Dreamscaper

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,252 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Dreamscaper Game Cover
Dreamscaper is a stiff challenge, for sure, but it’s also a beautiful, moving adventure that takes a very familiar genre and does something very different with it.
Starting at $1.50Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Epic Games Store

"Dreamscaper" is a single-player shooter game with an intriguing story and unique atmosphere, where you navigate through Cassidy's dreams and waking life. The game features action-packed roguelike gameplay with deep combat systems, unique items, and challenging bosses. With its awesome mechanics, ingenious visuals, great music, and high replayability, "Dreamscaper" offers a highly emotional and often very funny experience, although it involves lots of grinding.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,252 reviews
gameplay187 positive mentions
grinding54 negative mentions
  • Beautiful visuals and art style that create a captivating atmosphere.
  • Engaging combat mechanics with a wide variety of weapons and abilities, allowing for diverse playstyles.
  • Thoughtful narrative that explores themes of mental health and personal growth, making the character's journey relatable.
  • Repetitive gameplay can lead to a sense of monotony, especially in later levels.
  • Some combat mechanics, like the 'perfect attack' timing, can feel overly punishing and difficult to master.
  • Lack of voice acting and character faces may detract from emotional engagement with the story.
  • gameplay421 mentions

    The gameplay of Dreamscaper is a blend of engaging roguelite mechanics and a unique narrative structure that alternates between dream battles and waking-world interactions. While many players appreciate the fluid combat and variety of weapons, some find the gameplay repetitive and occasionally clunky, with certain mechanics lacking clarity. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience with a strong aesthetic and thematic cohesion, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its pacing and complexity.

    • “The gameplay is smooth and addicting.”
    • “Dreamscaper is an action roguelite that combines a lot of great mechanics that all come together to offer a lot of variety in moment-to-moment gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay loop is fun and continues to be new and exciting after 16 hours of game time.”
    • “My experience with the game was carried entirely by the gameplay, and that eventually became too repetitive for me to continue.”
    • “The gameplay is more janky than Hades, but the story is touching and inspired me to grind through the game to get to the end.”
    • “The gameplay and feel just didn't sit right with me and I never found myself wanting to pick it up again.”
  • story416 mentions

    The story in Dreamscaper is a poignant exploration of mental health, particularly focusing on themes of depression and personal growth through the protagonist Cassidy's journey. While some players find the narrative engaging and relatable, others feel it can be slow-paced or disjointed, with a mix of compelling character interactions and moments that may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the storytelling is often praised for its emotional depth and integration with gameplay, though it may not appeal to those seeking a more action-driven experience.

    • “The story is relatable, and all the characters are very well fleshed out, and I enjoyed learning more about all seven (+ the main character).”
    • “It's rare for every aspect of a game to feel like they all work towards one cohesive feeling and theme, but everything from the music to the art style to the progression mechanics and the story really work towards their theme of a person struggling and trying to work their way out of a difficult situation in life.”
    • “Dreamscaper is a fun psychological roguelite that sets the player on a quest to help the main protagonist conquer her personal fears brought on by certain traumatic events experienced throughout her life.”
    • “You are painfully weak at the beginning, and the early story is well boring.”
    • “The story isn't fantastic, but it isn't trash either.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story does very little to justify it.”
  • graphics266 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their breathtaking beauty and unique art style, creating a visually stunning experience that enhances the gameplay. While the environments are often described as gorgeous and atmospheric, some critiques point to character designs as lacking detail, with faceless figures that may feel unsettling to some players. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm, despite occasional issues with clarity and detail in combat scenarios.

