Dreamcore

About

"Dreamcore" is a psychological exploration game set in hauntingly beautiful liminal spaces. Traverse non-linear, interconnected levels filled with mysteries and discovery, with the goal of uncovering hidden logic and finding your way to the exit. The game uses grainy VHS-inspired visuals and eerie stillness to build tension, immersing players in the uncanny aesthetic of 80s "Found Footage". Dive into the stillness of Dreampools and prepare for a unique and unsettling experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+12

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 267 reviews

atmosphere30 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Incredible atmosphere and graphics that effectively capture the essence of liminal spaces.
The game offers a unique experience of exploration without the presence of monsters or jump scares, creating a sense of unease and psychological horror.
The level design is expansive and encourages players to get lost in the environment, enhancing the feeling of isolation and disorientation.

The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, especially in the Eternal Suburbia level, which lacks variety and interesting landmarks.
The game currently has only two levels, which some players feel is not enough content for the price, leading to disappointment.
There are technical issues, such as crashes and optimization problems, which can detract from the overall experience.

atmosphere
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively capturing the essence of liminal spaces. Players appreciate the beautifully designed environments and the eerie ambiance that creates a sense of being lost in a surreal, maze-like world. While some find the repetitive nature of exploration tedious, many agree that the atmospheric experience is a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric and psychological exploration games.
- “The atmosphere in this game is unmatched and is exactly what I wanted from a liminal space game.”
- “I’ve just finished playing Dreamcore, and let me tell you, it’s one of the most captivating and atmospheric experiences I’ve had in a long time.”
- “The atmosphere is truly unsettling, with massive, well-designed levels that evoke an uneasy sense of familiarity.”
- “But it's not scary at all; the atmosphere definitely is unsettling at times, but after a while of running around in a constant loop, it's just boring and repetitive.”
- “The atmosphere is there but not enough for me yet; it lacks ambient sounds like water dripping or movement in the background in the first level, and there is no sound of air unless you run.”
- “There is very little atmosphere or events to keep you interested; it's absolute dogshit and I would sooner pour vinegar into an open wound than play this again.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
41%
7%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers rating them between 9/10 and 11/10, praising the stunning visuals, immersive environments, and unique dreamcore aesthetic. The combination of realistic lighting, a toggleable VHS mode, and attention to detail creates an unsettling yet captivating atmosphere that enhances the exploration experience. However, some players found the old VHS style overwhelming and reported issues with graphic settings, which slightly detracted from the overall visual experience.
- “The first thing that strikes you is the eerie, dreamlike quality of the visuals.”
- “The graphics are stunning, especially with the toggleable VHS mode that gives it a unique touch and an incredible sense of immersion.”
- “The experience was not only entertaining but also visually captivating, boasting stunning graphics that drew me into its vibrant world.”
- “Really didn't like the old VHS-style visuals; they gave me a headache after wandering around for a while.”
- “They nailed the liminal space aesthetic, but that's about all that's going for it.”
- “Some visuals were so bright and overwhelming they felt like photokeratitis (snowblindness).”
gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with scores ranging from 6/10 to 9/10, reflecting a divide between players who appreciate the atmospheric exploration of liminal spaces and those who find the maze-like mechanics tedious. While some praise the movement mechanics and sound design for enhancing the sense of solitude, others criticize the slow pace and repetitive nature of the gameplay. Overall, the game offers substantial exploratory content, appealing to fans of the genre despite its limitations.
- “The liminal gameplay is great; it nails the atmosphere of a liminal space type of game.”
- “The movement mechanics and sound design are spot-on, and they truly help convey a feeling of emptiness and solitude.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's very slow and relatively relaxed.”
- “I would appreciate if the developer would take a note from pools' gameplay and add a few more options for both walking and running speed as the 'wading' speed is the same as the crawling speed, and the walking speed isn't much faster—and you will do a lot of wading.”
- “The sense of unease is definitely well done, and the lack of monsters or cringe-inducing 'entities' is very much welcomed, with the gameplay solely revolving around escaping vast liminal labyrinths.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The music in the game is described as haunting and immersive, effectively enhancing the eerie atmosphere and contributing to the overall sense of disorientation. While it is used sparingly, each musical piece serves a clear purpose, adding unique personality to different areas and creating moments of tension. The original jazz compositions, along with ambient sounds, are praised for their quality and ability to evoke deep emotional responses, making the experience feel both surreal and engaging.
- “The game very infrequently uses music, and is mostly silent with the punctuation of footsteps along tile, grass, or wading through water, but when music is presented, it always has a clear purpose in mind for making those areas exude a unique personality.”
- “But what sets it apart isn’t just the visuals—it’s the music and sound design.”
- “The moments of ambient music popping in when certain areas were triggered was a nice touch.”
