Dreamcore

About

Dreamcore is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Montraluz and was released on January 23, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Dreamcore is a single-player platformer that plunges you into vast, surreal liminal spaces like the haunting Dreampools and the eerie Eternal Suburbia. With no guidance, it challenges your intuition amid stunning graphics, a dense atmosphere, and a mesmerizing soundtrack. Its psychological exploration and grind-heavy gameplay create a unique, immersive experience between dreams.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+14

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 724 reviews

atmosphere72 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

The game captures the eerie atmosphere of liminal spaces perfectly, creating a sense of unease without relying on jump scares or monsters.
The level design is expansive and intricate, allowing for hours of exploration and discovery, making players feel genuinely lost in the environments.
The graphics and sound design are top-notch, enhancing the immersive experience and contributing to the overall unsettling vibe.

The game can feel tedious and repetitive, especially in the Eternal Suburbia level, where many houses lack distinct features, leading to confusion and frustration.
Some players may find the lack of clear objectives or threats boring, as the gameplay primarily revolves around wandering without much direction.
There are technical issues, such as crashes and performance problems, which can detract from the overall experience.

atmosphere
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
43%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke a sense of unease and nostalgia, effectively capturing the essence of liminal spaces through striking visuals and ambient sound design. Players appreciate the immersive experience of exploring vast, maze-like environments without the distraction of jump scares or entities, allowing for a deep engagement with the unsettling yet captivating atmosphere. While some critiques mention a lack of variety in scenery and gameplay, the overall consensus is that the game's atmospheric qualities are exceptional and provide a unique exploration experience.
- “The atmosphere is truly unsettling, with massive, well-designed levels that evoke an uneasy sense of familiarity.”
- “This game captures the vibe of liminal space super well, using just the atmosphere to set the tone of unease very well, both via the old camcorder graphics to the droning noise of overhead lights and echoing corridors, no cheap scares or monster chases.”
- “The atmosphere, the detail, the pacing... it all just clicked.”
- “Rather, it's just a maze game with repeating sights but little of the liminal atmosphere it needs.”
- “I'm fine not having monsters and such, it's just the near utter lack of scenery dressing and atmosphere reminds me that I'm playing a game and not exploring an experience.”
- “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.”
graphics
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
50%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere that effectively capture the liminal space aesthetic. However, some players criticize graphical glitches, graininess, and a lack of physical interaction with the environment, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game's unique art style and attention to detail in level design are frequently highlighted as standout features.
- “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.”
- “The graphics make the game extremely immersive.”
- “The graphics aren't convincing, especially in regards to the lack of physical interaction with the environment (no rippling in the water & clunky controls), the sound design is wonky (very fake footsteps & echoing), & the levels just aren't memorable nor do they have that unsettling balance of the otherworldly with the mundane.”
- “I loved the demo version but the full version didn't even run in the right aspect ratio or resolution, unfixable from the graphics menu or even by editing the ini file.”
- “The overall graphics are pretty basic and lackluster, but it makes sense for the intention.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by its beautiful visuals and immersive atmosphere, with mechanics that encourage exploration and puzzle-solving, such as finding objects to navigate dark areas. However, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in variety, often feeling like a slow-paced walking simulator with minimal structured objectives. While the game offers a unique experience for fans of liminal spaces, it may not appeal to those seeking more dynamic interactions or clear gameplay goals.
- “The gameplay is very good, like the graphics.”
- “Even with its simple task-based gameplay, it’s surprisingly immersive.”
- “The movement mechanics and sound design are spot-on, and they truly help convey a feeling of emptiness and solitude.”
- “The sheer scale of this one, combined with the repetition of multiple rooms, can make the gameplay frustrating and/or tedious.”
- “Once you dissect the gameplay down to 'what am I supposed to do,' it's just mindless wandering.”
- “It's slow and offers little gameplay.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
68%
9%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and evoke emotions, particularly in specific levels like the suburbia area. While some players enjoyed the jazz elements and the eerie ambiance, others noted a lack of consistent ambient sounds and suggested that more music could be incorporated throughout the game. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's unique character and immersive experience.
- “The lobby music was fantastic and added a lot to the overall atmosphere.”
- “The eerie music playing in the distance only to be replaced by complete and utter silence immediately after, the VHS style visual that drives the liminal space feeling home, the droning of your own footsteps as you begin to question whether or not you've been through this area before, all of it adds so much character and charm to this game that no other backrooms game has been able to achieve.”
- “The music in this game is so well done!”
- “There's some light music in places, but not much as a whole.”
- “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.”
