Kickstarter Update - 01/05/26
about 22 hours ago
– Fri, May 01, 2026 at 07:48:10 AM
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great April. It’s been another productive month with some really exciting systems coming together behind the scenes. Let’s take a look at what’s new in Dragon’s Brew!
April 2026 Development:
Pets System Complete (For Now!)
The Pets System is now finished (for now) and ready to go!
Every fortnight, you may receive a message about a stray animal wandering nearby. You’ll then have the option to adopt them! If you accept, you can choose the animal type (currently dog or cat), breed, and name! Your new pet will then arrive as a placeable item (along with their bed), which you can position anywhere in your cafe or apartment. For now, we’ve held off on adding a “main” companion pet, as this will tie in much better with the main story later on 🙂
New Shop System
The Shop System is now fully complete! This system allows you to sell board games directly from your cafe!
The player can purchase shop bins and shelves from Owen at Regal Ruffles and place them inside your cafe. You can then interact with them while holding a board game to list it for sale. Visiting customers will then have a chance to purchase the game for 50% of its original price!
These items will be unlocked and available to everyone in the next major update!
Monument of Legends
The Monument of Legends in King’s Park is now interactable in the latest update!
This monument includes the names of all backers who selected the Master Brewer tier or higher and opted in via the Kickstarter survey! If you’re one of those backers, please take a moment to visit the monument and check your name is displayed correctly. If anything needs adjusting, just let us know and we’ll get it sorted 😄
Character Customisation Begins
We’ve officially begun work on Character Customisation!
Working alongside the team at Isolated Games, we’ve:
- Created new player sprites with smoother animations
- Added a brand-new sprint animation
- Built a strong foundation for future customisation options
We’re nearly finished with the base player sprites and initial colour options, and have also started early work on costumes! The goal is to allow players to customise their character to match their cafe style and board game themes. This is a larger system and will take some time, but it’s already coming together really nicely.
A huge thank you to the team at Isolated Games for their support on this!
What’s Next?
Next up, we’ll be focusing on:
- Continuing development of the character customisation system
- Expanding costumes and visual options tied to cafe and board game themes
- Improving controller and Steam Deck support ahead of the next update!
As always, thank you so much for your continued support, feedback, and patience!
❤️
Radic Creative
Publisher Announcement, New Key Art, Early Access Plans & Upcoming Festival Showcase!
16 days ago
– Thu, Apr 16, 2026 at 10:38:48 AM
Hi everyone! We’ve got some really exciting news to share, so let’s jump straight in!
We’ve Signed with a Publisher!
We’re incredibly proud to announce that Dragon’s Brew now has an official publisher... and not just any publisher…
We’ve partnered with Isolated Games Publishing, the team behind Travellers Rest!
This is absolutely huge for us! As many of you know, we’ve been big fans of Travellers Rest for a long time and it was actually one of the key inspirations behind Dragon’s Brew in the first place. So being able to work alongside the very team that helped spark this journey feels incredibly special. This partnership is going to help us shape Dragon’s Brew into something truly amazing, and we’re already seeing the impact they’re having behind the scenes. We couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead!
New Logo & Key Art Reveal!
Alongside this, we’re thrilled to unveil our brand new logo and art!
We’ve been collaborating closely with the talented artists at Isolated Games, and together we’ve created something that really captures the cosy, welcoming charm of Dragon’s Brew. It feels like a perfect representation of the world we’re building. We hope you love it as much as we do we can’t wait to hear what you think!!!
Early Access Launch Window
Now onto launch plans…
While we’re not quite ready to announce a specific date just yet, we can share that Dragon’s Brew is now targeting an Early Access release in Q4 this year!
We know we previously hinted at Q3, but moving to Q4 gives us the time we need to properly prepare for launch and make sure everything is in the best possible place. Our plan is to launch Early Access with everything we originally promised, while creating space to keep growing and expanding the game beyond that. There’s so much more potential we want to explore like more systems, more content, more polish and Early Access gives us the opportunity to build on that together with your feedback!
In terms of platforms, the initial release will be on Steam, with console versions planned to follow shortly after. We’ll be actively working on console development during Early Access, so the gap between platforms should (hopefully!) be minimal!
Debug Game Festival Norwich
Another thing to mention, we’ll also be exhibiting Dragon’s Brew at the Debug Game Festival in Norwich on 25 April 2026 (Norwich, UK). If any of you are attending, be sure to drop by, say hi, and check out the game in person as we’d love to see you there!
That’s all for now but as always, thank you so much for your continued support. This is a massive step forward for Dragon’s Brew, and we’re so excited to take it with you
❤️
Radic Creative
Kickstarter Update - 30/03/26
about 1 month ago
– Mon, Mar 30, 2026 at 06:11:56 AM
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great March! It’s been a huge month for Dragon’s Brew, with one of our biggest updates yet now live. Let’s dive into everything that’s new!
