Die Sage vom Bluemestei
In January 2025, there was a big report about the game in the newspaper (Thurgauerzeitung).
Phaidon | 2.3.2025
In January 2025, there was a big report about the game in the newspaper (Thurgauerzeitung).
For the german version use the Link below:
The legend of the “Bluemestei”
Phaidon Berdelis from Frauenfeld has developed a computer game about legends and myths from Eastern Switzerland.
Two years ago, Phaidon Berdelis from Frauenfeld began developing an adventure game in which the character discovers and experiences medieval stories of Thurgau. He was supported by historians, other game developers and the Thurgau Cultural Promotion Agency.
Sara Niederer 18.01.2025, 11.59 a.m.
The cover image of the computer game “Bloomstone”, which shows references to the Kurzdorf and Langdorf of today's Frauenfeld as well as the Murg, the Thur and the Frauenfeld Blumenstein. Screenshot: zvg
Phaidon Berdelis, who grew up in Frauenfeld, has developed a computer game inspired by his home region. His game “Bloomstone” lets the player character explore the myths of Thurgau beyond the canton's borders in the early Middle Ages. Berdelis has been working on the game with friends for around two years. The 46-year-old received additional financial support from the Thurgau Cultural Promotion Agency.
The great inspiration for Berdelis' project and its name is the “Bluemestei”, a large sandstone rock in the middle of the forest in the Schollenholz district. He used to play there with his friends as a young boy. The trained machine mechanic first tried his hand at game development twelve years ago. He developed two games with two friends. Back then, Berdelis was responsible for the game design and background music.
By the time Berdelis' son began his apprenticeship, however, his father wanted to deepen his expertise in game development. Through online courses on topics such as programming and drawing, workshops and meetings with the community, Berdelis also built up a larger network of contacts. “This also led to more and more ideas,” he says. With the help of his friends, Roland Kaiser and Thommy Werner, Berdelis finally developed the first basic concept of the game.
Everyone can decide how the story continues
This excerpt shows how the main character interacts with other characters. Screenshot: zvg
The game is structured as follows: You control a male or female character who performs various tasks on behalf of a lord of the manor in the Frauenfeld area of “Strass”. The character has dialogs with other characters and can decide for themselves whether to accept a task or not. “In this way, each player can decide for themselves how much they want to learn about the history of Eastern Switzerland,” explains Berdelis.
But “Bloomstone” should be one thing above all: authentic. “Because people in the early Middle Ages increasingly lived in simple circumstances, this makes it easier to design clothes and buildings,” says Berdelis. Although this made designing easier, obtaining information about places and their histories became more complicated. “In this entertainment game, you learn a lot about the origins of the field names,” explains Berdelis. In addition, historian Franco Romano checks the game content. Berdelis is also in contact with the Thurgau Office of Archaeology.
For further support, the 46-year-old pitched his game idea to various institutions such as “Pro Helvetia”, which offers financial support in the field of game design. Berdelis finally aroused the interest of the Thurgau Cultural Promotion Agency. With a contribution from the lottery fund, the “Bloomstone” project received a “boost” of CHF 15,000, which seems like a drop in the ocean given the total costs of around CHF 300,000. “I am very grateful for this. It's a nice acknowledgement and appreciation of my work,” says Berdelis.
Half-time in game development
This excerpt shows a preview of the inventory that the character can use for tasks. Screenshot: zvg
A good year later, Berdelis has now published the first preview of the computer game on his website and the gaming platform “Steam”. But the finish line is still a long way off. “At the moment, I'm about halfway through development. Now it's about bringing the individual historical aspects together to form a whole.” This also includes the character's background story.
It should also be possible to play with both a female and a male character. “However, a woman in the Middle Ages had different requirements to a man. So the options have to be adapted,” says Berdelis. Despite the long to-do list, Berdelis remains calm: “This game is my big dream. So I still have a lot of motivation.” The Frauenfeld native is targeting 2027 as the final release date.