20 FEBRUARY 2026 — French indie game developer Florent “Salty” Martinais is pleased to announce that his first game, What Surrounds Us, will be part of Steam Next Fest 2026 with a playable demo.
Players are invited to experience the first 15 minutes of this short, abstract, colorful, and cozy adventure game.
What Surrounds Us – Demo Teaser:
https://youtu.be/0yvakcEQN_U?si=5nJCBAfG8WSnVkMY
In What Surrounds Us, you play as a creature evolving within an ecosystem threatened by a newly arrived, unknown species. Players will need to solve easy puzzles by observing and interacting with the surrounding flora and fauna in order to progress and, maybe, restore balance to their ecosystem.
Demo’s Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4367920/What_Surrounds_Us_Demo/
Press contact: florent.martinais@ik.me
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About the game:
What Surrounds Us offers a unique take on the adventure genre, at the crossroads of experimental, abstract, and cozy experiences. The core gameplay revolves around observing the environment, understanding how species interact with one another, and using those interactions to progress.
Key Features:
- Explore multiple biomes
- Observe the flora and fauna
- Interact with them
- Solve environmental puzzles
- Discover secrets
Drawing inspiration from the abstraction of In Other Waters, the exploration and community focus of A Short Hike, and the atmosphere and themes of Neva, What Surrounds Us carries a strong ecological subtext without being moralizing. Its main goal is to offer a relaxing and positive experience around a topic that is often anxiety-inducing.
The game is scheduled to release on PC in Q2 2026.
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About the developers:
After working in the French video game industry for 10 years (Quantic Dream, Ubisoft, DontNod) as Level Designer (and many other things), Florent Martinais is now working as a solo developer on its first game.
He is joined on this journey by Jérémie Frémont, a veteran French composer and sound designer.