Dawnward app icon

Dawnward

Move to live. Stop to strike.

A bright one-thumb action roguelite: clear the Dawnroad, shape every run with blessings and come back stronger after each fall.

In development · Android
See gameplay
The Dawnward hub on a sunny terrace with a banner, a signpost and a distant castle, with Play, Hero Path, Journal and Settings.
The level-up screen offering three blessings: Fleetfoot, Vitality and Piercing Light.
Dawnward: the Beacon Warden boss aims a crimson Charge lane at the hero in the ringed boss arena.
What you do

Move. Stop. Choose. Return.

The Banner Captain winds up a crimson dash lane aimed at the hero in the elite arena.The hero stands still behind a Guardian Spark shield and fires twin bolts of light past the stone markers.The Choose a blessing screen with three cards from the Gale, Aegis and Radiance families.The run result after a defeat: rooms cleared, Valor earned and a new unlock, with Retry and Hub buttons.

Step 01 · Move

Key features

Readable danger, honest progress.

  • One thumb, no buttons

    Steer with a floating stick and stand still to fire. No aiming and no skill buttons: just positioning.

  • Danger you can read

    Every serious attack is telegraphed in crimson, and the shape you see is exactly the area that hits.

  • Build your run

    12 blessings in three families — Radiance, Gale and Aegis — add up to a different hero every run.

  • An elite and a boss

    The Banner Captain and the Beacon Warden each fight with three patterns you can learn and beat.

  • Every run counts

    Valor comes from wins and losses alike, and you choose which Hero Path upgrade to buy with it.

  • Short, pausable runs

    Ten single-screen rooms per run. Leave the app and the run pauses; if it closes, continue from the room you were in.

Blessings

Three families of light.

Each level-up offers three blessings. Lean into one family or mix them: a run built on Radiance plays nothing like one built on Gale or Aegis.

  • Radiance

    More bolts, more reach, more damage.

    • Twin RayFire one more bolt; every bolt deals a little less.
    • Piercing LightYour bolts pass through one more enemy.
    • ReboundA bolt's first hit bounces to a nearby enemy.
    • Quick HandsYou attack faster.

  • Gale

    Speed, tempo and timing.

    • FleetfootYou run faster.
    • Ready StanceAfter moving for a moment, your first attack on stopping hits harder.
    • MomentumDodging a telegraphed attack, or moving for 2 s, speeds up your attacks.
    • Quick RecoveryAfter you take damage, you run faster for a moment.

  • Aegis

    Shields, health and staying power.

    • VitalityRaise your maximum HP and heal the added amount.
    • Guardian SparkA shield blocks one hit, then recharges.
    • Second BreathClearing a room while low on HP heals you a little.
    • Steady HeartStanding and attacking unhurt makes you tougher until you move.
Availability

In development for Android

Dawnward is in early testing. It isn't on Google Play yet and there is no release date. Store links will appear here on launch day.

Platform
Android phones, played in portrait with one thumb
Release
In development · no release date yet
Languages
English
Age rating
Not rated yet
SupportGet help with DawnwardControls, runs, saves and bug reports. PrivacyDawnward privacy policyWhat the game stores, and what it doesn't collect.

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