- “Would be nice if this game added more liminal space ambient like in the poolrooms level; I listen to liminal space ambient on YouTube and would highly recommend putting more ambient music in the game.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The game's story is largely minimal or absent, with many players noting a lack of traditional narrative elements and plot progression. Instead, it focuses on atmospheric exploration and environmental storytelling, creating a haunting experience that resonates with those who appreciate subtlety over direct narrative. While some levels offer self-contained stories, the overall experience is more about ambiance and exploration than a cohesive plot.
- “But for players who appreciate atmospheric exploration, architectural storytelling, and the quiet, eerie pleasures of wandering through places that feel familiar yet wrong, Dreamcore offers an experience that lingers long after the screen fades to black.”
- “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.”
- “Interaction is minimal, the repetitive environments are mind-numbing, there is almost nothing interesting to find, there is no story, and some of the maps are just too large.”
- “The game does not reward you with plot reveals or escalating tension; instead, its reward is the act of drifting and sinking into atmosphere.”
- “This game doesn't really work for people who enjoy backrooms games with monsters or lore or any story.”
optimization
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report solid performance and good graphics, others experience significant issues, particularly on lower-end systems. Complaints include memory overload, stuttering, and a lack of an FOV slider, which detracts from the experience. Despite its potential, many users feel that further optimization is needed to enhance performance across a wider range of hardware.
- “Dreamcore has the best ambiance/aesthetics/performance combo from a backrooms game.”
- “Performance is very good, easy to run so no issues should arise, other than the relatively uncommon spike caused by UE loading asset/UMAP that can occur with exploration.”
- “The game is well optimized.”
- “Performance-wise, for whatever reason this game decided to take over my PC's memory, particularly while playing suburbia and hotel.”
- “This game does have very valid criticisms, most notably the performance being worse than the demo and the lack of an FOV slider.”
- “I hope this game at least improves its optimization, especially as it's getting much bigger.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
7%
86%
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, particularly in the later levels where repetition and backtracking diminish enjoyment. While the atmosphere and visuals are praised, many feel that the gameplay becomes overly monotonous, leading to a sense of boredom rather than challenge. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, with some players suggesting it detracts from the overall fun of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The sheer scale of this one, combined with the repetition of multiple rooms, can make the gameplay frustrating and/or tedious.”
- “The biggest issue I have is the tediousness of making your way through the later two levels, but with such a great atmosphere and great visuals, it's an okay trade-off.”
- “Absolutely brutal and at one point became more tedious and stressful than fun.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its deliberate pacing and immersive environments that evoke nostalgia and unease, reminiscent of childhood experiences. Players report feeling a deep connection to the settings, which can trigger a range of emotional responses, from discomfort to a sense of wonder, despite the absence of immediate danger. Overall, the game's design effectively elicits strong feelings, making players reflect on their own emotional journeys.
- “Its pacing is intentional, often slow, with long stretches where nothing seems to happen except your own shifting emotional responses to the environment.”
- “Suburban areas crafted so well it looks like your own hallway; I never realized how unnerved these sorts of environments have always made me feel in real life.”
- “It made me feel like I was a child lost in a supermarket again.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is noted for its high replayability, with players encouraged to explore its expansive environments, such as the pool rooms, despite some concerns about the time investment required to complete chapters. The experience is described as fun and thought-provoking, making it worthwhile to revisit.
- “Fun, existential, uncomfortable, and incredibly replayable.”
- “There’s a bit of replay value, even if only to explore the supermassive void that is the pool rooms.”
- “I get you want replayability to some extent, and maybe so backseating wouldn't affect streamers, but it took me almost the whole day to finish this chapter.”
- “Some people seem worried about replayability, but I’d say it’s worth diving into every corner.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, while the game exhibits some stability issues, including occasional graphical and audio bugs, these glitches are infrequent enough that they do not significantly detract from the overall experience. Some players have reported stuttering and visual anomalies, particularly in specific areas, but these issues are generally manageable.
- “Unfortunately, some bugs still occur in places - mostly graphical glitches but also audio bugs.”
- “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
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of creepiness and charm, with players finding amusement in the quirky layouts and unexpected details of the environments. The over-the-top elements, such as the exaggerated water effects, contribute to a unique and slightly absurd atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- “At times I was creeped out, but I also found myself appreciating the beauty of my surroundings, laughing at the layouts or contents of spaces I stumbled into, or feeling dumbfounded at the interconnectivity and scale of the labyrinths I found myself in.”
- “Yes, the way the demo did it was a bit over the top (hilariously, the water continued to ripple evenly well after you'd stop walking) but that was part of its slightly off-kilter charm.”