressed memories of her childhood, presented in an absolutely gorgeous painterly art style that invites you to slow down and enjoy the experience.”
    • “Dordogne is an absolutely gorgeous storybook of a game with a delightful soundtrack and perfectly cast and performed voice acting.”
    • “The story, which alternates between adult Mimi and her 12-year-old self, is both heartfelt and nostalgic, exploring themes of family, memory, and self-discovery.”
    • “The story, though very occasionally cute, is painfully unoriginal, filled with plot holes and entirely forgettable.”
    • “There were many unexplained plot holes that might have only been answered if you bothered to seek out all the collectable letters.”
    • “The story is bare-bones, with too many things left unexplained and clunky controls and mini-games.”
  • graphics
    258 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning, hand-painted watercolor art style that creates a unique, immersive, and nostalgic visual experience reminiscent of storybook illustrations. This aesthetic is considered the game's standout feature, beautifully capturing the French countryside and enhancing the emotional storytelling, though some minor technical issues and occasional graphical glitches have been noted. Overall, the visuals are deemed breathtaking and a primary reason to play, even if gameplay elements receive mixed feedback.

    • “The game’s hand-painted watercolor visuals are simply stunning, immersing you in the picturesque French countryside.”
    • “The watercolor art style is simply breathtaking — every frame looks like a hand-painted memory.”
    • “Dordogne’s striking watercolour visuals breathe life into each and every scene.”
    • “But after I played a little, I realized that the graphics are the only plus of this game and that's where all its advantages end.”
    • “From a technical perspective, I noticed a few small graphical bugs, along with some slight slowdown during the numerous kayaking scenes.”
    • “However, as much as I want to, I simply cannot overlook the game's shortcomings: the abundance of animations in multiple places, the graphical glitches, and the minigames, which make the experience more tedious than relaxing after a certain point.”
  • gameplay
    166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in Dordogne is simple, slow-paced, and primarily focused on exploration, basic interactions, and light narrative-driven tasks rather than challenging puzzles or deep mechanics. While some find the mechanics clunky or overly simplistic, the tactile, gentle gameplay complements the game's reflective and emotional storytelling, appealing mostly to those who prioritize atmosphere and narrative over traditional gameplay complexity. Overall, it offers a relaxing, visually charming experience but may feel limited or tedious to players seeking more engagement or challenge.

    • “The mechanics are simple—you’re mostly doing mundane things like making tea, brushing your teeth, or exploring the garden—but they feel incredibly tactile.”
    • “Mechanically it works like a modern point-and-click, wandering through the scenes in 3D and entering dedicated screens to manipulate objects, try your hand at gardening or kayak repair, or to create a collage in your binder of memories.”
    • “The gameplay is fairly conservative, but I genuinely like collecting all the different stickers, taking pictures, customizing pages in the notebook as well as the very straightforward mini games that break up the narrative from time to time.”
    • “I did enjoy how this game looks, but it gets dragged down by clunky and linear gameplay, lacking story and characters are not very likable (Mimi can be a brat, grandma holds a grudge on kid, a parent keeps pestering you on the phone).”
    • “The gameplay is mostly tedious, the story goes nowhere, and controlling your character is surprisingly clunky considering how limited it is.”
    • “Worse still, the gameplay itself is just one frustration after another.”
  • emotional
    159 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Dordogne delivers a deeply emotional and heartwarming experience, beautifully capturing themes of family, grief, childhood memories, and self-discovery through its touching narrative and stunning watercolor art. While relatively short and light on gameplay complexity, its evocative storytelling and nostalgic atmosphere resonate strongly with players, often evoking tears and a lasting emotional impact. The game is highly recommended for those seeking a soulful, visually enchanting journey that prioritizes feeling and reflection over traditional gameplay challenges.

    • “It is an emotional roller-coaster filled with many amazing scenes: the thing that makes Dordogne stand out from other ‘cozy-games’ is the fact that it manages to encapsulate a wide variety of different emotions, all presented in a really believable and realistic way.”
    • “The narrative is touching and evocative, weaving a tale that is both personal and universally relatable. The characters are well-developed, and their emotional arcs are compelling, drawing you deeper into the story as you progress. The game masterfully balances moments of quiet introspection with more intense, emotionally charged sequences.”
    • “Dordogne is a truly heartfelt experience that I just finished, and I’m still moved by it.”
  • music
    83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's music is widely praised for its beautiful, calming, and immersive qualities, perfectly complementing the watercolor art style and nostalgic, emotional narrative. While some found the soundtrack memorable and deeply moving, a few noted that certain tracks were less distinctive or mismatched stylistically. Overall, the soundtrack significantly enhances the game's reflective and cozy atmosphere.

