Plum Road Tea Dream

A deeply personal story

Plum Road Tea Dream tells the semi-autobiographical story of ‘S’, a young queer game designer of color who creates virtual spaces that reflect their own introspective journey.  

As you delve into ‘S’s life, you discover the complexity of pain, joy, grief, celebration, self-actualisation and the need for new rituals. Plum Road Tea Dream invites you to slow down. Awakening in you the urge to confront your own thoughts, to question and to feel. Deeply.

Features:

• Rest, sanctuary and comfort

• Based on autobiographical experiences, and real-world events

• A short narrative experience

• Inspires real-world reflection on topics such as grief, identity, crying, human touch and rituals

Seven unique chapters, spaces, games, sanctuaries

Discover seven sanctuaries created by the mysterious ‘S’. These structures hold untold stories, memories, the need for a safer world and the potential for healing. 

Each sanctuary offers a distinct gameplay style: Collect tablets to create animistic gods with a futuristic machine and encounter challenges in empathy to be able to manifest the Sword of Sadness and shape its myth. Meet the guardians that portray multiple selves of ‘S’ as they reveal the secrets of their surroundings.

Queer & POC perspectives

Centering queer narratives and characters of color, Plum Road Tea Dream celebrates diversity, self-expression, and acceptance, offering stories and perspectives rarely explored in games.

From hyper realism to PSX-era graphics

You travel through an eclectic range of landscapes and thought-provoking mini-games, with visual styles ranging from hyper realistic modern graphics to the nostalgic pixelated charm of PSX-era games. 

Slow down & Take your time

With the main action in the game being walking, sitting and listening, Plum Road Tea Dream is an invitation to slow down and wonder, that is best enjoyed with a warm cup of tea.

Healing & Hope

Plum Road Tea Dream acknowledges pain that needs to be felt but aims to surpass the hardships. It’s a transformative journey of self-acceptance & resilience, culminating in an uplifting and hopeful conclusion. 

A note from the developer

Hello, my name is Samuel Baidoo.

I am a Belgian-Ghanaian creator based in Antwerp. I have a background in dance, visual arts, performance and a big love for collaborating. Across all of my work, I explore how personal experiences can become shared experiences, and how fragments of memories, images, music, games, films, anime, manga and everyday life can be gathered together and transformed into something meaningful.

Plum Road Tea Dream grew from that process. I created it alongside a group of game developers and many generous collaborators. 

In some ways, I am ‘S’. But ‘S’ also holds the stories, thoughts, hopes, and dreams of many people who helped bring this world to life. ‘S’ is the long hours spent writing code, the hands that modeled and textured this world, the voices that offered feedback, and the friendships that sustained the project. ‘S’ is the result of countless conversations, shared experiences, and collective care. Though the story begins with me, it does not belong to me alone. 

My hope is that playing Plum Road Tea Dream, gives you space for grief, reflection and rage. And perhaps, in following ‘S’s journey, you may discover something of your own story within it. 💕