- “Truly hell, I keep following the music but I can never find where it's coming from, and since there is barely any info on the game, I'm hearing hallucinations of the music playing and my mind is breaking apart like I'm truly in the backrooms.”
- “The game very infrequently uses music and is mostly silent with the punctuation of footsteps along tile, grass, or wading through water, but when music is presented, it always has a clear purpose in mind for making those areas exude a unique personality.”
- “Only thing I have to say is that your description says no jumpscares, but there were absolutely gentle jumpscares with the ambient music coming in loud and fast in certain areas.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
13%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players reporting solid performance on high-end hardware like the 3080ti. However, some users experienced minor stuttering, glitches, and a need for further optimization, particularly in terms of visual clarity at distance. While the graphics are praised for their realism, there are suggestions for improvements to enhance the overall experience.
- “Incredibly realistic graphics with great performance.”
- “The game is well optimized.”
- “The controls and performance were solid.”
- “Other games I've tried are either poorly optimized or designed like a survival horror game.”
- “I had a bit of stuttering in some areas, along with a few glitches where walls would disappear in the second level.”
- “While this wasn't a massive problem, my hardware exceeds the recommended specs, so there may be some room for improvement in the game's optimization.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game's story is conveyed through self-contained levels that are interconnected within a haunting and mysterious world, emphasizing environmental storytelling. While the austere environments lack traditional narrative elements, they create a unique atmosphere that invites exploration and connection. Players who appreciate immersive experiences without a conventional story will find the game engaging and intriguing.
- “Each level feels like its own self-contained story, yet they’re all connected by this haunting, mysterious world.”
- “I truly savored every aspect of the game, from its immersive environments to the intricate storytelling that unfolded throughout.”
- “The environments are austere, allowing us as players to feel a connection to the generalized, non-specific atmospheres, because they mostly lack things like symbols, written language, numbers, images, advertisements, art, culture, politics, the news, dialogue, a story, and all other sorts of very human things that the game doesn't have, which makes the game feel foreign and exotic and thus interesting.”
- “I can recommend this game for people who don't need a story, a purpose, or a goal.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game's emotional impact stems from its vague and haunting ambiance, which evokes feelings of nostalgia and familiarity, reminiscent of ancient memories. The environments, such as pool rooms, elicit stress and a sense of being watched, enhancing the overall emotional experience.
- “It is exactly due to the vague and meaningless ambiance that it's relatable to memories in our brains -- ancient and slowly-decaying memories that are as vague as the ambiance, yet still we recall, then our awareness gets a taste of emotional déjà vu-like nostalgia when we traverse the game's levels and something strikes us as oddly familiar.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly when revisiting previously explored areas, which can lead to a lack of urgency and make the experience feel monotonous over time.
- “Whenever I stumble upon a room I've already been to, I stupidly and tediously run back through a huge room, field, or street.”
- “It can be tedious.”
- “The levels, while eerie, do not evoke a sense of urgency or stress, thus making the experience boring or, in worse cases, tedious after a couple of minutes.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, while players have reported occasional visual glitches and some stuttering, these issues are infrequent and do not significantly detract from the overall gaming experience.
- “I had a bit of stuttering in some areas, along with a few glitches where walls would disappear in the second level.”
- “There are occasional visual glitches that are apparent in both the filtered and non-filtered versions, though these are rare enough that they did not hamper my enjoyment of the overall game or remove me from the experience.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and exaggerated elements, such as the amusingly persistent water ripples, which contribute to its unique charm and offbeat appeal.
- “The way the demo did it was a bit over the top; hilariously, the water continued to ripple evenly well after you'd stopped walking, but that was part of its slightly off-kilter charm.”
- “The humor in this game is brilliantly absurd, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and unexpected situations that kept popping up throughout the game.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's monetization strategy is subtly integrated into its austere environments, which lack typical human elements such as advertisements and cultural references, creating a unique and foreign atmosphere. This minimalistic approach may enhance the player's experience but also raises questions about the absence of traditional monetization cues. Overall, the game's design choices contribute to a distinctive feel that may appeal to players seeking an unconventional experience.
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
- “It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”
- “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency detract from the overall experience and immersion.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
While some users express concerns about replayability, many believe that exploring every aspect of the game makes it worthwhile, suggesting that there is enough content to encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “Some people seem worried about replayability, but I’d say it’s worth diving into every corner.”
- “The game offers so many different paths and choices that each playthrough feels unique.”
- “With multiple endings and character builds, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of varied endings really diminishes the replay value.”