Welcome to Dev Chronicles Chapter 3! A lot has happened since the last chapter (which, by the way, you can read HERE). Here’s a quick recap!
In September, Flamecraft flew to Japan to be part of the Tokyo Game Show! We are very proud that our game was showcased at the Polish Gaming Industry stand alongside other great studios from Poland.
We also joined the Poznań Game Arena (PGA) in October, where players had the chance to play Flamecraft Digital for the very first time. Being part of such a major gaming event, hosted in the hometown of our studio, felt incredibly special. And then it became unforgettable, because Flamecraft won the award for Best Indie Game PGA 2025 in a competition organized by IGN! It was all thanks to you, the most amazing community, and your votes. We can’t thank you enough.
Last but certainly not least, the first Flamecraft Digital Alpha tests happened this month! A huge shoutout to everyone who took part in the playtests. Over 850 players signed up, and your feedback has been amazing! We’re incredibly grateful for your time, enthusiasm, and care. Every suggestion, comment, and bug report will help us shape the game, and you will always be a part of it!
Today, though, we wanted to share something brand new -- something that wasn’t part of the Alpha but has quickly become one of our favorite parts of the project. The beating heart of Flamecraft’s charm, the lively little souls of the town:
the animated dragon pawns!
In Flamecraft, you’ll soon be able to choose your very own dragon to represent you in the digital town, just like the meeples did in the board game. As you move from shop to shop, cast enchantments, and plan your strategy, your dragon will be right there with you, fully animated and cheerful. You’ll also see dragons belonging to your friends (or rivals) and AI players.
We currently plan to offer 7 selectable dragons: 6 Artisan Dragons and 1 Fancy Dragon. To stay true to the original identity of each kind, you’ll pick the color that matches their specialization - a yellow Bread Dragon, a red Meat Dragon, a purple Potion Dragon, and so on. The Fancy Dragon will have a fancy color, too!
You’ll also be able to choose a player portrait and portrait frame to further customize your profile, making it unique and personal.
Please keep in mind that this feature is still in development, so details may change. What you see here isn’t the final look.
The foundation for the dragon models comes straight from the official Flamecraft Art Book. Sandara, the incredible artist behind the original board game's illustrations, guided us with her detailed drawings - from proportions and silhouettes to the tiniest details that make each species unique and full of personality.
Our own multi-talented powerhouse, Agnieszka, not only works on our video content but also sculpted the dragon models, shaped their unique details, and brought them to life with smooth, fiery animations.
Once we had a base dragon model, our amazing artist Alveria (you heard about her already - she’s behind the great shop animations), worked on the textures. To stay faithful to the hand-crafted aesthetic of the board game, we wanted the dragons to look like paintings, fitting for the vibrant world around them. We’ll keep working on them, but even now they have a lot of unique character and charm!
I asked Agnieszka to share a few words about the process and her experience with dragons:
Working on the 3D dragons for Flamecraft Digital has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the project for me so far. I was responsible for preparing the models, rigging, and creating the animations.
First, we needed to think about how to implement them in Unity. Rather than building multiple separate models, we decided to develop a single base dragon that uses one rig and can morph into various forms using shape keys. This approach helps optimize the game’s performance, reducing memory usage and improving efficiency.
When designing the animations, we wanted the dragons to feel lively and full of character, while still fitting the cozy and whimsical tone of Flamecraft. To better capture their personalities, I studied the Flamecraft artbook, which helped me understand the charm, playfulness, and small behavioral details that make the dragons unique. I also observed how small creatures move -- from the way a cat stretches to how birds tilt their heads -- and used those subtle gestures to bring warmth and life to the dragons. The goal was to make them feel endearing and expressive.
All the modeling and animation work was done in Blender, and we’ve just recently integrated the dragons into the game. It’s incredibly rewarding to finally see them moving and interacting in the digital world. However, there are still challenges ahead -- such as refining models and animations, figuring out how the undo feature interacts with the dragons, and improving how they are placed in shops.
This was my first time working on dragon models, and it’s been a truly rewarding learning experience. The world of Flamecraft naturally inspires creativity, and the overall cuteness of the game makes it easy to imagine how these dragons should behave and express themselves.
I’m really proud of how they’re turning out, and I hope players will feel the same sense of joy and magic from these dragons that I felt while creating them.
Once the models were ready, it was time to give them life. Agnieszka prepared different sets of animations depending on what’s happening in the game. Active player animations make your dragon feel alert and energetic when it’s your turn; inactive player animations are calmer, helping keep the town readable while still lively; and of course, each dragon has idle animations, because dragons, even tiny ones, are never completely still (and deserve to stretch between shop runs). These subtle differences help make the town feel alive without overwhelming the board.
You can watch the dragons in action in our brand-new early gameplay trailer, revealed today during the Cozy Quest Festival Opening Showcase on Steam!
This year, you can also vote for your favorite cozy games in the Cozy Quest Awards by filling out the form HERE
The host of the event, Secret Mode, is also fundraising for the Trevor Project throughout Cozy Quest until November 24. You can donate HERE
We hope you enjoyed this deeper look into how our 3D dragon meeples came to life.
We’re heading back to our caves to continue building, refining, and improving the game, now guided by your feedback after the Alpha tests.
We’re also super excited to announce that Flamecraft will be joining Vienna Comic Con on November 22-23! If you missed the Alpha tests you’ll be able to try out the game for the first time. You will find Flamecraft at the VIECC Indie Area in Hall A of Messe Wien - Booth number A0703E!
If you’d like to support development, please consider:
- Following Flamecraft on Steam - it’s not the same as wishlisting, and the Follow button is right next to it!
- Sharing Flamecraft with your friends and fellow dragon enthusiasts
- Letting us know what you think of this episode and what you’d like to see in future updates!
- Join our Discord!
Until next time - stay cozy and warm, because winter is coming!
See you soon,
Monster Couch Team