Bad Dream: Coma

About

"Bad Dream: Coma" is a dark, point-and-click adventure game where players must navigate their way through a surreal dreamworld while avoiding terrifying entities. The game features hand-drawn art and animation, and requires players to solve puzzles and uncover the mystery behind their comatose state. With multiple endings and a heavy emphasis on atmosphere, "Bad Dream: Coma" is not for the faint of heart.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 613 reviews

story72 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

story
175 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The game's story is praised for its originality and unique horror elements, effectively tying together previous installments in the series while offering multiple endings based on player choices. However, some reviews note that the execution can be inconsistent, with a few plot holes and a lack of depth in certain areas. Overall, the narrative is engaging and atmospheric, making it a compelling experience for fans of interactive storytelling and horror.
- “The story is original, the horror vibe comes through just fine with simple graphics and sound, there's so much to see and do because everything is based on your choices, it's great.”
- “The story is compelling and your choices matter.”
- “The story is intriguing and, for me, it's just the correct amount of creepy.”
- “The main issues that I had with this game, first off, was its grammar in the English translation; it kind of ruined my expectations for the game's ability to narrate the story and its consensus properly later in the game.”
- “Nevertheless, the main story turned out to be artless, naive, and poorly written.”
- “First of all, there is no coherent story whatsoever.”
graphics
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
46%
4%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique hand-drawn art style that evokes an eerie and surreal atmosphere, effectively enhancing the horror elements of the gameplay. Many players appreciate the minimalist yet detailed visuals, which contribute to a sense of dread and immersion, although some critique the simplicity as occasionally leading to confusion in gameplay. Overall, the art style is widely praised for its creativity and ability to complement the game's narrative and puzzles.
- “Visuals - I am in love with the art style and the eerie feel it sends across - the scratchy lines over the pale paper-like background work really well (especially with the neat touches like blood trailing from your cursor when you get hurt and staining the paper in drops). The artist's linework shows great skill, and I suggest you check out more of her work.”
- “The graphics are surreal and complement this fascinating story perfectly.”
- “The art style is perfect for the type of atmosphere the developers are trying to create, and I can't wait for the next game.”
- “However, the visuals, style and overall atmosphere are very on point and there is a constant sense of dread and melancholy throughout the whole game.”
- “As for my complaints about the game, because of its plain pencil sketch graphics it can be a bit dull at times with a lot of the environments not being drastically different.”
- “This game isn't my thing, the puzzles are just tough for me to understand as the artwork for everything blends with each other, finding items is gonna be difficult as everything is sketched to the same color, causing items to stand out way less.”
gameplay
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
70%
6%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its point-and-click mechanics, which some players find creatively engaging while others consider overly simplistic or frustrating due to restrictive interactions and unintuitive puzzles. The non-linear structure and multiple endings add depth, allowing choices to significantly impact the experience, though this can lead to tedious backtracking. Overall, while the atmosphere and story are praised, opinions on the gameplay mechanics vary widely, with some enjoying the challenge and others feeling it lacks depth and clarity.
- “The mechanics are very creative and really get your neurons going.”
- “The atmosphere it builds is amazing, the tone of the game is great, and the gameplay is superb.”
- “Overall there's a cool story and any choice you make affects the gameplay, whether significantly or not, which I find really cool.”
- “The objects are in a super specific order and can't be interacted with if it's not the time to take it; it's very restrictive gameplay, not my style.”
- “Curious horror theme, but the gameplay is just random clicking; hardly any of the puzzles make any degree of sense at all.”
- “The gameplay lacks depth and interest, and combining the limited overall gameplay with the rather high price tag makes it hard to recommend.”
atmosphere
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
28%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and unique art style that effectively convey a sense of dread and melancholy. While some players found the horror elements less impactful, the overall ambiance and surreal settings create a captivating experience that keeps players engaged throughout. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke a chilling atmosphere without relying heavily on jump scares, making it a standout in the point-and-click genre.
- “The atmosphere it builds is amazing, the tone of the game is great, and the gameplay is superb.”
- “The combination of the creepy and atmospheric music, with beautiful yet simple art, sprinkled with intriguing story and challenging gameplay made for a very positive experience.”
- “Desert Fox should feel proud of their accomplishments in creating the deeply disturbing and uniquely hauntingly atmospheric world of Bad Dream: Coma.”
- “The horror part was a bit too edgy and not scary; I couldn’t feel the atmosphere of witnessing the horrors other characters and NPCs are experiencing.”
- “There are much better adventure games out there, but giving credit where credit is due, Bad Dream: Coma is an alright adventure game with a dense melancholic and depressing atmosphere, and although the puzzles are sometimes a little too obtuse, the overall journey is a barely amusing one.”
- “Fairly unsettling atmosphere - perhaps not scary but definitely unnerving.”
music
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
50%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its eerie and chilling qualities that complement the visuals and gameplay. While some found the soundtrack to be repetitive or lacking in variety, the overall consensus is that it effectively contributes to the game's horror elements and immersive experience. Despite a few criticisms, the soundtrack is often described as outstanding and integral to the game's charm and mood.
