Dreaming Sarah

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 713 reviews
  • music
  • story
  • graphics
Dreaming Sarah Game Cover
Starting at $2.15Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store

"Dreaming Sarah" is a surreal adventure platformer game inspired by "Yume Nikki," where you help Sarah, a young girl in a coma, wake up by exploring her dream world. Collect items, interact with peculiar characters, and solve puzzles to uncover two possible endings. Explore diverse areas like a forest, haunted mansion, and even the moon, while finding gameplay-altering objects and uncovering secrets.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 713 reviews
music161 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • Dreaming Sarah features beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The game offers a unique exploration experience, allowing players to discover secrets and solve puzzles in a surreal dream world.
  • Despite its short length, the game provides an engaging and immersive experience, making it a worthwhile play for fans of exploration and puzzle games.
  • The game can be confusing at times, with a lack of clear direction leading to aimless wandering and backtracking.
  • Some players may find the puzzles too simplistic or the gameplay lacking in depth, resulting in a less challenging experience.
  • The story is minimal and open to interpretation, which may leave some players feeling unsatisfied or wanting more narrative depth.
  • music254 mentions

    The music in "Dreaming Sarah" is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the game's dreamy atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its calming, ambient qualities that evoke a range of emotions from relaxation to eeriness. The soundtrack is often described as exceptional, fitting seamlessly with the visuals and gameplay, and is considered a significant highlight of the experience, even being available for free with the game purchase. Overall, the music contributes greatly to the game's charm and immersive quality, making it a memorable aspect for players.

    • “Dreaming Sarah's dreamlike visuals and enchanting soundtrack further enhance the overall experience.”
    • “The soundtrack is both smooth and mysterious, fitting perfectly with the overall surrealistic atmosphere.”
    • “The music is astoundingly beautiful and I already love ambient type music; it's just very chill and relaxing.”
    • “The music and sounds don't really stand out at all either.”
    • “In some areas the music can become unsettling or even stop which makes the game a little worrying.”
    • “The visuals and music are both quite pleasing, but they're attached to an essentially mediocre puzzle platformer.”
  • story207 mentions

    The game's story is often described as simple and abstract, with many players finding it intriguing yet confusing. While some appreciate the dreamlike atmosphere and the opportunity to piece together the narrative through environmental storytelling, others criticize the lack of depth and clarity, feeling that the plot is minimal and disjointed. Overall, the story invites interpretation but may leave players wanting more in terms of character development and narrative cohesion.

    • “The story is nice and I would recommend trying it if you find anything about it that you like.”
    • “Dreaming Sarah is a great, surreal puzzle platformer that delivers an interesting (if somewhat basic) story through a cute art style and interesting interactions with NPCs.”
    • “The art, the interesting characters, heart-throbbing story, twists, funky areas, cool secrets, sick abilities (I love the necklace one) absolutely 10/10, it easily became one of my favorite games, and that's not an easy task.”
    • “The story isn't the most driven plot I've ever seen.”
    • “I understand that the game is about a girl in a coma, but that does not mean that the experience passed to the player should be poor, including the interaction between characters, not just two-sentence dialogues and a side quest to deliver a specific item.”
    • “There's not much story to get involved in; the bits of text that come out are largely disjointed and don't form any sort of narrative.”
  • graphics124 mentions

    The graphics of "Dreaming Sarah" are characterized by a charming pixel art style that evokes a dreamlike atmosphere, with vibrant colors and imaginative landscapes. While some players noted graphical glitches and a simplistic design, the overall aesthetic is appreciated for its cuteness and ability to create an engaging environment. The visuals, combined with a soothing soundtrack, contribute to a relaxing and immersive experience, reminiscent of classic titles like "Yume Nikki."

    • “The handcrafted art style brings the dream world to life, with vibrant colors and imaginative landscapes.”
    • “I absolutely fell in love with the music, and the whole aesthetic of the game is really comforting.”
    • “The art style is beautiful and is very reminiscent of the horror game Yume Nikki, which was the game Dreaming Sarah was inspired by.”
    • “Graphics are pixelated.”
    • “The visuals are mediocre at best.”
    • “However, considering the point of the game is to take in as much information from the visuals as you can and construct your own story of what happened, this isn’t a bad way to tie the gameplay in with that theme.”
  • gameplay114 mentions

    The gameplay of "Dreaming Sarah" is characterized by its simplicity and minimalist mechanics, often drawing comparisons to titles like "Yume Nikki" and "Omori." While some players appreciate the atmospheric exploration and whimsical elements, others find the gameplay frustratingly vague and lacking depth, with a short playtime of around 2-4 hours. Overall, it offers a charming experience for those who enjoy light puzzles and exploration, but may not satisfy players seeking more engaging or complex mechanics.

