ENA: Dream BBQ#Plot
{{Short description|2025 video game}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
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{{MOS|date=May 2025}}
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{{Infobox video game
| developer = ENA Team
| image = ENA Dream BBQ Steam Cover.jpg
| publisher = Joel G
| released = March 27, 2025
| modes = Single-player
| engine = Unity
| platforms = Windows, Linux, macOS
}}
ENA: Dream BBQ (stylised as ƎNA: DREAM BBQ) is a 2025 episodic adventure game developed by ENA Team and published by Joel Guerra, set within the universe of the YouTube web series ENA. Serving as both the fifth installment and the first interactive game in the series, it follows ENA, a humanoid who explores various environments while interacting with other characters, completing in-game tasks, and solving mazes in an effort to reach the Boss, a mysterious figure central to the narrative.
The game's first chapter, titled "Lonely Door", was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux on March 27, 2025. More chapters are currently in development, and are planned to be released as downloadable content. The game was described as surreal, drawing influence from webcore aesthetic.{{Cite web |last=Shuman |first=Sean |date=2025-04-09 |title='ENA: Dream BBQ' Game Review: A Gonzo Adventure in a Surreal World |url=https://www.horrorgeeklife.com/2025/04/09/ena-dream-bbq-game-review/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=HorrorGeekLife |language=en-US}}
Gameplay
The player controls a humanoid named ENA. The game presents the player with various objectives through ENA, which are accessible through its interface. Throughout the story, the gameplay incorporates character interaction, maze navigation, puzzle solving and platforming challenges, alongside a minigame included as a segment within a certain task assigned during gameplay. Tasks become available following interactions with specific non-player characters who serve as the trigger for a corresponding task. Some tasks are interdependent, requiring prior completion of related objectives.
Plot
ENA, the main protagonist of the game, is a member of species of the same name. Her body is divided into two parts: one red, smoothly-shaped, controlled by "salesperson", and one white with light-blue shades, geometrically-shaped, controlled by her "meanie" personality. ENA wears a student cap with a navy blue ribbon and silver emblem on it. During the game, the appearance of ENA may radically change, for example taking a more human-like form or turning into a completely different creature.{{Cite web |last=Novichenko |first=Artur |date=2025-04-01 |title=How to Get Through the Purge Event in Ena: Dream BBQ |url=https://gamerant.com/how-get-through-purge-event-ena-dream-bbq/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}
=Chapter 1 – Lonely Door=
The game begins at the Red Outworld, where ENA finds a blue door that teleports her to the Hub. At the Hub, it appears that ENA is seeking a job, as she encounters Froggy, her employer. He explains that her goal is to find the Boss, who does not appear during the first chapter. Afterwards, the Hub is filled with smoke, which causes Froggy to have an allergic reaction. ENA is then assigned her first job, which is to find a way to clear the smoke. She goes back to find the Receptionist, who tells her that the only way to clear the smoke is to find one of the Genies residing behind specific doors, such as the Horse Door, the Lonely Door, and the Crowd Door. After speaking with the Receptionist, ENA enters the Lonely Door, which teleports her to the Uncanny Streets.{{Cite web |last=Broestl |first=Henry |date=2025-04-02 |title=ENA Dream BBQ: How to Cross the Bridge |url=https://www.dualshockers.com/ena-dream-bbq-how-to-cross-the-bridge/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250416205814/https://www.dualshockers.com/ena-dream-bbq-how-to-cross-the-bridge/ |archive-date=April 16, 2025 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=DualShockers |language=en}}
At the Uncanny Streets, ENA encounters many characters, one of which, the Shaman, tells her that the Genie can be reached by getting to a giant floating island in the sky, but in order to do that, the player should create a special item, known as "Humanboard" or "LIFE", which allows its user to enter previously unreachable places on the map. The creation of "LIFE" requires unlocking the second part of Uncanny Streets, which is located after the Bridge. Before crossing the Bridge, ENA meets another character, Hoarder Alex, who tells her that a strange man is watching him, likely planning to steal his properties, and that if she wants to cross, she must find a way to block the man's vision.
After finding a way to block the vision of the man, ENA crosses the bridge and talks to one of the witches, who asks her to "send her corpse over to her relatives", who are three other witches that can be found in the middle of Uncanny Streets.{{Cite web |last=Borges |first=Franklin Bellone |date=2025-03-31 |title=How to find the witch and bring her back in ENA Dream BBQ |url=https://www.destructoid.com/how-to-find-the-witch-and-bring-her-back-in-ena-dream-bbq/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Destructoid |language=en-US}} If the player manages to do that, ENA gets an item called "Motherboard", which is one of the components of the "LIFE". After bringing the Motherboard to the Shaman, he will turn it into the Humanboard, which can be used to reach areas that were previously inaccessible to ENA, including the Floating Island.{{Cite web |last=Novichenko |first=Artur |date=2025-04-02 |title=How to Complete Wizard Quest in ENA: Dream BBQ |url=https://gamerant.com/ena-dream-bbq-how-complete-wizard-quest/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Game Rant |language=en}} When the player enters the island, ENA will be teleported into the final location - the CORE. In the CORE, the player must cross a white-colored river, which they can do through using Humanboard or through jumping on rafts, floating on the river. If the player falls into the river, they will be teleported into the Lost Village, and will be forced to finish the game through a different way,See Alternate routes subsection but if the player will cross the river successfully, they can enter a giant Bathroom that leads them to Theodora, the Genie of the Lonely Door.
