Dreamy Dryads
A downloadable game for Windows
Winner of the Farm Jam 2025 - The Forest Frontier! 🏆😊
I created all assets within one month, except for the music (composed earlier) and the ambient sounds + pixel font, which are not mine.
Tools I used:
Godot
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Aseprite
Playthrough:
Download
Comments
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That was wonderful. Adorable little experience! Stumbled around for the first day because I didn't realize I could pick up the stick, and then after that it was exploring and self-improvement until I found the ritual clues scattered on the walls, and then I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing. It can be a little slow at times but it's relaxed in that regard. Having the game show you things you want before you learn how to get them and the world slowly unfolding as you go was just wonderful. absolutely worth playing. Great job!
Hey, thank you so much for playing and sharing your experience. It really means a lot!
I'm currently working on a post-jam version where I’m adding things I didn’t have time for during the jam (like controller support, more dialogue, and interactions). In this version, the “stick” will glow after you interact with the dryad for the first time, so it’s easier to spot. The dryad will also give clearer guidance on what to do next.
I agree the pacing can feel a bit too slow at times. After the post-jam update, I’d love to develop a proper vertical slice that brings more momentum to the gameplay (like enemies that you need to fight and a lot of other ideas I've got in mind).
Thanks again for the kind words! Comments like yours really motivate me to keep pushing this project forward! 😊
The bad: The game crashed a lot before the GODOT image appeared, and was about to give up when it suddenly.. Started working. It didn’t help that the log entry (Under User\AppData\Roaming\Godot\app_userdata\FarmJam\logs) was
My best guess is the game ran out of memory (I have 10gigs available, that should be plenty), or maybe some incompatibility with the graphics card. Once I finally got going I had to play the game windowed to reduce stuttering.
edit: The game was apparently maxing out the GPU while under-utilizing it. Updating my graphics drivers…
The good: It’s pretty fun and engaging! The mechanics were easy to figure out, and the dryads looked cute and each had interesting personalities. Just look at this dryad. Doesn’t she look happy? I may have gone a little overboard.
The farming:
Finally, it would be nice to have an excuse to talk to each of them from time to time. Maybe if you do them favors (Autumn dryad wants fire-flowers around her, Bomb-dryad wants a drink, etc.) they could gift you extra seeds? Thanks for the fun game and I hope you develop it more.
Hey! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback and all your suggestions!
Seeing your screenshot and all those plants really made my day 😄 I don’t think anyone has played that long yet. Night 100 - that’s crazy!
I actually saw your comment the day you posted it, but didn’t have time to respond (mine got a bit long - so apologies!).
Crashes:
I looked into it a bit, and it seems like the Intel UHD Graphics 620 is a fairly low-end GPU? I’m not sure if that should be a problem in itself, but maybe something like the volumetric fog I used is more performance-hungry than expected.
Honestly, technical issues like that scare me a bit, because I’m not entirely sure how to prevent them in the future. I really want everyone to be able to play my games!
My best idea so far for future development is to implement a screen before the game starts with some basic graphics settings, so players can adjust things in case something causes issues.
Development:
As you may or may not know, I had just one month to make this for a game jam.
I’m currently working on a post-jam version with small improvements and additions (I just added controller support and an options menu).
After that, I'll expand the concept into a proper vertical slice - so your feedback is really appreciated.
Shovel visibility:
The idea was for players to discover the dryad first, and then “stumble” upon the shovel nearby. That's why it's a little hidden, but I agree, the shovel blends in a bit too well.
I’ll add a sparkle effect after the first interaction with the sleeping dryad to guide players more clearly.
Lavender seed drop rate:
Padding the gameplay wasn’t actually my intention — I was honestly surprised by how long the game turned out to be.
It works like this: every mouse hole spawns a seed during a specific moon phase, but as a player, you can't really tell.
I agree that the beginning feels slow. I’ll probably keep it that way for the post-jam version to stay close to the original, but in future versions I want the start to be more engaging.
I could increase the drop rates, but then players might have too many seeds and not enough energy/water(?). So it’s a matter of which “problem” feels better to play with.
Or maybe just add more mouse holes in different locations.
Shortcuts:
I thought about using the mouse holes as a fast travel mechanic! At least for that one moment when the special moon appears and makes you tiny.
I think it would be a fun and rewarding little secret, especially since you can get two extra lavender seeds pretty early this way.
Failure messages:
The feedback on failed interactions is definitely lacking.
Right now, each interaction has only one fail state, but sometimes multiple conditions are checked, which causes unclear messages.
That bugged me too, but I had to move on due to time constraints.
It should be easy to refactor, and I’ll definitely add that in the post-jam version.
Getting stuck:
I’ve experienced that too, but for now, I figured reloading is an easy enough fix (like you did).
