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Press release:
15th July 2026 – When our world is reduced to its simplest form, we can discover so much more about its inhabitants. That’s what developer Florent Martinais explores in new indie puzzler What Surrounds Us, which has today launched on Steam. Part exploration game, part environmental puzzler, What Surrounds Us invites players to slow down and explore a mini ecosystem to help it find balance and overcome lurking existential threats.

In What Surrounds Us, players enter a vibrant ecosystem that’s buzzing with life of all kinds. However, a new, disruptive species has arrived – crowding out the native creatures, pulling them away from food sources, and unsettling the rhythms that the biosphere relies on. Players must work alongside the original species to help restore balance by solving environmental puzzles and observing how life in this microcosmic habitat behaves. The point isn’t necessarily to drive the newcomer out, but to find a way for everything to coexist.

Telling a story through video games is something indie developer Florent Martinais has become well-acquainted with thanks to his experience at studios such as Don’t Nod and Quantic Dream, but now he wants to try an alternative form of story-telling through What Surrounds Us. With no dialogue, no narration and a minimalist art style, understanding the underlying narrative becomes part of the puzzle in this atmospheric experience. Every aspect of the game encourages exploration and rewards curiosity, all brought to life by a bespoke soundtrack.

What Surrounds Us was born partly from Martinais’ own experience as a father; in particular, his anxieties about the chaotic world his daughter will have to navigate as she grows up. The game taps into ideas that ring true for most of us. Namely, worries about the environment and about what kind of place we’re leaving behind for future generations of human beings. Though the game features themes of invasion and destruction, its bright colour scheme and gentle soundtrack create a cosy relaxed atmosphere with strong underlying themes of hope and unity.

This game’s central ideas suggest that the answer to disruption and fear isn’t elimination, it’s coexistence. Finding balance is slow and difficult work, but it’s possible, and it’s worth doing. What Surrounds Us is a small game about a small world, but it encourages players to reflect on our real lives and ecosystems from a new perspective.

Expanding on his inspiration behind, and hopes for What Surrounds Us, developer Martinais said:

“I wanted to craft something deeply personal, while still creating an experience that could resonate universally. That’s really the core theme of the game, after all. I’m looking forward to sharing it with the world and seeing people rack their brains trying to uncover more about my tiny world!”