UMANIMATION

UMANIMATION was a French transmedia studio working across narrative video games, animation and immersive experiences. Founded in late 2017 in the Bordeaux metropolitan area, it brought traditional animation craftsmanship together with real-time game engines and virtual and extended reality media. Its work combined original storytelling, visual development and interactive production.

The studio developed intellectual properties across several formats, including linear television, animated web series, interactive installations and video games. Its production capabilities covered hybrid 2D/3D animation, narrative design, game development and adaptations between audiovisual, interactive and graphic literature formats. This approach connected its animation background with projects intended for both screens and immersive environments.

Games and transmedia productions

Its best-known game, Dordogne, was co-developed with Un Je Ne Sais Quoi and published worldwide by Focus Entertainment. Released in June 2023 for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and subsequently for iOS, the narrative adventure used hand-painted watercolor imagery translated into three-dimensional environments. The project brought the studio's animation and interactive storytelling practices together in a commercial game.

Earlier productions included Globozone, a ten-episode animated web series co-produced with Arte in 2019, and Shangri-La, an immersive concert and VR/XR adaptation of Mathieu Bablet's graphic novel. The studio also worked on Les Ricochets, an animated prequel and transmedia project connected to Dordogne, which remained unreleased following its liquidation.

Closure

Despite the critical reception of Dordogne, its commercial revenues were insufficient to sustain the business. The studio also failed to secure publisher funding or outside investment for subsequent projects. Receivership began in June 2024, followed by judicial liquidation in March 2025 and the public announcement of its permanent shutdown.