It’s caused by scaling the player, which messes with the collision shape. This is actually something the Godot docs warn about, but it was the quickest and easiest way to implement it.
I’ll fix it by toggling between different hitboxes and adjusting the camera height accordingly.
Nightmare messages:
These were meant to be randomized quotes referencing other games (like Malenia from Elden Ring, who also talks about dreams).
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to implement them, though it wouldn’t have been a huge task.
I’ve already written out quite a few and will add them in the post-jam version.
Long-term, I’d love to include dreamlike scenes where the player reflects on recent events (planting the first seed, meeting a dryad, etc.) in a subtle, non-intrusive way.
Voice acting:
I’d like to add at least “letter sounds” like in Animal Crossing or Celeste, but more gentle.
Another idea is voice cues, like in Zelda (“ah”, “hmm”, “oh” sounds that reflect mood).
Music:
I wanted to give certain areas their own music, but I simply ran out of time. Instead, I went with ambient sounds to at least keep it from feeling too stale.
As for sound effects, I thought no sfx was better than something rushed or annoying. The most jarring for me is the bomb having no sound.
I’m not sure if I’ll add them to the post-jam version, but they’re definitely a priority for the future vertical slice.
Dryad animations:
For the vertical slice, I absolutely want to add more animations.
For the post-jam version, a small touch I’m planning is having Pyra and Ayla close their eyes and place their hands next to their ears during the final cutscene (as if they’re listening to the music).
Alternate endings:
At the very least, I'll add extra dialogue if you try to give the flute to Pyra or Ayla. A few people actually tried this. One even refused to give it to Syll (the first dryad) because she was too mean (lol).
Originally, I wanted each dryad to have her own instrument, which you’d find in the second cave. They would play together to ward off an enemy (more on that later).
Dryad interactions:
I definitely think there’s room for more dialogue and interactions with the dryads.
I like the idea of a simple friendship system where you do little favors for them, as you described.
Planting seeds and bringing the dryads’ areas back to life is something I also had in mind — just like you!
Future plans:
This wasn’t part of your suggestions, but I originally intended to include enemies that spawn during specific moon phases. So you’d need to defend the dryads and bring peace to the forest. I think this would also add a bit of urgency and purpose to the beginning, and make the gameplay more engaging.
Technically, I also want to add more verticality to the world. Right now, the whole grid system is flat, but I’d love for players to reach higher areas (using a special plant that grows like a ladder, for example). Of course, there are a lot more things I want to add and change. I'm really looking forward to it!
Thanks again for spending so much time with my game and leaving such great feedback!
I could really tell you engaged with it — and I truly appreciate that!
I like the fact that the game doesn't generically impose a control scheme, but there are couple of things that bother me.
1. I don't have a list of the keyboard/mouse defaults, so I can't use a controller on the first playthrough, because I have to discover all the keys while I'm playing.
2. It's difficult to figure out how to do things, at first. You could spend the first hour wandering around, and not figure out how to grow a seed. Being regularly told that having dreams about the sun "is a nightmare" gets tiring.
3. Discovering new areas is a dizzying experience, because I don't know what's a stake, or how long it's going to take for the environment to start explaining itself.
Thank you so much for the feedback and for taking the time to write this out. I appreciate it! I agree with most (if not all) of your points.
This is a bit long (so apologies!), but it helps me reflect:
As you may or may not know, I had one month to create this jam game. Of course, there are lots of things I would have liked to do differently or iterate on, but for most parts, I got something working and moved on.
Based on feedback and watching others play, I noticed several times that certain things weren’t clearly communicated to the player. That stems from the design approach I had in mind (one that was a bit risky and, as in your case, could lead to an experience like yours). That said, with some fine-tuning, I think those issues can be avoided. I also plan to expand the idea into a proper vertical slice of a larger game.
1. I tried this approach: letting players discover the controls more organically through context-based prompts. For example, when selecting an item in the inventory or looking at objects (which is also lacking, there shouldn’t be a prompt when something isn’t even possible, and/or the failure messages need to be clearer).
Still, I fully understand the importance of having a proper control reference (especially when you're setting up a custom controller layout like in your case).
In a more complete version, I would absolutely add an options menu where you can
a) view all controls, and
b) rebind them freely.
I also want to add full controller support from the start (maybe even gyro aiming if that's feasible in the godot engine).
2. I intended to encourage players to figure things out on their own. That’s why the starting area is quite limited and the number of possible interactions is small.
There is a bit of dialogue if you try to give the dryad a lavender seed (she tells you to pick up the spade, dig a hole, plant the seed, and water it). But of course, not everyone will do that, and I assumed that confused players would try different things and eventually discover that hint or the mechanics on their own.
