Hello Little Spirits,

Welcome to Letters from Ornelia, a series of stories and little behind-the-scenes secrets that we'll be sharing with you throughout the development of the game.

In this first letter, we'd like to tell you where Ornelia comes from.

Before the Kinous, before the buildings, before the first prototype, there was only an idea.

In early 2020, after finishing a project at Gameleon Studio, we started looking for a new world to create together. At the time, the world was coming out of a difficult period. After working on war and action games, Bruno, the founder of Gameleon, felt the desire to create something different. A positive world where helping would matter more than conquering.

The very first version of Ornelia was a VR God Game. It was possible to interact with small creatures, pick them up, protect them, guide them, and watch their world evolve.

The project eventually evolved into a PC game, but one thing never changed: the idea that taking care of a world can be just as rewarding as controlling it.

From city-builder to village-builder

For Bruno, the founder of the studio, games like Pharaoh, Caesar and Zeus left a lasting impression. What fascinated him wasn't only their management systems. It was also the feeling that a living world existed behind every building. You could hear life happening in every street and imagine the daily lives of the people living there.

But it was impossible to get closer to that life.

Instead of building a huge city, we wanted to create a village where people can zoom in, observe the lives of the Kinous and feel connected to the community. We want people to sometimes stop building and simply enjoy the world around them. It's one of the biggest challenges of the project, and also one of the ideas we're most excited about!

That's why we often describe Ornelia as a village-builder rather than a city-builder.

The first image

But long before all of this, one image kept coming back.

A giant tree.

A place of safety and peace.

A place where life could grow.

The idea of this tree comes from a simple memory: imagining a refuge where nothing bad can happen. A protective and comforting place where you can simply feel at peace.

Years later, that image became one of the foundations of Ornelia: the Great Kiskanu Tree.

What changed... and what didn't!

A lot has evolved during development. New mechanics appeared. The art direction found its identity.

While some of our earliest inspirations came from well-known animated worlds, Ornelia gradually found its own style.

What never changed, however, is the heart of the project: a world built around kindness, community and happiness. The desire to make creatures feel alive. And the belief that helping a world grow can be just as rewarding as conquering it.

To finish: Thank you!

Ornelia has been growing for several years now, and we're incredibly happy to finally be able to share this adventure with you.

Thank you for being here.

We can't wait to show you more of the world, the Kinous, and the village we're building together. 🌱

-- The Ornélia Team