Dawnfolk is a charmingly dark and minimalist survival city-builder. Gather resources, rebuild your realm, and protect your people from oppressive shadows. Can you unveil the secrets of the monoliths to bring light back to the world?
Decades ago, titanic obsidian monoliths rained down from the sky. A raging tempest of unfathomable darkness gathered around them, slowly crawling across the world and consuming all in its path. You are the ruler of this land, once mighty and resolute, now broken and wounded, but not defeated. You will reclaim the realm and bring back light to the world. After years of wander, you finally found the Lueur, a mystical creature able to radiate a powerful enough brightness to dissipate darkness. It is time to explore the shadows and rebuild your realm.
Dawnfolk feels familiar, yet unlike any building strategy games you've played before. Unwind and play with ease, whether at home or on the go, with your gamepad, keyboard or handheld console. Dawnfolk won't hold your hand through endless tutorials or convoluted menus - you can dive right in and start building. Go back to the roots of gaming, where exploration and experimentation were the key to fun and discovery.
Build to survive, thrive, or relax - the choice is yours. Experience the game on both macro and micro levels, as you oversee the management of your structures and resources, while also immersing yourself in mini arcade games to collect resources. Explore the world and story as you reshape it - your choices will determine the fate of your realm and its inhabitants.
The first version of Dawnfolk (originally called only "Lueur") was made during the LOWREZJAM in August 2022. The goal of this jam was to create a game in one week with a resolution of 64x64 pixels. The game received very good reviews and Darenn started thinking about a commercial version. One month later he started the development, which lasted for 2 years. About 10 months before release, Darenn signed a contract with the publisher Astra Logical to fund the development. Check out my first devlog for more information about the origins of the game.
Be sure to check out the steam page "about this game" section.
Darenn Keller started as a Gameplay Programmer in 2 small game companies during his studies. After graduating in Programming and Game Design, he worked at Ubisoft Bordeaux for 3 years as Game Designer on the Ghost Recon and Assassin's Creed franchises. He left Ubisoft to become an independant game developer in solo and started working on Dawnfolk. Check out Darenn Keller's Linkdin for more information about his career.