Press release:
London, April 16th 2026 – Numskull Games and PASSION Games, in collaboration with Hyper Luminal Games, can confirm The Day I Became a Bird, a heartfelt narrative adventure inspired by children’s literature and animated storytelling, launches on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation today.
The Day I Became a Bird follows Frank, a quiet child with big emotions, as he experiences his first crush on Sylvia, a girl who only has eyes for our feathered friends. This cosy adventure plays out across classrooms, playgrounds, and imagined spaces, as Frank navigates his first feelings of love, shyness, and self-expression. Through exploration, collecting, and light puzzle-solving, he sets out on a simple mission: to win Sylvia’s attention.
Adapted from a storybook by French author Ingrid Chabbert and Spanish illustrator Guridi, alongside an accompanying animated short by Passion Animation, the game carries over its distinctive visual style into an interactive format. With gentle, understated gameplay, it aims to be warm, inviting, and emotionally resonant, offering a more reflective experience in contrast to the fast-paced, high-pressure nature of many games.
The Day I Became a Bird builds on PASSION’s heritage in animation and storytelling, combined with Hyper Luminal Games’ strength in crafting heartfelt narrative adventures, resulting in a hand-crafted, illustrative experience. The focus is placed on atmosphere, movement, and emotional clarity over traditional mechanics, positioning the title as much as a narrative journey as it is a game.
“The journey to this moment has been incredibly exciting for everyone involved, and we can’t wait to finally share The Day I Became a Bird with everyone,” says Andrew Ruhemann, founder and CEO at PASSION Animation.
“From the very beginning, we set out to create something gentle, expressive, and full of feeling, and seeing it arrive in players’ hands on launch day is a proud and emotional milestone for the team.”
“Bringing Frank’s story to players around the world is a truly wonderful feeling,” adds Chabbert. “What began as something small and personal has grown into an experience people can now explore for themselves. We hope that, as they play, they connect with those same emotions – the tenderness, the awkwardness, and the quiet courage of first love – and make the story their own.”
The Day I Became a Bird launches on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation today and is available in two editions:
The standard edition, which includes the base game, is £12.99/€14.99/$19.99.
The Feathered Adventurer Edition bundles the base game and film with a digital artbook and original soundtrack on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation for £17.99/€19.99/$24.49.
Players who purchase either addition via Steam or PlayStation will also receive the original short film.
The Day I Became a Bird has been selected for the London Games Festival’s 2026 Official Selection, and is playable at the Festival’s New Game Plus event on April 16 and 17.
About PASSION Games
PASSION Games is led by MD Lucie Friar with Creative Directors Christian Mills and Jon Saunders. PASSION Games believe every project is unique and requires its own distinctive approach.
Starting with a game’s characters, theme and tone as the foundation, the team builds an aesthetic and narrative that compliments these core concepts using their strong, diverse roster of creative talent.
About Hyper Luminal Games
Hyper Luminal is an indie games studio based in Dundee, Scotland. Everything we make is inspired by our ambition to build high-quality games that create lasting memories and fill our team with pride.
We make games where every team member proudly states: “I built that!”. We put smiles on people’s faces with beautiful, fun experiences that people play and love.
About Numskull Games
Since 2019, Numskull Games has established a worldwide physical & digital game publishing label. Launching & curating games from both new & veteran development studios as well as international games publisher partners, Numskull Games publishes titles across all major gaming platforms. Additionally, by utilising the infrastructure & resources of its sister companies Rubber Road / Numskull Designs, Numskull Games creates unique and compelling Collectors’ Editions for its elite releases.
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Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround
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Tags: Adventure, Hyper Luminal Games, Indie games, Nintendo Switch, Numskull Games, PASSION Games, PC games, PS5, Steam, The Day I Became a Bird