Dreamfall Chapters is a direct sequel to Dreamfall: The Longest Journey and is part of an adventure game series. It was funded through crowd funding and released in five separate books, each divided into several chapters. Every newly released book was patched into the same game.
The story continues from the last game's cliffhanger, following characters Zoë Castillo and Kian Alvane living in twin-worlds Stark and Arcadia. Stark represents a futuristic world with technology, while Arcadia is a parallel world where magic exists. The player also controls Saga during interludes as she passes through different stages of her life. A significant part of the action takes place in cities like Europolis and Marcuria, which can be explored freely until the story moves forward.
Dreamfall Chapters focuses on storytelling and pathing based on player choices. The player's decisions affect the fates of other characters, impacting gameplay later on. One key choice affects Zoë's storyline in the first chapter, influencing her interactions with different characters. Unlike some adventure games, this one doesn't rely heavily on combining items to solve puzzles. Instead, Zoë does errands like delivering information or items to other characters. The game is dialogue-focused, with much of the world's information shared through conversations. Characters can move around freely using direct control, and the camera offers free rotation and zooming. Point-and-click is used for interacting with items or environments.