    • “The graphics are stunning and the combat is really fun, a bit repetitive looking at the levels but the loads of weapons and abilities just makes it really fun.”
    • “Dreamscaper is an action roguelike with a beautiful art style, relatable story, and masterful gameplay.”
    • “The visuals are gorgeous, the lofi music is surprisingly soothing, even in the middle of a high-stress fight.”
    • “The visuals are simple and lack polish at points, especially in regards to character designs and modeling, but overall do not retract from the enjoyment of the game.”
    • “You will die plenty of times, not because the enemies are difficult, but because you can't see anything; sometimes you are trying to dodge, then you can't dodge because you realize there is a barrier/tree/box, but the graphic is 'fade away' because you are near it.”
    • “The graphics are cute and smooth, the controls responsive, and you have no face.”
  • music251 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beautiful, atmospheric quality that enhances the overall experience, with many reviewers noting its ability to evoke emotions and complement the game's themes. While some players found the soundtrack soothing and immersive, others criticized it for being repetitive or mismatched with the gameplay's intensity. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional depth.

    • “The soundtrack is perfect for the premise of the game.”
    • “The music is amazing.”
    • “The music is gorgeous and fitting for the game's melancholic atmosphere, and I'll probably be enjoying the OST for some time.”
    • “The music is slow, soppy, and annoyingly repetitive. The waking life side feels like an autism simulator, trying to make friends through meaningless conversations and constant gift-giving. This is not real life; it should have been about working a job and dealing with family and friends, both good and bad, in her dreams. The lack of faces in the real world makes me not care for anyone, and the music is just so annoyingly repetitive and grindy!”
    • “Had to turn the music off; it's so depressing. This is a top-down shooter, not a romance visual novel. The depressed-looking character in the bedroom and the constant need to interact every time you die is off-putting.”
    • “The music gets super repetitive though. While it feels right for the game, it doesn't feel engaging even after 14 hours of gameplay.”
  • emotional60 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling and relatable character development, which resonate deeply with players. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to tackle complex themes of grief, personal growth, and emotional well-being through its narrative and gameplay mechanics, creating a compelling and immersive experience. While some critique the execution of certain elements, the overall consensus is that the game successfully evokes a range of emotions, making it a standout in the roguelite genre.

    • “Dreamscaper is an emotional journey about incremental progress masquerading as a hack-and-slash roguelite.”
    • “The way that everything is tied together with the theme of dreams, relationships, and different emotional issues is also well-done, and drives the player to continue playing and exploring.”
    • “The music, the atmosphere, the emotional story it tells that is very human is too compelling.”
  • grinding55 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in the early stages and when trying to unlock abilities or resources. While some appreciate the challenge and the eventual rewards that come from grinding, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of frustration and boredom. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant element that can either enhance or hinder the gaming experience, depending on individual preferences and play styles.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It is incredibly grindy and not what I want to do in-between dungeon runs.”
    • “It's by far too grindy for how boring and samey the individual runs are, and quite fast the novelty of the design, concept, and story drains out and doesn't carry the bland combat and slow progression anymore.”
    • “The problem is that the grinding makes it a 50+ hour slog.”
  • atmosphere54 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, blending soothing aesthetics with engaging gameplay. Reviewers highlight the compelling music, unique art style, and the way the atmosphere enhances the storytelling, creating a nostalgic and dreamlike experience. While some found the atmosphere lacking, the majority appreciate its ability to evoke feelings of calmness and introspection, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “An interesting contrast between soothing atmosphere and action.”
    • “The music, the atmosphere, the emotional story it tells that is very human is too compelling.”
    • “Beautiful atmosphere built around a self-care theme that encourages positive mental health practices in a wonderful way.”
    • “Nothing to add to the atmosphere, really.”
    • “Depressing music and atmosphere.”
    • “Everything but the atmosphere.”
  • replayability21 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, offering diverse gameplay options, engaging combat, and a rich variety of abilities and weapons. While some players note that it may not have as much replay value as other roguelikes like Hades, many still find it enjoyable and rewarding enough to revisit multiple times. However, a few reviews mention a lack of polish and replayability in certain aspects, indicating a mixed experience for some players.

