What is Dreadwinter?
Dreadwinter is a cozy, fantasy coffee shop sim, with a side of adventure RPG.
By chance, you've found yourself in charge of Dreadwinter, a little-known coffee shop in the countryside, that's owned by a retired knight, and a witch.
Armed with limited funds and a handful of coffee beans, turn a small, struggling business into the café of your dreams!
Development
Dreadwinter began development in November 2022, when I came up with the idea of a coffee shop that was set up by a former knight, who just wanted to live a quiet life making coffee for others. Due to his reputation, people often believed that it was a front, instead coming to offer him various "hunting" contracts.
And thus, the world of coffee and adventurers began to collide.
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Initially, this was just a story I had in my head, but I thought that this would work as a good concept for a game, and so I started working on making this a reality, which continues to this day!
Gameplay
The core gameplay of Dreadwinter is the daily management of your café, from serving guests, to stocking up on coffee beans and ingredients, as well as furnishing and decorating.
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Expand your recipe book from a simple black coffee, to a wide range of espresso-based drinks, and even try adding some unique ones, such as the trendy bubble coffee.
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If you're looking for a change of pace, you can join the Adventurer's Guild, and explore the Kingdom of Lindengard. Engage in fast-paced, turn-based combat that will keep you on your toes!
Playstyle & Storyline
Dreadwinter's story has 3 directions it can go in, depending on how you want to play the game:​​
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Focus on your business, and chase your fortune! Make use of automation to serve as many customers as possible, at the cost of the hand-crafted quality that makes you unique. Get your foot in the industry, and the big name players may decide to put a target on your back...
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Fulfil Dread's dream of running a quiet café, and build a community around your coffee! Take your time, do things with love and care, and people are sure to notice! Get to know your regular customers, and they may provide solutions for your troubles.
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Become an adventurer, explore dungeons and discover the undiscovered. Explore the world, get caught up in a brewing war between two nations, and defeat the dark forces lurking in the shadows, all for the sake of getting back to your day job!
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What makes Dreadwinter unique?
Dreadwinter has a variety of features that makes it unique!
Here's just a few of them:​​
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A day/night shift system with no bedtime!
During the day, you're in charge of an ordinary café, but at night you play host to all sorts of supernatural creatures, including a talking cat! It's up to you whether you want to only do day or night shifts, or if you're never going to bed.
Grow your own coffee beans
Renovate an abandoned barn and set up a coffee farm! The farming process is mostly automated, so you don't have to take time out of your day to water your crops.
Your coffee beans can develop special bonuses as well! Make use of science and "alchemy" to cross-breed coffee beans and create a variety with multiple bonuses.
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Joint Heart Events
Alongside the regular heart events you're used to, there are also joint heart events that can occur between you and certain pairs of characters. Once you've reached a certain bond with both characters and fulfilled the right conditions, you can uncover the hidden secrets between them. Some may have permanent effects on the game, so choose wisely!
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