Songs From The IRON SEA

Songs From the IRON SEA

Student game - Isart Digital Montreal
Play the Game for FREE on Steam

Songs from the Iron Sea is a poetic platformer scattered with environmental puzzles, taking place in a whimsical aquatic universe. Through a short one-sitting experience, the game portrays a creature lost in a metallic nightmare. Will you be able to get out?
Your adventure start in a dark old factory, where everything has changed. Guided by a friendly entity, you must escape to regain your freedom. But stay on your guard, the foreman's gaze is on you..

Platform: PC
Engine: Unity
Number of players: 1
Wear headphones for a better experience - controller required.

This game was developed in 8 months by 6 students for their final year of study.

Lucas COQUET : Game & Level Designer
Florian PONS : Game & Level Designer
Morgane PAULMIER : 3D Character - Rig - Animation - VFX &Tech Artist - Organization Helper
Nicolas PERDU : Game et Narrative Designer - Programmer
Aurore KONIG : 3D Artist Concept - Environment - Props - Texture - Lighting - Graphic Design
Toby TELLIER : Game Designer - Programmer

Experience an original controller in our aquatic universe. Feel the freedom and smoothness of underwater movement and enjoy the transition between air and water highlighted by our platforming challenges.

Immerse yourself in an emotional journey with delicate visuals.
Highlighted by thoughtful environments, discover the story of this place through poems scattered throughout your adventure.

Dive into a contrasted journey with strong atmospheres.
From worries to relief, progress in a communicative universe and enjoy beautiful scenery.

The Early Concept Stage

From the beginning, our team decided to gravitate toward the 2D puzzle platformer genre, taking inspiration from games like Inside, Little Nightmares and Ori. Our school Isart Digital then suggested the theme of the environment crisis, which we choose to depict through the dark and polluted waters of the ocean. This game would explore the relationship between the natural and mechanical world.

The original pitch had the player control 2 characters, a small and graceful mermaid accompanied by her big and clumsy robot friend. The mermaid eventually became so fluid and agile that the game traded some of it's puzzles for more platforming challenges, allowing the players to swim freely across the levels.

The Mermaid

Our little pink mermaid is a creature from the coral reefs. Her design is a mix of colorful tropical fish and an axolotl, with a slightly anthropomorphic shape. We wanted her to be more animal than human to have a stronger connection to the ocean.

The Robots

This world is also inhabited by strange machines. Some of them will become your friends and help you return to the ocean, while others will track you down mercilessly. We wanted to explore a nuanced view on technology, showing how it can be used to save and/or destroy the environment.

2 Worlds Colliding

The game is split into 2 big sections:  The old factory above the surface where the player starts the adventure, and the ocean caves below the factory. At the end of each section, you will have to confront the giant overseer to regain you freedom. Those 2 environments are meant to visually and thematically oppose each other. The factory is a cold and angular construction, towering above the warm and organic ocean waters. The gameplay embraces this contrast by focusing on puzzle and infiltration challenges for the industrial section. After diving into the sea, the gameplay gently evolve to emphasize the platforming challenges and your precise swimming skills.