    • “It offers lots of replayability, build options, and meta progression.”
    • “Beautiful aesthetic, rewarding gameplay, tons of replayability, and just an overall really fun experience.”
    • “The variety of play styles afforded by equipment combinations makes for good replay value while the way the stat progression of drops are structured sort of forces me to want to get better at using even my least favorite weapons when I know that I need a DPS upgrade.”
    • “For me, it had less replayability than Hades.”
    • “Rough around the edges, lacking replayability and polish.”
    • “Not as much replay value as most roguelikes, but still definitely worth the money!”
  • humor16 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dry, snarky wit and playful pop-culture references, reminiscent of Pixar's "Inside Out." Players appreciate the absurdity of unconventional weapons and abilities, as well as the amusing character writing that elicits both laughter and cringe. Overall, the game offers a lighthearted experience with clever easter eggs and humorous item descriptions, making it a refreshing alternative to more intense titles like Hades.

    • “I mean - I could talk about the tight gameplay loop, the absolute perfect difficulty/intensity scaling, the 'hidden' ending, it was all fantastic, the memes were hilarious - the wizard hat quote, are you serious? LMAO.”
    • “If Hades is like some anime that everyone talked about at school, Dreamscaper is more like Pixar, specifically Inside Out (if Pixar had a really dry, snarky sense of humor).”
    • “The character writing has made me laugh out loud or cringe in dismay.”
  • character development11 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted as a key feature, with players appreciating the progression of friendships and abilities that enhance gameplay. The narrative intertwines personal growth with gameplay mechanics, allowing players to unlock new skills and gear through social interactions. While some critiques mention the simplicity of character designs, the overall experience is enriched by the engaging story and character relationships.

    • “Basically you meet friends in the daytime to enhance your abilities, unlock gear and power-ups, etc. There is story and character development as your main character makes friends during the day.”
    • “It's a great game that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a story-based action game that has character development tied into gaining better abilities and weapons.”
    • “Persistent character development comes between runs in the form of the main character's budding friendships in a city to where she has recently moved.”
    • “Basically, you meet friends in the daytime to enhance your abilities, unlock gear and power-ups, etc. There is story and character development as your main character makes friends during the day.”
    • “I love the roguelike elements and how they're broken up by character development.”
  • stability6 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is highly praised, with many users reporting it as bug-free and running smoothly. While there are some minor glitches noted, particularly during specific gameplay moments, the overall experience remains satisfying and stable, even in its early access phase.

    • “Bug free.”
    • “Runs great, no bugs encountered.”
    • “Even in its early access state, there is a ton of stuff to do and it runs great.”
    • “Enjoyable, beautiful, crashy, and buggy for now...”
    • “It's essentially Hades with a therapy aesthetic, and aside from some minor glitches with resource loading around the second boss fight, the gameplay is smooth and satisfying.”
    • “Despite being a new early access title, the game is nearly devoid of any bugs or glitches to my knowledge.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its polished performance, with some reviewers noting it as one of the most refined early access titles. However, there are criticisms regarding the cluttered environment and lack of interactivity, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, while the graphics could use improvement, the performance issues are rare and not significant enough to overshadow the game's strengths.

    • “In each run, you gather resources which you can spend in the real world to make yourself stronger and improve your performance.”
    • “Presentation and performance are standouts.”
    • “Personally, I hate the environment; with all the clutter, you would think that some of it may be interactable, but it appears that there's meaning to it only from time to time when there's some memory connected to it. The destructibles that you made to stand out just make it look bizarre and lazy, while the graphics are not optimized.”
    • “I think if there was any genuine criticism I have other than those rare performance issues I had, the treasures you pick up in dungeons can look similar sometimes. They're all glowing orb-looking things, but you're going to grab everything anyway, so it's not a huge deal.”
    • “Performance-wise, it wouldn't surprise me if someone told me this was the most polished early access title they've ever played; it's that good.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

85% average critic score

Buy Dreamscaper

Play time

22hMedian play time
39hAverage play time
14-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News