Love, Fantasy, and Heroes: The Romantic Ideals of Caverns and Dryads

I'm now developing the narrative engine for my game Caverns And Dryads. 

Between the characters, there's a relationship that may grow along the game. It influences the missions, the story, and the events, and even the whole fantasy world itself.

This may raise some questions that I am going to address here.

What age is my game aimed at?

My game is aimed to teens and adults, because it's not for less age, but doesn't contain explicit content of any kind. 

The description on Steam is this:

There can be some poetic or metaphorical descriptions of intimate acts, but nothing explicit.

This means that if the characters have some kind of act, the description will be more centered in the emotional part, and the images will not show explicit things. 

There can be some clothing that shows parts of cleavage, legs, equivalent to a bikini in the females, and bare torso on males.

This is the typical clothing of fantasy characters : like Red Sonja, or Conan. Yes they have little clothing sometimes but it's a fantasy setting. Most of the time my characters have more clothing than that :) 

There can be some veiled nudity occasionally.

Maybe at some point some may appear with a sheet or fabric covering the parts, like in classical art, and you can suppose they don't wear more clothing, but won't be shown totally.

The stories on the game between the warrioress and the wizard will focus on love, trust and slow growing emotions, true compromise in true love. If you are looking for a display of other things, it's not your game. 

The Heart of the Game: Adventure, Fantasy, and Heroism

The game aims to be fun, immersive, make you dream, live a fantasy, live an ideal. Thrilling but relaxing. 

It shows a world that can be dangerous but is ideal. Players are heroes. 

Why do we need and like ideals and heroes? Not as models to completely imitate, but as a perfect representation of what is desirable, specially in a inner, spiritual way. 

In that sense, Tamzyn is extremely ideal. Her beauty goes on the inside too. She's a goddess, a nymph, a muse. But she is also a brave, noble, patient. 

I know that nowadays there's a tendency to say that such characters make people feel bad because of being ideal.
They are something to show what good, brave, and noble is. 

A model is not about being beautiful, athletic, or having any specific physical traits. If you want to emulate something, it's the values, not the appearance. 

This brings us to the reason why I choose to show this kind of models. 

The message: healthy relationship, and equality

The messages I want to give in the game are about true slow growing love, equality in a couple, good role models that combine respect and strength for both. 

I know it's not the typical, but I want to depict the contrary to a fast, toxic, and dominant relationship, both for man and woman. 

She is not a toy of some man, but a goddess, and he's not a puppet of some romcom, but a powerful wizard. 

They don't need the other, they like the other. 

I want her and him to be equal, strong and heroical, and a couple that grows together because of their inner compatibility, overcoming the challenges. 

Addressing Toxicity and Misogyny

Modern discourse surrounding men and women often feels conflict-driven, reactionary, and toxic. 

Many women today face forms of hostility that are unsettling, while men often lack strong, positive role models.

While there are many narratives critiquing harmful gender dynamics, there is less emphasis on uplifting positive masculine ideals. 

Sioul embodies strength, resilience, and determination—qualities that, when expressed with kindness and respect, form a healthy foundation for heroism.

Tamzyn and Sioul, together, show that people are strongest when they stand side by side—as equals.

Why a binary couple?

As a male heterosexual writer, I feel most authentic writing from a perspective I personally understand. My goal isn’t to exclude non-binary characters but to craft a story that reflects my own voice and experiences.

That said, I am open to including important non-binary NPCs within the story. If you have ideas or suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

Similarly, while my artistic vision guides the appearance of my characters, I am open to including diverse representations within the game world.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Caverns And Dryads is my creative vision—one shaped by the themes, values, and ideals I feel most passionate about. 

While other indie games explore different perspectives, this is the story I want to tell, and I hope those who share these ideals will find meaning in it.