March 2026 Development:
Update 0.5 is Now Live!
Update 0.5 has officially launched! Since release, we’ve already pushed a quick hotfix along with the new Easter event, bringing the game to Version 0.5.1. This update introduces several major additions and improvements, including:
- The brand-new NPC Friendship System
- Major town and cafe NPC behaviour improvements
- The Arcade System!
If you haven’t jumped in yet, now is a great time to explore the update and let us know what you think. Your feedback during beta continues to shape the game!
Arcade System Fully Implemented
As mentioned above, the Arcade System is now fully implemented! Arcade machines now:
- Generate 1 money every 20 in-game minutes while in use
- Gain +1 additional money for each board game on your shelf with a matching genre
This makes arcade machines their own dedicated income system, tied to your board game collection rather than affecting menu items directly. It keeps the system easier to understand while still rewarding themed cafes. This is now live in the game for everyone to try out!
New Shop: Twilight Hour Arcade!
A brand-new shop has arrived in Thistledown: Twilight Hour Arcade! Complete with some very rad 90s blacklight carpet, this shop will be your main destination for purchasing arcade machines for your cafe! You’ll also meet the shop’s owner, Cyrus, who runs both the arcade shop and a brand new prize shop.
Prize Shop
On top of selling arcade machines, Twilight Hour Arcade also features a prize shop where players can exchange arcade tickets for rewards!
Tickets are earned whenever arcade machines are used, meaning the more machines you own, the more tickets you’ll collect over time. For now, the shop features the Retro Set, but we plan to expand it with more collectibles and prizes in future updates!
New Dialogue System Improvements
All initial dialogue for Pebblebrook NPCs has now been rewritten, adding 223 new lines of dialogue to the game!
Currently:
- Friendship interactions apply to Pebblebrook NPCs
- Dialogue expansion for Thistledown will follow as more lines are added
We’ve also introduced player name personalisation, meaning NPCs will reference the player directly during conversations.
Friendship progression now unlocks unique dialogue at each heart level, where characters gradually open up and may even hint at their favourite recipes or board games which can be helpful when choosing gifts!
At the moment players can reach 4 friendship hearts.
The long-term goal is to expand this to 6 hearts, with potential for even deeper progression later on!
🐣 Easter Event Now Live!
Easter has arrived in Pebblebrook and Thistledown!
The event introduces:
- A new recipe: Hot Cross Buns
- A special guest merchant: King Eggbert
- A temporary shop: “Bring Me Eggs!”
Chocolate eggs are now scattered throughout both towns and act as a special event currency for Eggbert’s shop.
Dragon Eggs Arrive!
We’re also introducing a brand-new collectible system: Dragon Eggs!
These decorative collectibles can be displayed in your cafe, and the first egg available is:
- 🌸 Luminara, Dragon of Spring (1 of 4 planned holiday eggs)
The long-term Dragon Egg plan currently includes:
- 4 limited holiday eggs (Luminara is the first!)
- 3 story-related eggs
- 8 standard eggs earned through quests and progression
Holiday eggs will be limited-time collectibles, so if you want to start your collection, now’s the time!
What’s Next?
Work has also begun on another brand new system: 🐾 Pets!
The current plan includes 5 cat breeds and 5 dog breeds. Rather than starting the game with a pet, animals will appear as strays during your journey that you can choose to adopt.
This week we’ll also be running a community poll on our discord to decide something important: Should players be able to adopt multiple pets, potentially allowing fun ideas like cat cafes or dog cafes.. or should players have just one companion? Stay tuned!
Thank you again for your continued support, feedback, and patience during the beta. Every update brings Dragon’s Brew closer to the full experience, and we’re incredibly grateful to have such a supportive community helping shape it.
❤️
Radic Creative
Kickstarter Update – 27/02/26
2 months ago
– Fri, Feb 27, 2026 at 08:43:10 AM
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic February. It’s been a big month for NPCs and the new Arcade system so let’s dive into what’s new in Dragon’s Brew!
February 2026 Development:
NPC System Overhaul
Town NPCs have received a major upgrade! Previously, they would spawn at one end of town, follow a fixed waypoint path, and despawn at the other. That system has now been replaced with a brand-new dynamic pathing system and state machine, allowing NPCs to:
- Wander naturally instead of moving strictly from A to B
- Loiter around town
- Chat with other NPCs
- Stop to browse shop windows
- Enter shops to look around and even buy items themselves!
This is a huge step toward making the town feel more alive and believable! The same improvements now apply to customers inside your cafe. Instead of teleporting between the board game shelf and their seats, customers will now walk dynamically to their chosen seat and return naturally to the shelf when finished!
These systems are still early in development, but they already make a massive difference to immersion and overall flow.
