16/03/2026
Friday the 13th of March, 2026.
9:30 PM .
Standing proudly and defiantly in the inky black night and the pouring rain, a sign appears in front of us.
We’ve arrived in Saint-Malo.
Why the trip ?
In order to correctly represent Brittany in our experience, we decided to spend a day in Saint-Malo, birthplace of Adrien (the team’s Narrative and Sound Designer)
On the schedule: landscape shooting, see the beaches, meeting the people… all in order to better know the region and its culture.
What exactly is Les Marées d’Ys ?
The project started from the desire to unearth the legend of the city of Ys, as well as put the spotlight on the coastline landscape of Brittany.
A mythical lost city, Ys is present in several stories throughout the centuries. It is described as submerged by the sea, its inhabitants trapped in the last moments of their lives for eternity.
The Tides of Ys is an experience that seeks to be both contemplative and folkloric : a mobile game that can bring a forgotten myth out in the spotlight through puzzles that play with the tides and the bells of the sunken city.
This legend being strongly implemented in the brittain culture, it is important to us to correctly represent the region and make its people proud.
What does the Breton coastline really looks like? Is it a good thing to use some clichés? How is the local architecture like?
We hope this trip can help us answer some of these questions.
The day begins
Saturday the 14th of March, 2026.
8:30 AM .
Seated in front of a sumptuous breakfast, we savor a breton specialty prepared by our hostess (thank you, Adrien’s mom!)
After a quick runthrough of our plans for the day, we depart to explore Saint-Malo.
First stop, the reefs of Rothéneuf.
We arrive early, and we are welcomed by the sweet embrace of the rains of brittany on our way to the beach.
There, our Sound Designer sits close to the waves to record. Everything is captured, from the waves crashing on the rocks, the foam retreating to the sea, the sound of boots in the sand, the pitter-patter of the rain hammering the landscape.
A little later that morning, we find ourselves on a second beach, this time without the ocean : the tide is low.
Our game being based on the tide, we are here to study their impact on the environment, and the underwater landscape revealed. Armed with boots, our phones and a mic, we try to capture as much references as possible.
Finally, at 1 PM, it’s time to pack up and go into the city for a break.
In the city
Saturday the 14th of March, 2026.
2:00 PM.
A true trip to Saint-Malo isn’t complete without a traditional buckwheat galette.
In the afternoon, our goal is to carry out a study on the inhabitants of the city.
Our objectives are simple : learn from the mouth of the people how they want their region to be represented, and if they know of the myth of Ys.
The results are interesting, but the topic of a future devlog.
Once we have twenty or so interviews, it’s getting late and we decide to enjoy the bars of the old town before going home.
Return
Sunday the 15th of March, 2026.
10:00 AM.
After a second service of far breton, we’re on our way back. The trip was fruitful, and we hope to be able to share even a fraction of what we’ve been able to see in brittany in our game.
If you’re curious about the project, or simply enjoy stories shaped by wind, tides, and folklore, follow us!
We’re building this world step by step, and we’d love to bring you along.
Thank you for reading. More to come soon…
Leave a Reply