- “Nice creepy music, fits the atmosphere.”
- “The combination of the creepy and atmospheric music, with beautiful yet simple art, sprinkled with intriguing story and challenging gameplay made for a very positive experience.”
- “The soundtrack matches the atmosphere brilliantly and overall, it is an incredibly charming game.”
- “One area that I did find very good is the music, but everything else feels lackluster by comparison.”
- “The game uses repetitive music that doesn't always fit the mood of the room and scene.”
- “The music is trying too hard to be scary; in fact, it mostly feels like stock.”
replayability
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
64%
8%
The game boasts high replayability, with multiple endings and achievements that encourage players to explore different choices and paths. Many reviewers highlight the engaging story and atmosphere, noting that the variety of outcomes based on player decisions adds significant value to repeated playthroughs. Overall, players find the experience enjoyable and worth revisiting to uncover all the nuances and alternate scenarios.
- “Creepy, thought-provoking, and replayable for the many different endings and achievements that are only available depending on how you choose to play the game.”
- “Incredibly interesting story, and the replay value is incredible with many possible choices and different choice combinations.”
- “The game has got a great atmosphere and a really nice art style; the story changes depending on what route you take, and the game has a ton of replay value, from one level being filled with crows if you've killed them in a previous one, to having a cyclops rampaging through the city if you poked someone's eye out.”
- “The game is quite short, but there is some replay value to get different endings depending on your actions in-game.”
- “There are alternate endings which adds to the replayability value or at least you'd think it would, but the game plays pretty much exactly the same except that in one playthrough you don't punch the crows, in another one you do punch the little f*ckers.”
- “For a good while in my first playthrough it seemed as if there wasn't going to be a lot of replay value, and for some that might be true, but I found all three of its main ending paths (good, neutral, bad) to be worth going through to check out the differences and be challenged in a different regard.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of dark, twisted, and surreal elements, often eliciting laughter through its bizarre scenarios and fourth-wall breaking moments. While some players appreciate the eerie yet cartoonish animation and running gags, others feel it could benefit from more lighthearted comedic moments. Overall, the humor is seen as both unsettling and entertaining, contributing to the game's unique atmosphere.
- “Great illustrated point and click with a twisted sense of humor.”
- “At least some of it is funny, like the running joke with the finger trauma your mouse cursor goes through.”
- “I enjoyed the surrealism and fourth-wall breaking humor, and the music and art style beautifully complement the nightmarish mood.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to achieve completionist goals. While some appreciate the multiple approaches to gameplay, many feel that the slow progression and unskippable dialogues detract from the overall experience, making it feel contrived at times. Overall, grinding is seen as a common but frustrating element of the genre.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Or if you go into games as a completionist, this game is painfully slow in terms of gaining achievements since all of them are secret; you'll have to do your own research for guides or some experimentation. You have to do almost one run per achievement, and it will drag your soul through tedious and unskippable dialogues and cutscenes.”
- “This feels tedious and contrived.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of disturbing and heartwarming elements, evoking strong feelings of discomfort and introspection. Players report a profound impact from the storyline, which can lead to feelings of guilt and sadness, while also providing moments of pride and connection through its intricate puzzles and narrative. Overall, the game elicits a complex emotional response, leaving a lasting impression on those who engage with its themes.
- “Disturbing, grisly, and saddening; acting as the game's character made me feel like a horrible human being.”
- “The art is neat and the storyline touches on a grim but heartwarming subject depending on what ending you get.”
- “If you've played the somewhat disjointed bad dream series of free games, you'll be wonderfully surprised as this ties everything together into a fairly clear-cut and heartbreaking narrative while being very disturbing and unsettling at the same time.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The stability of the game is mixed; while some users report a smooth experience with no glitches, others encounter significant bugs that require restarting chapters due to game-breaking errors. Overall, performance varies widely among players.
- “Runs great on my computer.”
- “The game has a solid performance with minimal crashes.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is, even during intense moments.”
- “But on the other hand, it's as buggy as hell, with having to restart chapters over and over due to game-breaking logic errors.”
- “I haven't had any problems with glitches or bugs in this game, and the ending was somewhat satisfying but also left you wanting more.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character designs are noted for their simplicity, effectively serving their roles within the narrative.
- “The character designs are quite simple and work well for their roles in the story.”
- “I felt like the characters lacked depth and their arcs were predictable.”
- “There was little to no growth in the characters throughout the game, making it hard to connect with them.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is praised for its impressive performance and elaborate sound effects, contributing to an overall positive optimization experience alongside its touching story.
- “The game not only features a touching story, but also impressive performance and elaborate sound effects.”
- “The optimization in this game is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the developers focused on optimization, ensuring that the game runs seamlessly without any lag.”