Theodora agrees on granting ENA one of her aspirations, providing a choice of five options, of which only one can be chosen - "Aspire to get rid of the smoke". After choosing this variant, the smoke machine, which was the source of the smoke, will be disabled, and after ENA finds herself in a location similar to the location of "Auction Day", the first episode of the ENA YouTube series. There, she tries to exit the location through the Lonely Door, but she will find that the door is closed, and after leaving the room with the door the ending will be shown. In the ending, ENA turns into a mannequin, similar to those that can be found in different locations of the game, and falls down into the abyss, where an arm grabs her and carries her away. After that, we will be shown how one of the mannequins located in the Hub turns into ENA, bringing her back to life.{{Cite web |last=Ferguson |first=Drew |date=2025-04-06 |title=Ena: Dream BBQ - Get Rid Of This Smoke Job Walkthrough |url=https://www.thegamer.com/ena-dream-bbq-get-rid-of-this-smoke-job-bathroom-walkthrough-guide/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250408204901/https://www.thegamer.com/ena-dream-bbq-get-rid-of-this-smoke-job-bathroom-walkthrough-guide/ |archive-date=April 8, 2025 |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=TheGamer |language=en}}
==Alternate routes==
Aside from the other path, the ending can also be reached through the Purge Event, which Froggy describes as a "dangerous and illegal party". The Purge Event can be reached through solving a maze located inside of the sleeves of the Taxi Driver - a character in the Uncanny Streets - after which ENA can enter the taxi nearby, which will teleport her to another location, where she can enter the Purge Event.{{Cite web |last=Ferguson |first=Drew |date=2025-04-05 |title=Ena: Dream BBQ - For The Economy Job Walkthrough |url=https://www.thegamer.com/ena-dream-bbq-for-the-economy-job-walkthrough/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=TheGamer |language=en}} In Purge Event, after talking with one of the special characters who serve as a trigger, she will be teleported into a labyrinth, where she will be turned into a dog-like creature. After finishing the labyrinth, the player enters the CORE, where the further events will be the same.
If the player falls into the white river in the CORE, they will be taken to the Lost Village, where ENA will be surrounded by identical buildings, which form a "village". To exit the village, she must find and enter the right building, which will take her to a long corridor leading to a broken body of Theodora, who is said to be "the former Genie of these lands". After talking to the Theodora, the player will be taken to the Smoke Room and the path to the ending will be similar to other routes.
Development
The game is connected to the web series ENA (sometimes formatted ƎNA), created by Peruvian{{Cite web |last=Litchfield |first=Ted |date=2023-01-29 |title=A surreal first person adventure based on a cult animated series just dropped its first gameplay trailer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/a-surreal-first-person-adventure-based-on-a-cult-animated-series-just-dropped-its-first-gameplay-trailer/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=PC Gamer |language=en-US}} animator Joel Guerra and published on the video-sharing platform YouTube in 2020.{{Cite web |last=Hore |first=Jamie |date=2025-03-27 |title=Absurd, free, and 98%-rated, this new Steam game from a popular YouTuber is already a hit |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/ena-dream-bbq/steam-launch-joel-g |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=PCGamesN |language=en-US}} Set in abnormal environments, the retro-style animated series follows ENA, whose voice and face shifts with her emotional state. The 1998 game LSD: Dream Emulator influenced the animated series and the titular character was inspired by Pablo Picasso's painting Girl before a Mirror and works by Brazilian artist Romero Britto.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3O-TXURX4 |title=ENA |date=2020-06-04 |last=Joel G |access-date=2025-04-25 |via=YouTube |archive-date=April 21, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421060553/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3O-TXURX4 |url-status=live }} Video description. The series partnered with Fangamer to produce official merch of the project in the US.{{Cite web |last=はくまいさん |date=September 28, 2023 |title=ピカソの絵のような少女「エナ」の奇想天外な物語が描かれるアニメ『ENA』新グッズが米Fangamerで発売へ。カオスすぎて海外で人気爆発中の作品 |trans-title=New goods for the anime 'ENA,' which tells the bizarre story of a girl named "Ena" who looks like a Picasso painting, will be released on Fangamer in the US. The chaotic work is becoming extremely popular overseas. |url=https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/230928s |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=Den Fami Nico Gamer |language=ja}} By 2023, Guerra accumulated 900,000 YouTube subscribers.