    • “While the game may be short, it manages to deliver an enjoyable and immersive gameplay experience.”
    • “A whimsical little adventure, accompanied by a good soundtrack, simple mechanics, and a lot of exploration.”
    • “Dreaming Sarah is a delightfully offbeat and trippy exploration game that uses platformer mechanics to explore the dream world of a comatose girl.”
    • “The combination of metroidvania gameplay and dream-like inconsistency of environment leads to a very frustrating experience of feeling very lost very quickly.”
    • “There isn't much to the story and the gameplay is quite boring and simplistic.”
    • “Once I realized that I spent more time trying to get the game set up and dealing with bugs than there is gameplay, I changed my mind about it and stopped playing.”
  • atmosphere98 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Dreaming Sarah" is widely praised for its dreamlike quality, combining eerie yet cozy elements that immerse players in a surreal exploration experience. The game's haunting soundtrack enhances this ambiance, creating a captivating audiovisual journey that evokes feelings of mystery and introspection. While the gameplay may be simple and short, the rich, atmospheric environments and artistic presentation leave a lasting impression on players.

    • “The haunting melodies complement the surreal atmosphere, immersing players in a captivating audiovisual journey.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game is amazing.”
    • “The soundtrack is both smooth and mysterious, fitting perfectly with the overall surrealistic atmosphere.”
    • “The concept is very promising, as it could easily lend itself to surreal and psychological storytelling, and the game does well at capturing a dreamlike atmosphere, but unfortunately it ends up going nowhere.”
    • “The areas you travel through are often weird, sometimes disturbing, and all feel right at home inside a dream or a nightmare: this paired with the truly excellent soundtrack gives the game a truly bizarre, 'trippy' atmosphere that makes it an experience worth having.”
    • “However, what isn't said makes the game's atmosphere dark and chaotic.”
  • emotional11 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its beautiful soundtrack, which complements the dreamy atmosphere and enhances the overall emotional resonance. While some players found the story touching and engaging, others felt a lack of emotional connection due to sparse character development and a disjointed narrative. Overall, the game evokes a range of feelings, from melancholy to intrigue, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a deep emotional experience.

    • “A very engaging and short game, with an emotional and sweet ending.”
    • “This game is a must buy for people who want a deep emotional experience and wish to complete satisfying puzzles that make you feel like you want the ending.”
    • “[b]🎵 beautiful soundtrack[/b] the game features a beautiful soundtrack that complements its dreamy atmosphere, enhancing the emotional resonance of the journey.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    Overall, the game has limited replayability, primarily appealing to those seeking to complete achievements or explore different endings. While some players find value in the initial experience, many agree that the game lacks substantial content to warrant multiple playthroughs.

    • “However, the game has some replay value and different possible endings, so what it lacks in mechanics it makes up for in grind material.”
    • “Not a game with high replay value, nor game of the year material, but certainly a worthwhile experience for the mature-minded gamer looking for something strange to explore.”
    • “As with these types of games, you won’t find any replay value out of this, but in my opinion, the money is well worth the time spent on it.”
    • “Not very replayable but a nice experience.”
    • “You'll only spend a few hours at most and there is zero replayability unless you missed an achievement and really want to get those for some reason.”
    • “Absolutely no replay value whatsoever.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of childlike charm and darker themes, creating a juxtaposition that ranges from funny to disturbing. Players appreciate the quirky characters and amusing moments, while also noting the eerie undertones that add depth to the experience. Overall, the game successfully balances lightheartedness with unsettling elements, making for a unique and engaging atmosphere.

    • “Nice atmosphere, funny moments.”
    • “Funny, cute little game.”
    • “First off: if you've played a Yume Nikki game before, this follows the formula to an almost funny extent.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by tedious and repetitive tasks, particularly in puzzle-solving and exploration. While some players appreciate the core mechanics of the genre, many find the backtracking and slow-paced navigation frustrating, leading to a sense of annoyance and a feeling of being stuck. Despite the low cost of the game, the grinding can detract from the overall experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I quickly found it tedious and annoying.”
    • “The puzzles themselves are generally simple to solve, but are throttled by tedious back-tracking and slow-paced exploration.”
    • “There are shortcuts revealed throughout, as well as an item that can teleport you back to the start, but even with that, traversing the small map areas becomes tedious.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game exhibits several graphical glitches and bugs that can detract from the experience, particularly when using controllers, which complicates input mapping. However, these issues do not lead to crashes or make the game unplayable, allowing for a fun albeit imperfect 2-3 hours of gameplay.

    • “The game is rather buggy, but admittedly, only once you set out to break it.”
    • “First off, trying to use an Xbox or Steam controller and get everything mapped correctly was unusually difficult for some reason. It took almost 20 minutes or more since the game kept behaving with weird mutual exclusivity on input devices, which interfered with the process of setting things up. It felt very buggy; I've never had such a problem before.”
    • “Going to get the thing that might change out of the way: the game is horribly buggy.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of depth, as the female protagonist remains silent and the overall narrative feels underdeveloped. While the dreamlike setting and surreal art contribute to the atmosphere, they do not compensate for the absence of meaningful character progression or story engagement.

    • “Given that the game is a dream sequence, that could be forgiven; if there were more to the game itself, then the lack of story or character development wouldn't be an issue.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and unengaging, leaving players disconnected from the protagonist's journey.”
    • “There is a noticeable absence of meaningful character growth, making it difficult to invest emotionally in the storyline.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization for controller support is well-executed, particularly in terms of key mapping, enhancing the overall user experience.

    • “Controller support is well optimized, considering the key mapping.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Dreaming Sarah

Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2hMain story
2hCompletionist
2-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games