    • “The art is breathtakingly stunning, and lends so much to the story which explores the layers of many emotions and pivotal life moments; add to that the charming soundtrack and narration, it was a joy to lose myself in.”
    • “This game's selling points are its beautiful artistic style, amazing music, and killer sound design.”
    • “From the first scene, in which Mimi leads you to her long-lost memories, to the revealing, the seamlessly transitioning music and voice over, and all of the gameplays that matter in each of them, everything is perfect.”
    • “I did have one point that I felt detracted from the game’s overall feeling – the music choice.”
    • “I felt the game’s bright, vibrant colour palette and style, and bucolic setting, did not mesh with the electronic, almost sci-fi soundtrack.”
    • “That said, even presentation stumbles: the credits sequence runs far longer than the music, leaving an awkward silence that feels emblematic of the game’s broader disconnects.”
  • atmosphere
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its soothing, nostalgic, and cozy vibe, enhanced by beautiful watercolor art, detailed animations, and top-tier acoustic sound design. Players appreciate its calming, wistful ambiance that evokes emotional depth and a peaceful sense of exploration, though some note it may feel limiting for those seeking more traditional gameplay challenges. Overall, the game's atmosphere is a standout feature, richly supporting its emotional, story-driven experience.

    • “Soft acoustic melodies, ambient countryside noise, and the faint echo of distant conversation create an atmosphere that is both comforting and wistful.”
    • “The attention to detail in the art and animation is truly remarkable, creating an atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and magical.”
    • “Wonderfully beautiful watercolour art, a cozy atmosphere and a story of childlike wonder and exploration paired with exploration of family ties, complicated feelings and grief.”
    • “However, Dordogne’s devotion to atmosphere over challenge may feel limiting to players seeking more traditional gameplay.”
    • “Each of these simple tasks would typically be automated in games, but in Dordogne, it matches the calm, relaxing pace and overall cozy atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The atmosphere: quiet and wistful. The sound design is top-tier if you like acoustic guitars and the sound of your own heavy breathing in the silence.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is widely regarded as tedious and repetitive, exacerbated by clunky controls and excessive animations that make simple tasks more frustrating than engaging. While some mini-games and collectibles add variety, they often feel laborious and poorly integrated, diminishing overall enjoyment.

    • “Except it is actually more tedious and annoying than typical games in those genres because it is absolutely chock-full of fake-game mouse interactions.”
    • “My entire existence is dedicated to tedious, repetitive tasks, but even I think boiling water for tea should not require this much physical dexterity!”
    • “However, as much as I want to, I simply cannot overlook the game's shortcomings: the abundance of animations in multiple places, the graphical glitches, and the minigames, which make the experience more tedious than relaxing after a certain point.”
  • stability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game experiences several stability issues, including graphical glitches, animation bugs, and control lockups that sometimes require restarting. Although mostly bug-free during some playthroughs, repeated softlocks and minigame-related glitches detract from the overall experience. These persistent problems can make gameplay feel tedious and occasionally frustrating.

    • “Game is buggy with bad controls and softlocks.”
    • “Some achievements are buggy (e.g., collecting sounds while replaying a chapter counts as a new sound).”
    • “Aside from that, there were minor bugs that only popped up once or twice like animation glitches, an instance where my controls got locked and I had to restart, and one time where I went to the main menu during the scrapbooking minigame and returned to find that the keywords I picked up in the chapter's last conversation had disappeared.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability is limited due to the game's linear story, with most value coming from collecting items and achievements or experiencing it with others. While some find it has great replay value, overall it is considered minimal.

    • “There is a bit of replay value in it, but I think I'll have to let it sit for a while before going again, or maybe play it with someone else in order to get a secondhand experience.”
    • “Great replayability.”
    • “Unless you want to collect all the words, tapes, stickers, and get the Steam achievements, the replayability value is limited due to the linear story.”
    • “Not really much replayability value, as the story is pretty linear, unless you want to collect all the words, tapes, stickers, and get the Steam achievements.”
    • “There is a bit of replay value in it, but I think I'll have to let it sit for a while before playing again, or maybe play it with someone else in order to get a secondhand experience.”
    • “Replayability value: none, it is a linear narrative adventure.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is subtle and lighthearted, with occasional amusing glitches and quirky voice acting, particularly in the varying French pronunciations, adding a charming and entertaining touch without disrupting the overall experience.

    • “Good voice acting, though some of the French pronunciations are humorous and seemingly pronounced slightly differently each time.”
    • “I did hit a funny little bug with the joystick (A/B buttons acting stubborn), but nothing that broke the vibe.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is praised for providing deeper insights into supporting characters like the grandparents, enhancing the story's wholesomeness, though the main character's growth is less emphasized.

  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is inconsistent, with occasional performance issues and clunky gameplay elements that become more noticeable toward the end, detracting from the overall experience.

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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 15 critic reviews
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5h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Dordogne is a casual role playing game.

Dordogne is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Dordogne.

Dordogne was released on June 13, 2023.

Dordogne was developed by UN JE NE SAIS QUOI.

Dordogne has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Dordogne for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Dordogne is a single player game.

Similar games include Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery, Old Man's Journey, Lost Words: Beyond the Page, Assemble with Care, Season: A Letter to the Future and others.