DREADMOOR Characters: Every NPC in the Demo
Who's who in DREADMOOR: Malcolm, Colin, Gil, Boza, John the Fifth, Betsy, Keeper Lilo and the Baron, and what each one does.
Quick answer: The demo's main characters are Malcolm (you), his dead brother Colin, the traders Gil and Boza, the engineer John the Fifth, the giant crab Betsy, the Throat keeper Lilo and the off-screen Baron. Each one anchors a system or a story beat.
Character details are from demo v0.3.39. Early Access will add the Baron and the Sludgebet cast.
DREADMOOR's cast is small and mostly static, and the free demo introduces all of them. The characters stand at counters, give quests and explain the world. What makes them work is the writing: they are tired, transactional and occasionally kind.
"A divided world where resources are scarce, and trust is fragile." — DREADMOOR on Steam
The cast at a glance
| Character | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Malcolm | Player character | Everywhere |
| Colin | Malcolm's brother | Opening |
| Gil | Trader, face of the store | Betsy & Sons |
| Boza | Trader, fish handler | Betsy & Sons |
| John the Fifth | Engineer, dry dock | His shack |
| Betsy | Giant crab, shop foundation | Trading post |
| Keeper Lilo | Throat keeper | The Throat |
| The Baron | Off-screen ruler | Sludgebet |
Malcolm
Malcolm is the player character. He is not a chosen one; he is an angler with a dead brother, a boat and a debt. The beginner guide covers his first hours.
The name appears in dialogue, not in a character creator. You do not customise him in the demo.
His motivation is simple: survive, pay the debt and find out what happened to the world. The essence injection adds a body-horror timer to that list.
Colin
Colin is Malcolm's brother. He dies in the opening, killed by a giant tentacle.
He exists to give the player a personal stake and to demonstrate the water's danger. His death is the reason Malcolm keeps sailing.
Do not expect a resurrection or a twist in the demo. Colin is a memory, not a mechanic.
Gil
Gil is the business half of Betsy & Sons. He talks, negotiates and runs the contracts.
He is the one who injects Malcolm with essence and creates the debt. He is not apologetic about it; it is a transaction.
Gameplay role: store stock, contracts, the carburettor card game, story exposition.
Boza
Boza is the brute half of the pair. He guts fish, handles the heavy work and provides comic relief.
He is also the one who mentions the predatory bait blueprint. Talk to him after the first quest, then read the fishing guide before you chase a Harpooner.
Gameplay role: fish trading, predatory bait, blunt commentary.
John the Fifth
John is the engineer who owns the dry dock. He is drunk, obsessed with the "machine spirit" and missing a prosthetic leg (lost in the still).
He gives the still quest, the dry dock tutorial and the engine quest, all covered in the dry dock guide. He is the most useful NPC in the demo.
His philosophy is played for laughs, but it fits the world: machines are the only things still working, so people worship them. Dream Dock leans into the same idea in its "Trawler as a Lifeline" diary.
Betsy
Betsy is a giant crab. The general store is built on and around her.
She is not a vendor in the menu sense; Gil and Boza handle that. She is the building, the landmark and the joke.
Do not attack her. She is friendly, and the store needs her.
Keeper Lilo
Lilo keeps the Throat. She has been waiting for someone to take over, and when Malcolm arrives she leaves on a giant turtle.
She is the demo's emotional climax. Her resignation says more about the world than any lore dump, and the Throat guide covers what she leaves behind.
Gameplay role: Throat exposition, gate access, the keeper's shed.
The Baron
The Baron rules Sludgebet, the settlement beyond the Throat. He never appears in the demo.
Dialogue establishes him as the biggest dealer in the region, with fuel, boarding crews and a closed road. He is the obvious Early Access antagonist or patron.
Do not expect a boss fight in the demo. The Baron is set-up, not content.
The anglers
The anglers are not named characters, but they are the world's quiet backstory. They scavenge knowledge and charts, and they die forgotten.
Their notes and bodies are part of the exploration loop. Read them; they explain the Sea Blight better than the main quest does.
FAQ
Who is the main character in DREADMOOR? Malcolm, an angler stranded in the Slough.
Who is Colin? Malcolm's brother, killed in the opening.
Who are Gil and Boza? The traders at Betsy & Sons.
Who is John the Fifth? The engineer who unlocks the dry dock.
Is the Baron in the demo? No. He is mentioned but never appears.
More DREADMOOR Guides
The DREADMOOR demo is a free 3–4 hour standalone slice with its own questline, dry dock and island region. What it includes and how to install it.
A complete DREADMOOR demo walkthrough: the radio, five Snapper, John's still, the dry dock, the engine and the Throat gate puzzle, step by step.
How to unlock the DREADMOOR dry dock, repair the trawler step by step, and install your first engine and hull upgrades without wasting materials.
DREADMOOR Early Access starts 9 November 2026 with the full core loop and one major region. What is in the build, how long it will last and whether to buy.
Every fish confirmed in the DREADMOOR demo, with bait, habitat and use: Snapper, Softgazer, Shovel Nose, Sharp Fin, Sturdy Crawler and Harpooner.
DREADMOOR fishing explained: cast into splash zones, hold tension in the green, pull against the fish and use a slow lure retrieve for Harpooners.
Every DREADMOOR location confirmed in the demo, from the Slough and Angler's Island to the Throat, plus how the map and fast travel work.
How to earn coins in DREADMOOR: which fish to sell, what the traders buy, why dangerous catches pay more, and what you should never sell.