Dordogne

Introduction

Dordogne follows Mimi, an adult woman returning to her late grandmother's home in the French countryside, alternating between her present-day visit and memories of childhood summers spent there, gradually uncovering family history along the way. Developed by UN JE NE SAIS QUOI and UMANIMATION and published by Focus Entertainment, it released 13 June 2023 for NZ$24.99. Over two years on, it holds 1,602 Steam reviews sitting at Very Positive, roughly 91.5%, with recent sentiment holding close at 88% across its most recent 100 English reviews. This review reads a substantial share of both the negative and positive samples, and finds a game whose visual presentation draws close to unanimous acclaim, wrapped around an interactivity complaint this review's sample repeats with real consistency — including from reviewers who otherwise recommend the game.

A watercolour world reviewers love unreservedly

Start with the clearest point of agreement across this review's entire sample: Dordogne's art is genuinely beautiful, and reviewers describe it in specific, enthusiastic terms rather than vague approval. The hand-painted watercolour aesthetic draws credit as distinctive within a genre that often defaults to more conventional visual styles, and it holds up as the game's strongest, least-disputed asset across both the positive and negative samples. The story itself — Mimi's reckoning with childhood memory, family loss and the complicated feelings of returning to a formative place — lands as genuinely heartfelt for a large share of reviewers, several describing real emotional resonance with its themes of nostalgia and reconnecting with the past. Voice acting and music draw consistent, matching praise for reinforcing that warm, reflective tone throughout.

An interactivity complaint that crosses the recommend line

Set against that praise, this review's sample shows unusually strong, specific agreement on where Dordogne falls short: what the player actually does. Reviewers repeatedly describe the controls as clunky and the game's mix of light mini-games, quick-time events and collectibles as adding time to the experience without adding meaningful engagement, several noting every interactive prompt tells the player exactly what to do rather than requiring any real thought. A notable share of detailed reviewers make the same specific suggestion independently: the game would have worked better as a straightforward visual novel, since its interactive layer rarely does anything the story itself couldn't accomplish alone. This isn't confined to the negative sample — several positive reviews specifically flag it too, recommending the game for its story and visuals while explicitly warning prospective buyers not to expect meaningful gameplay. The story itself draws a smaller, related complaint from a portion of reviewers who find it basic and heavily telegraphed, with major beats signposted well ahead of when they land rather than allowed to unfold with real surprise.

A specific, unfavourable comparison worth naming

One comparison recurs often enough in this review's sample to be worth naming directly: reviewers who've also played Season: A Letter to the Future, a game built around a similar memory-scrapbooking mechanic, consistently describe Dordogne as the clearly weaker execution of a similar idea. That's a useful data point for any reader deciding between the two, since it isn't an isolated opinion but a comparison several independent reviewers reach for on their own.

Final Verdict

Dordogne succeeds unambiguously on presentation — watercolour art that reviewers across this review's entire sample agree is genuinely distinctive, wrapped around a heartfelt story about memory and family that lands for a large share of players. What keeps this from a stronger recommendation is a consistent, specific complaint about the game underneath that presentation: clunky, shallow interactivity that a meaningful number of reviewers — fans and critics alike — say adds length without adding engagement. For players who want a short, visually striking story and can treat the interactive elements as light dressing rather than the main event, Dordogne delivers something genuinely lovely. Anyone expecting the exploration and adventure its marketing promises should temper that expectation before buying.