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Press release:
Paris, France — August 27, 2026 — European cultural publisher ARTE France and French indie studio La Poule Noire have officially revealed Matelotes, a whimsical medieval roguelite RPG coming to Steam Early Access on PC and Mac in early 2027.

Following Edgar – Bokbok in Boulzac, To Hell With The Ugly, and Looking for Fael, Matelotes marks La Poule Noire’s fourth game and the studio’s third collaboration with ARTE.

Set in the unpredictable Kingdom of Sauzic, players are thrown into an absurd medieval world facing an unprecedented crisis: the Royal Hen has vanished.

To solve the mystery, a crew of fearless—if occasionally hopeless—sailors sets off to explore the kingdom’s scattered islands in search of clues. From aboard their ship, players will recruit and develop their crew, chart routes between wildly different islands, and make decisions that shape the fate of the kingdom.

Throughout the journey, players will encounter four rival factions, each driven by its own ambitions and conflicts. Choosing whether to support—or sabotage—them can provide short-term advantages while creating lasting consequences later in the adventure.

A Roguelite Voyage Where Every Expedition Is Different

Every new playthrough features a procedurally generated sea and island map, ensuring no two expeditions unfold the same way.

Success depends on careful route planning, resource management, and keeping the crew alive through unexpected disasters and internal conflicts. Players can also upgrade their ship to improve its speed and durability as the journey grows increasingly dangerous.

True to La Poule Noire’s signature style, Matelotes blends sharp writing, offbeat humor, and a cast of memorable characters inside a medieval world that never takes itself too seriously.

More information is available on the ARTE Interactive official website, Bluesky, and TikTok.

About ARTE
ARTE is Europe’s public-service cultural broadcaster, bringing audiences together through culture, creativity, and innovation. Alongside films, series, documentaries, and podcasts, ARTE has spent more than a decade co-producing and publishing acclaimed independent games, including Type:Rider, Homo Machina, Vectronom, To Hell With The Ugly, Bury Me, My Love, 30 Birds, and Looking for Fael.

About La Poule Noire
Founded in 2017, La Poule Noire is a French game studio based in Angoulême, Lyon, and Paris, specializing in narrative-driven 2D games. The studio previously developed Edgar – Bokbok in Boulzac and To Hell With The Ugly, and is currently working on multiple new projects.