Character Development (Classified 👀)
Behind the scenes, we’ve been significantly expanding each NPC with deeper detail on:
- Relationships with other townsfolk
- Personal backstories
- Aspirations
- Secrets
- Their role within the wider community
However this is all very much spoiler territory... I have a full development spreadsheet breaking everything down, but I’ve completely redacted it for now to avoid giving too much away 😅 A lot of what’s being built here ties directly into future story updates, quests, and character progression.. Just know that a lot is happening behind the scenes!
Gifting & Friendship Progression
The new friendship progression system is now fully implemented! After enough interactions you’ll no longer be considered a stranger, and as your friendship level increases:
- You unlock the ability to gift items
- Each NPC has their own preferences
- Gifting the right items increases friendship further
- Preferences become clearer the more you interact
At higher friendship levels, NPCs may even call you and gift their own unique special recipe for you to make and serve in your cafe. This system adds meaningful progression and makes relationships feel far more personal and rewarding!
New NPC Portraits
We’ve started rolling out a new portrait style across Pebblebrook’s NPCs and have begun work on Thistledown’s residents as well! More reveals coming soon!
Arcade System Development Begins!
Now for the exciting part… the Arcade System is officially in progress! Following feedback in our community discord, arcade cabinets will provide an active effect (similar to board games) and generate passive income while in use. The core system is now implemented (with polish still to come):
- Customers have a third option at the till (if you own an arcade machine)
- If selected, they’ll walk to an available cabinet
- They’ll play for a random duration
- Every in-game 10 minutes generates 1 money
- Arcade customers can order food and drinks while gaming
- Each cabinet provides an active effect
- There will be a cabinet to match each board game genre to theme around your cafe 👍
Arcade machines will be fairly expensive, but they’re designed as a strong late-game progression tool to evolve and enhance your cafe over time.
🗺️ New Public Roadmap
We’ve launched a more focused and streamlined public roadmap:
https://trello.com/b/iq8MiUkf
The previous roadmap was helpful but revealed too much and felt too broad. The new version is clearer, more structured, and keeps certain surprises under wraps while still showing what’s ahead.
What’s Next?
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be:
- Continuing development and cleanup of the arcade system
- Fixing bugs and refining arcade behaviour
- Finishing remaining NPC portraits
- Expanding NPC backstories and dialogue
I originally hoped to have this update fully wrapped before the end of the month, but with the additional systems and improvements being added it’s been pushed back slightly. I’m confident the extra time will be worth it!
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and patience. Dragon’s Brew keeps growing because of you
❤️
Radic Creative
Kickstarter Update – 30/01/26
3 months ago
– Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 08:56:59 AM
Hi everyone, and welcome to the first Dragon’s Brew kickstarter update of 2026! 🎉 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year break. Development is now back in full swing, and we’ve officially kicked off work on Update 0.5 with some exciting changes and a clearer direction moving forward.
January 2026 Development:
New Recipes
To kick off 0.5, we’re adding a huge batch of 50 brand-new recipes to the game!
These include a mix of:
- Pancakes
- Pies
- Sodas
- Bubble teas
- Special recipes
…and more!
New Board Games & Genres
Alongside the new recipes, brand-new board games are also coming in Update 0.5!
These introduce two new genres:
Both genres will be unlocked through normal gameplay, just like existing boardgame types, and will bring fresh themes and synergies to your cafe builds!
NPC Improvements - Friendship System
With the focus shifting toward NPCs, work has begun on a brand-new friendship system:
- Certain NPCs can now be befriended
- Each NPC has 6 heart levels
- Hearts are earned in different ways
- Each heart level unlocks unique perks and benefits
It’s still early days, but the system is already opening the door to much deeper NPC interactions, side quests, and routines.
Update Direction & 0.5 Changes
Originally, 0.5 was planned as one large expansion combining recipes, boardgames, decor, and Kickstarter-created content. After some reflection, I realised a better approach is to drip-feed backer content into updates as it becomes ready, rather than holding everything back for one big drop.
Here’s the updated plan for 0.5:
- ✅ New recipes (completed)
- 🤠 Wild West board games (completed)
- 🧙 Witchcraft board games (completed)
- 👥 Major NPC updates and improvements
- 🕹️ The Arcade System!
I’m currently aiming to launch Update 0.5 in late February to early March.
Backer content is absolutely still coming and if you’ve already confirmed your final designs with me, they’re safely on my list and will be added as each piece is ready!
What’s Next?
Over the coming week, the focus will be on:
- Launching Update 0.4.4 which will include new content, requested quality of life improvements and bug fixes!
- Continuing work on the NPC friendship system
- Adding NPC side quests
- Implementing daily routines for NPCs
Thank you again for the continued support, feedback, and patience. Your enthusiasm makes every update better, and there’s a lot to be excited about as we head into 2026!
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead for Dragon’s Brew
❤️
Radic Creative