I’m not personally a fan of games giving you a hint/tutorial for every single action (but that’s just my preference, and this approach doesn’t always align with everyone's expectations). I need to find a better middle ground here.
One idea is to let the dryad explain exactly what to do (and how) if you speak to her a second time.
The nightmare messages were meant to be randomized quotes referencing other games (like Malenia from Elden Ring, who also talks about dreams). Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to implement them, even though it wouldn’t have been a huge task.
In an expanded version, I’d love to include dreamlike scenes where you reflect on events from the previous night (planting your first seed, meeting a new character, etc.) in a subtle, non-intrusive way.
3. I understand what you mean. The idea was to gradually introduce mystery: at first, it feels like a standard farming game. Then, after meeting the second dryad, you get some lore and learn that something is missing. Later, you stumble across wall paintings that serve as clues, hinting at a puzzle and an end goal. But right now, the world can feel a bit trivial or meaningless until you reach that point.
Originally, I had planned to include enemies that appear during certain moon phases and attack the dryads. The player would help defend them. In the second cave, the player would find musical instruments, which, when returned to the dryads, would allow them to play together and permanently ward off the threat.
Because of time constraints, I could only include one instrument and the final cutscene. Even some dialogue was not finished. For example, I wanted Syll to apologize to the player for being harsh/mean earlier in the game.
I want to expand on this idea with clearer stakes and a stronger sense of urgency from the start. The player character will also have a more defined role in the story (including a clear reason why the sun must be avoided).
Thanks again for your feedback and for pointing out these things!
Okay, very good.
I'll say that it's a good prototype. Even though it made me (vaguely) tired, I was attracted to it.
Built-in controller support is only necessary if you want the game to have plug-and-play value. In its current form, I could've used any weird controller, from a Dreamcast one, to a fighter pad.
Wow! What a beautiful 3D world... Even though it was night, the moonlight gave everything a calm and peaceful feeling.
I streamed the gameplay and uploaded it as a video, but from the middle onward, I accidentally captured the wrong screen area, so the bottom-right corner is cut off.I was so excited when giving gifts to the dryads let me explore more areas and see new objects appear!
Growing plants became easier as my inventory size and daily stamina increased, so I was able to enjoy it all the way to the end.
All the dryad characters were wonderful, but my favorite was Ayla! She looks a bit young, but has a wise and mature air about her, like she’s the oldest of them all — I loved that.
It was such a wonderful game experience, meow! 🐱
Thank you so much for playing my game and for the lovely feedback! I watched the whole video! It was really entertaining and insightful for me.
I love that you liked Ayla so much! I honestly can’t decide who my favorite is… I like all of them in their own way.
You're actually the second person who thought about gifting the flute to one of the other dryads! I’ll definitely add a dialogue for that in the post-jam version I’m working on right now.
By the way, I’m currently learning Japanese. Your subtitles were super helpful. I even picked up some new vocabulary thanks to you!
ありがとう！
Thank you as well—I'm really glad I got to play such a wonderful game.
I also mentioned this in my comment, but I really loved the atmosphere in the forest!
When I saw the moon, I thought it might be a homage to Majora’s Mask from The Legend of Zelda—and your YT icon confirmed it!
I also watched your playthrough, and I couldn’t believe you actually included dialogue for using bombs on the dryads (lol).
Even using the cutter made me hesitate a lot, so the idea of using bombs never crossed my mind—meow!
こちらこそ、素敵なゲームをプレイできて本当に嬉しかったです。
コメントにも書きましたが、森の中の雰囲気が本当に好きでした！
月を見たとき、ゼルダの伝説ムジュラの仮面のオマージュかな？と思いましたが、あなたのYoutubeのアイコンで確信しました！
あなたのプレイスルーも見ましたが、ドリアードたちに爆弾を使うためのダイアログが用意されていたなんて、びっくりしました（笑）
カッターですらかなりためらったので、爆弾を使うという発想は出てこなかった、にゃー！
Hey there, I played your game and I really liked it. It has a nice art style and a kokiri forest atmosphere from zelda ocarina of time.
Hey! Thank you so much!
Ocarina of Time was actually the inspiration for the world!
The hollow stumps you walk through to traverse the areas are a direct reference to the Lost Woods!
(there’s also the moon from Majora’s Mask as an easter egg, but it only shows up after playing for a while!)
Thanks again!
I'm really enjoying the game and I'm really impressed with how much you've made! I've made it to the purple dryad though and I'm a bit stuck. I love the whimsical atmosphere and I love how the mystery from the dryads plays into the main gameloop! :)
Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
You can gift the purple dryad lavender as well. Just plant the seed and let it grow.
Once it’s ready, harvest it and combine it with one of the crops you’ve gathered earlier.
Simply place it on the ground, then activate it with the other (left click) and see what happens.