Saida Line

Saida Line is a narrative and turn-based management game set in 1978, during the Lebanese Civil War, a period that left deep scars on Lebanon.

The player takes on the role of Fadi Harb, a former sandwich shop owner in Beirut who has turned his business into a headquarters for a refugee camp. Fadi is assisted by his advisors: Rashida Khoury, Charbel Bachir, Samir Massoud, and Omar Hamdan.

How to represent a historical period never before seen in video games by creating an interesting visual identity?

The Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) represents a defining period in the country's identity and direction.

This war was sparked by divisions between those who supported Palestinian attacks on Israel from Lebanon (Lebanese National Movement) and those who opposed it (Lebanese Forces).

The game is set in 1978, a particularly violent year of the civil war marked mainly by Israel's invasion of Southern Lebanon and Syrian attacks.

To create Saida Line, we conducted extensive research for inspiration. Here are some of our greatest references.

Our goal with Saida Line is to tell a compelling story, supported by a striking visual identity. We drew inspiration from games like Borderlands and The Wolf Among Us to create a comic book-like visual effect with 3D elements. Our textures are hand-painted, featuring a black outline that highlights key details, along with grain and slight desaturation to evoke the look of 1970s films.

Welcome to Fadi's Snacks, Fadi's sandwich shop. Each advisor helped transform this place into a headquarters. They each brought objects that remind them of their past before the war. They have each taken ownership of a part of the sandwich shop and decorate it as they see fit.

Characters :

Fadi opened Fadi's Snacks in the 1960s. He was seen by others as an important figure in their small community around Old Saida Street. When the civil war began, he felt a certain responsibility to take care of the people in the community and welcomed as many people as possible to protect them and maintain a sense of community identity and unity.

Rashida is a very religious woman and a fan of Melhem Barakat and Fairuz (Lebanese singers at that time). She lost her husband to a heart attack. Since then, she has taken care of her nieces and nephews as if they were her own children. She regularly visited Fadi's Snacks with her family. When the civil war began, Fadi offered her refuge, which she accepted once her family was safe in Byblos.

Omar learned that his parents had abandoned him, which he interpreted as a sign of societal problems, deeply affecting him. He lived near Palestinian refugee camps, and by spending time with them during middle and high school, he became aware of their struggles and issues. During his school breaks, he would go to eat at Fadi's Snacks. When the war began, Fadi took him in. In the years leading up to the start of the story, Omar began to admire Fadi's determination to help others and refugees. He loves football and has extensively researched weapons.

Charbel is a Maronite professor with a passion for French culture. Working at the American University of Beirut, he often visited Fadi's Snacks, which was nearby. He joined Fadi shortly after the war began. Charbel is old-school and likes things to be done properly.

Before the war, Samir was a mechanic whom Fadi frequented to maintain his truck. He had a typical life with his wife and two children. But when the war began, his wife was one of the first victims, and to protect his children, he sent them to live with his parents in Jounieh for safety. Then, he joined Fadi's refuge to try to help wherever he could.

Micro-environments :

To develop the environment of Saida Line, we began the process by creating concept art from simple blockings. The main challenge lay in transforming a friendly and well-maintained space such as a sandwich shop into a war-torn refuge, while still maintaining a lively atmosphere. We were keen to reflect the characters' stories through Fadi's Snacks by crafting micro-environments in their favorite spots.

User Interface :

Saida Line is designed with a strong focus on UI/UX. Significant effort has been made to ensure it is user-friendly. We chose a clean and minimalist style for the UI to clearly distinguish it from the game's environment. To further immerse players, we integrated both intra- and extra-diegetic UI elements.

The dashboard interface is intra-diegetic. The player can access game management by clicking directly on the board integrated into the environment.

Saida Line features a codex where the player can view all information regarding their management and advisors.

One of the central mechanics in Saida Line is based on social interactions. The player must talk to the various advisors to get to know them better, build relationships, and strengthen their trust in Fadi. This can be done either through events at the beginning and end of each turn, which encompass the main story of the turn, or through "Socialize" interactions, which are more personal with each advisor. Each choice during these interactions can icnrease, decrease or maintain their trust. These choices can also have an impact on the different resources, thereby influencing the course of the story.

As the camp leader, Fadi must also make crucial logistical decisions. Each turn, the player consults a black board where they can see the available resources and the needs of the refugees. They must then decide which resources to sell, buy, or trade, whether on the regular market or the black market, including arms trading. The player would then choose which advisor to send in his stead to fulfill that demand.

We now invite you to take control of the refugee camp as Fadi. Get to know the characters and their needs to achieve the best possible ending.

Melissa Argueil - Concept Art | Artistic Direction | 3D Modeling | Level Art | Lighting | Lead Game Artist
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Noah Boisard - Game Design | Gameplay Programming
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Victor Deray - Game Design | Narrative Design
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Ryan Fayard - Character Art | 3D Modeling
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Louis Morel - UI/UX | Prototyping | Concept Art
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Maya Pivaudran - Game Design | Gameplay Programming | Technical Art
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Sami Torbey - Producing | Game Design | Narrative Design | Sound Design
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Specials Thanks :

Antonin Congy - ChloE Ravallec - Tony Gimazane - Maxime Delesse - Renaud Ory - Simon Dardet - Charles Riffaut Declerck - Geoffroy Schneider - Kenan Anselme - Thomas Pinaire - Laura Menigoz