Get ready to immerse yourself in the surreal and experimental world of Atuel, an award-winning documentary game about climate change in western Argentina. Developed by the Argentine indie game co-op Matajuegos, Atuel is set to make its debut on Steam and Google Play later in 2025.
Originally released on itch.io in September 2022, Atuel has garnered acclaim for its innovative blend of documentary interviews, experimental gameplay, and dreamlike visuals. The game won the “Innovation in Experience Design Award” at IndieCade 2022 and has been showcased at prestigious events worldwide, including the Marché du Film at Cannes and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C.
Atuel was created in collaboration with The 12.01 Project, a team of international documentary filmmakers. The game features real-life testimonies and stunning, dreamlike landscapes inspired by the Cuyo desert in Argentina. As a free-to-play game, its upcoming release on Steam and Google Play will include localization into seven new languages and full controller support, with these features also being added to the itch.io version via an update.
Santiago Franzani, Atuel’s lead artist and developer, explains, “We wanted Atuel to feel like a dream. It’s a documentary that puts photorealism aside to engage with history and emotion in a more playful way. The game brings together testimonies and historical perspectives to form a kaleidoscope narrative that highlights the interconnections of life and the intimacy of our relationship with the land we live on.”
In Atuel, players explore stunning, surrealist vistas and shapeshift into different animals and elements of the region’s ecosystem, even becoming the Atuel river itself. While exploring, players can listen to real-life testimonies by specialists and locals who discuss the region’s past, present, and future. These interconnected perspectives weave together to tell a historic narrative about people’s intimate relationship with the land and the effects of the global climate crisis.
Atuel is available to wishlist on Steam today. Dive into this beautiful audiovisual experience, shapeshift into different elements of Atuel’s ecosystem, and explore stunning surrealist landscapes based on the real-world topography of the Cuyo desert. The game features real-life testimonies by historians, biologists, geologists, and more, all woven into a historic narrative from many interconnected perspectives. With an atmospheric, ambient soundtrack by Makunouchi Bento, Atuel offers an impactful half-hour experience spoken in Spanish and subtitled in nine languages.
Critics have praised Atuel for its unique approach to storytelling and its evocative presentation. Robert Yang describes it as “a climate crisis documentary in the form of a third-person walking sim where you play as a river. A high concept with a high execution.” Andrew Plotkin adds, “Not one person’s voice, but a collection of voices describing the Rio Atuel in Argentina. You steer a drop of water, or a rush of it, or a bird or fish, as scientists and inhabitants describe their perspectives of the river. A small project but a really lovely, evocative presentation.” James Coltrain commends the game for combining “geography, documentary, science, history, and beautiful visuals into a singular and sublime experience.”
Submerge yourself in Atuel’s waters and become one with the river when it arrives on Steam and Google Play later this year. For more information, visit the game’s Steam page, watch the trailer, or check out the press kit on itch.io. For questions, interview requests, or a review build of Atuel, contact Matajuegos at matajuegos.coop@gmail.com.
Matajuegos, founded in 2016, is an indie game co-op and development studio based in Argentina. The studio focuses on creating games from social, political, and cultural perspectives informed by its Latin-American context. In addition to game development, Matajuegos produces Spanish-language game criticism through articles, translations, interviews, podcasts, and videos. Learn more about Matajuegos in an interview published by ROMchip, play their other games on itch.io, and follow them on social media.
Atuel was developed in collaboration with The 12.01 Project, an international team of documentary filmmakers dedicated to environmental conservation. The game is a sister project and a loose, oneiric reimagining of their film documentary of the same name. All interviews featured in the game, as well as some environmental Foley, were recorded by The 12.01 Project and edited by Matajuegos. Discover more about The 12.01 Project on their webpage and watch the trailer for their film documentary Atuel on YouTube.
