The Witchs Bakery romance options are limited to exactly one character: Estelle. While Lunne can form close, platonic bonds with a wide cast of Parisian locals across her 20- to 25-hour adventure, Estelle is the only character who can capture Lunne's heart romantically. Romance is entirely optional, allowing players to keep the relationship strictly friendly or pursue a romantic arc depending on dialogue choices.
Many players diving into the cozy Parisian adventure RPG by French indie developer Sunny Lab assume the game functions like an open dating sim with multiple bachelors or bachelorettes. However, the developer designed Lunne as a defined protagonist with her own predetermined coming-of-age narrative rather than an open blank slate.
Are There Multiple Romance Options in The Witch's Bakery?
There are no multiple romance candidates in the game. Lunne can only date Estelle, whom she meets during Chapter 2. Other prominent characters that players encounter throughout the neighborhood—such as Mawuli, Best, Antoine, Kei, and Mirembe—are strictly platonic relationships.
| Character | Relationship Type | First Available Chapter | Romanceable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estelle | Romantic or Platonic | Chapter 2 | Yes |
| Other Parisian Residents | Platonic Friends / Neighbors | Various Chapters | No |
Discussions across the official Steam forums confirmed that players spending extra time or giving gifts to male characters like Mawuli or Best cannot unlock a dating path with them. Sunny Lab focused the central romantic arc entirely around Estelle, integrating her presence directly into Lunne's personal journey.
How the Estelle Romance Route Works
Lunne first meets Estelle in Chapter 2 of the story. Progressing her storyline requires interacting with her during the evening exploration phases in Paris, selecting supportive dialogue choices, and managing your daily schedule.
Because the game splits each day into bakery management during the day, evening city exploration, and nocturnal rest, time management is critical. Spending your evening hours visiting districts, having conversations, and gifting items allows you to fill Estelle's relationship hearts.
Keep in mind that story progression halts upon completing Chapter 5. Players on the Steam community forums noted that the game does not offer post-story free roam; selecting "Continue" from the main menu after finishing the narrative merely replays the epilogue. Consequently, all romance interactions and heart progression must be completed before triggering the end of the main campaign.
How to Avoid the Estelle Level 2 Heart Lock Bug
Sunny Lab issued an official announcement warning players about a critical dialogue bug that can permanently freeze Estelle's second relationship heart. This lock happens during a specific event at the theater.
When you fill Estelle's second heart, she invites Lunne to visit the theater. You can choose to go with her immediately or postpone the trip. If you choose to accompany her directly, an early dialogue prompt appears where Estelle's Art preference unlocks:
- Top Dialogue Option: Lunne says, "You've always struck me as a poet." Choose this branch to keep the relationship progressing safely.
- Bottom Dialogue Option: The humbling reply branch triggers a software bug that locks Estelle's second heart permanently in earlier game builds.
Official Save File Fix for PC Players
If you already picked the lower branch and found Estelle's second heart locked, Sunny Lab provided an official workaround to edit the save data manually on PC:
- Navigate to the local save folder: C:\Users<YourUsername>\AppData\LocalLow\Sunny Lab\The Witch's Bakery\GameFiles\Slot_0
- Create a backup copy of the file named Save.lunne before making any edits.
- Open Save.lunne using any standard text editor, such as Notepad.
- Search the document for the unique string ID: effc1d56-d2a3-4fe5-bcb2-933781bdf8b5
- Locate the setting relationshipLevelsLocked next to that ID and change "true" to "false".
- Save the document and launch the game.
Applying this change unlocks the frozen heart and lets future friendship and romance events proceed normally, though the remainder of that specific theater scene is bypassed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you romance male characters in The Witch's Bakery?
No. There are no male romance options available. Characters like Mawuli and Best can only be befriended platonically.
Is romancing Estelle required to beat the game?
No. Romance is completely optional. If you prefer to focus solely on running the boulangerie and helping the neighborhood through your baking magic, you can keep your relationship with Estelle entirely platonic.
What happens if I miss Estelle's romance before Chapter 5?
Once the main storyline concludes at the end of Chapter 5, there is no free-roam postgame. Any missed romance progression cannot be continued unless you reload an earlier save file or start a new playthrough.
