Video games are perfect for exploring our dreams, aren’t they? After all, games are already awfully dream-like — a new, stranger reality with different rules than our own, which we explore for a time before waking.
So I’m very intrigued by Dream, a game that was greenlit on Steam about a year ago, but which I finally took note of due to their pending early-access release on August 13.
Dream is a first-person exploration game in the mode of Dear Esther, but with that game’s restrictive linearity removed. From the Dream site, a synopsis that will likely get you as interested as I am (if the trailer up top didn’t already catch your eye):
You take on the role of Howard Phillips, a young graduate with no direction in life who develops an obsession with his dreams. Discover dreams and nightmares filled with puzzles and secrets to help Howard find the meaning to his life.
Dream’s gameplay is strongly based around exploration with games such as Yume Nikki and LSD being the initial inspiration for the concept. On top of this we have been inspired by the narrative elements in Dear Esther and Deus Ex’s non-linear story telling and environments, the resulting gameplay maintains aspects of all 4 games. There will be many puzzles to solve, horror sections and some more narrative focused areas. So we hope it will have a range of elements for everyone to enjoy.
The Novelist, Gone Home, Brothers, and now this… it sure has been a good winter for contemplative, interesting indie games. Looking forward to playing this one.
(Via Rock, Paper Shotgun)
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