ENA: Dream BBQ was announced on September 23, 2021. The initial release date for the first chapter was planned for December 2022, but was later postponed to 2023 for further refinement of the game.{{Cite web |last=Kawano |first=Mayo |date=2023-01-28 |title=サイケ夢世界探索『ENA: Dream BBQ』のシュール新映像に圧倒される者が続出。理解はできないが見るのがやめられない |trans-title=Many are overwhelmed by the surreal new visuals of the psychedelic dream world exploration game 'ENA: Dream BBQ'. I can't understand it, but I can't stop watching it. |url=https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20230128-235363/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Automaton Media |language=ja}} The official trailer of the game was shown on January 28, 2023.{{Cite news |last=Litchfield |first=Ted |date=2023-01-30 |title=A surreal first person adventure based on a cult animated series just dropped its first gameplay trailer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/a-surreal-first-person-adventure-based-on-a-cult-animated-series-just-dropped-its-first-gameplay-trailer/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}} Guerra announced in October 2023 that the game would be further delayed.{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Meriel |date=2023-10-23 |title=ENA: Dream BBQ Will Take Longer To Cook Than We Thought |url=https://www.gamezebo.com/news/ena-dream-bbq/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Gamezebo |language=en-GB |archive-date=April 22, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250422004401/https://www.gamezebo.com/news/ena-dream-bbq/ |url-status=live }} The first chapter of ENA: Dream BBQ, titled "Lonely Door", was launched for PC via Steam on March 27, 2025. The game has voice acting in various languages besides English, including Greek, Italian, Japanese, and Russian. Some in-game characters are inspired by different cultures, such as French, Korean, or Peruvian.{{Cite web |last=Kubas |first=Aleksandra |date=2025-04-24 |title=[PREVIEW] ENA: Dream BBQ – One of the most unique games ever made |url=https://www.indie-games.eu/en/ena-dream-bbq-chapter-1-preview/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=IndieGames |language=en-GB}}
The first chapter of the game can be played for free, but the Supporter Edition Upgrade can be bought as downloadable content. The Supporter Edition includes unlockable additional content to the game, such as pre-production animations, in-development screenshots, developer commentary, and concept art.{{Cite web |last=Haq |first=Huzaifa |date=2025-03-29 |title=ENA Dream BBQ: Should You Buy The Supporter Edition? |url=https://gamerant.com/ena-dream-bbq-should-you-buy-supporter-edition/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Game Rant |language=en}} The Supporter Edition does not include access to future chapters of ENA: Dream BBQ, which are planned to be purchasable separately.{{Cite web |last=Haq |first=Huzaifa |date=2025-03-29 |title=ENA Dream BBQ: How Long to Beat |url=https://gamerant.com/ena-dream-bbq-how-long-to-beat/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}
Reception
The game has been described by critics and journalists as "surreal".{{Cite web |last=Sonta |first=Yusuke |date=2025-03-31 |title=不条理夢世界探検ゲーム『ENA: Dream BBQ』、Steamで無料配信開始。レビュー9000件超・好評率99％ |trans-title=The absurd dream world exploration game 'ENA: Dream BBQ' is now available for free on Steam. Over 9,000 reviews and a 99% favorable rating. |url=https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/ena-dream-bbq-20250331-333495/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Automaton Media |language=ja |archive-date=April 4, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250404093108/https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/ena-dream-bbq-20250331-333495/ |url-status=live }} Dominic Tarason of PC Gamer wrote that ENA: Dream BBQ preserved the "kaleidoscopic blend of aesthetics and animation styles" in the original animations while describing the game's world as being more immersive and the characters as more remarkable.{{Cite news |last=Tarason |first=Dominic |date=2025-03-27 |title=Mindbending free multimedia adventure ENA: Dream BBQ is out now, has activated all my neurons and opened my third eye |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/mindbending-free-multimedia-adventure-ena-dream-bbq-is-out-now-has-activated-all-my-neurons-and-opened-my-third-eye/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}} Characterizing the game as "essentially an interactive acid trip", PCGamesN{{'s}} Jamie Hore noted that the experience had a mix of platforming, puzzle solving and some exploration, which made it difficult to determine the game's genre. Tarason felt the description of "walking simulator" for the game would be too reductive of the experience.
Upon launch, the concurrent player count reached almost 11,000 players. It was greeted with an "overwhelmingly positive" response, collecting over 9,000 reviews shortly after release. Yusuke Sonta of Automaton Media stated that the game's popularity soon resembled that of the animated series, with the multi-language voice cast helping users enjoy the game in spite of language barriers. According to Russian internet journal VGTimes, ENA: Dream BBQ was eighth-most subscribed game on Steam with almost 30,000 followers as of March 27, 2025.{{Cite web |date=26 February 2025 |title=Названа самая желанная PC-игра марта в Steam. Её ждут больше, чем Assassin's Creed: Shadows |trans-title=The Most Wanted PC Game of March on Steam Has Been Named. It Is More Anticipated Than Assassin's Creed: Shadows |url=https://vgtimes.ru/news/121332-nazvana-samaya-zhelannaya-pc-igra-marta-v-steam.-ee-zhdut-bolshe-chem-assassins-creed-shadows.html |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=VGTimes |language=ru}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{portal|Video games}}
- {{Official website|https://joelgc.com/|name=Joel Guerra's official website}}
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Video games developed in Peru