Tavern Talk Stories: Dreamwalker, out now from Gentle Troll Entertainment, is like finding a cozy corner booth at your local coffee shop where all the baristas know your name and start making your drink the minute you walk through the door.
I don’t talk about it much, but I worked at Starbucks for a year, and the look a guest would have when I’d go “Hey there! Want me to get your usual going?” would make my heart grow about three sizes. It’s one of the few things that’s still keeping me at CardGamePlushieStop while I send applications and cover letters to anything and everything that vaguely fits my interests and experience.
(Is this a good time to plug my Ko-Fi?)
But, back to why we’re here. From the moment I stepped into The Drowsy Dragon, I didn’t want to leave.
While playing the demo last year, I immediately noted the visuals. Dreamwalker is gorgeous. Every scene has this warm glow to it, packed with little details that make the tavern feel welcoming and make it come alive as a place that’s been host to many adventurers and dreamers throughout the years. From the view of the lighthouse out the window, the little Easter eggs on the walls, and the look and feel of each character as they crossed your path, every screen felt like a work of art.
The soundtrack deserves just as much praise. Filippo Beck Peccoz returns to score Dreamwalker, and while the music feels familiar, it also has a nautical vibe that suits the coastal setting of Borkam. Putting on headphones and playing the game, I felt almost as if a bard were in the corner, playing music as I chatted with my patrons and offered advice and drinks.
Another thing I appreciated was Gentle Troll’s focus on inclusivity from the first Tavern Talk through this game. You’re able to name your character and select your pronouns in this game, much like in the previous. It’s a simple feature, but in a world populated by Paladins and Druids and creatures from the sea and mages and wizards…it makes sense. You welcome everyone at The Drowsy Dragon.
You meet a motley crew of adventurers, misfits, and dreamers in Dreamwalker, and every time I met someone new, I learned something more about the world of Phesoa. I didn’t just want to serve them drinks, either. I wanted to pull up a space next to them at the bar and just shoot the breeze about world events.
However, when it was time to serve them drinks, that’s where the largest improvement of the series so far comes in. Again, the components of the drinks are tied to D&D attributes; strength, charisma, dexterity, intelligence, and defense. Some potions you have can even change multiple attributes at a time, either positively or negatively. With this change, you could make the same drink in different ways, with patrons even requesting the use of a certain potion in their drink.
Instead of a line/area scatter plot to visualize the attributes of the drinks, it’s replaced with a more straightforward bar graph. It’s presented in a way that’s much easier to understand and makes the drink puzzles much clearer.
And yes, among other genres, Dreamwalker absolutely is a puzzle game. Yes, I can see why certain players don’t enjoy repeat drink orders, but I had a blast. I keep a notebook next to my desk to take notes when I play certain games, so I’d be scribbling the recipes down to have during repeat play sessions.
Is that cheating? Maybe. Fun? 100%.
The expanded quest-building system scratches the same puzzle-solving itch. Like the first game, you’re piecing together rumors sourced by your patrons, but it also feels more involved here, and I had a good laugh as I tried to connect all my notes in the appropriate piles.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Captain Beebug, your adorable familiar who makes your mistaken drinks disappear. As much as I enjoyed Andu from the first game, the Captain quickly earned a place in my heart.
With all of that said, there was one aspect that occasionally tested my patience.
Some of the dialogue sequences can stretch on for a while. I’d set the text to auto-advance and just read while I drank my coffee or sent e-mails. I appreciated how rich the world was, and I know from playing tabletop RPGs that they thrive on lore and exposition, but there were definitely times when I was itching to make more drinks.
It wasn’t enough for me to diminish the experience, but it definitely took me out of the flow from time to time.
You’ll probably love Dreamwalker if:
- You’re a fan of cozy visual novels
- Looking for a slower-paced experience you can play at your leisure
- A fan of D&D style fantasy
- Enjoy and appreciate narrative-forward games with light puzzle mechanics
You don’t need to play the first Tavern Talk to enjoy Dreamwalker, but I still encourage you to check it out if you haven’t.
Thanks for reading! If you’d like to help out around the Cafe, I’ve started a Ko-Fi that I promise I’ll get better at updating. I’ve kept it simple, giving folks the option to tip one-off or subscribe via a monthly membership like Patreon.
Head over to https://ko-fi.com/theindiegamecafe to check it out! -Amanda