I'm just learning that Douze dixième, who made MIO - memories in orbit, closed a few month after release due to unsufficient sales. Since I enjoy my indie scene and don't want it to die down here's a few recommendation for other french indie games with similar vibes :
Caravan Sand Witch is a small open world about young girl sage, who lived the past years on a space station, coming back down to earth after receiving a message from her sister, who disappeared a long time ago.
Most of the gameplay is exploring the local area, once a coastal forest now suffering from desertification due to industrial over-exploitation of resources, and helping the local townspeople with their various problems. It's very solarpunk but doesn't shy away from showing the how the small scavenging community lifestyle can be difficult too.*
Jusant is what I call a Journey game, where most of the gameplay is just going forward on the path the game laid out for you. It's about a young pilgrim climbing a gigantic pillar that reach the heavens, in hope of finding at the top the water that deserted the land.
It is also, obviously, a climbing game. It's not a hard one, and there is no failure condition, but the game makes it pretty clear that the journey isn't easy for the character. There's barely any story information, but it's done in a way that incite imagination and wonder in a great way.
Cairn is another climbing game, but this one isn't about wonder or chill adventure. Instead, it's about seasoned climber Ava attempting the difficult climb of mount Kami, the most dangerous mountain in the world. This one is a much more advanced simulation of mountain climbing, asking you to manage thirst, hunger and temperature, but also endurance, grip and positioning while climbing. It's quite intuitive and very satisfying to master. The story is great, the environment are beautiful and there is a great photomode if you like hiking simulators.
