Heavy Dreams

About

Heavy Dreams is a single player simulation game. It was developed by JMC Games and was released on September 1, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

A boy. A laptop. A dream. In this game, you search through a young teenager's laptop, trying to find out his story. Solve hidden puzzles and read between the lines that he wrote in your quest to unravel the mystery of Jay Zhang.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

41%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

story10 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features a captivating and surreal visual style that immerses players in a haunting atmosphere.
The story is intriguing and thought-provoking, encouraging players to reflect on its themes even after finishing the game.
Despite its challenges, the game offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy solving complex puzzles and exploring narrative depth.

The puzzles are often cryptic and lack clear guidance, making progression frustrating and unintuitive for many players.
The user interface and font choices are poorly designed, leading to readability issues that hinder gameplay.
Technical issues, such as lag and a lack of graphics settings, detract from the overall experience and make the game feel unpolished.

story
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and rewarding, particularly praising the ending, while others criticize it as lackluster and poorly integrated with the gameplay. Many reviewers note that the puzzles often detract from the narrative experience, making it difficult to appreciate the story fully. Overall, while there are moments of intrigue, the execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a divided reception among players.
- “After getting through a large chunk of the game, I can recommend it on the story alone.”
- “It was a well-written story presented in a unique style that I have only ever seen in 'Emily is Away', and passion was very clearly sunk into the game.”
- “The story wasn't catchy, apart from the easter eggs, which effort was put in.”
- “The game does not have much of a story, so nothing much is causing the player to want to progress through the game.”
- “But what annoyed me the most is to place the story progression behind puzzles that didn't have much context.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the use of outdated retro pixel art that hampers readability and user interface functionality. Complaints include a lack of graphics settings, a forced scanline filter, and poor performance, with some players noting that the visuals detract from the overall experience. However, a few reviewers appreciated the consistent aesthetic, suggesting that while the graphics may not appeal to everyone, they align with the game's artistic vision.
- “The game runs well and the aesthetic is consistent and well done.”
- “Sure, maybe he has put a lot of effort into it, but it looks more like a messy artwork where only the artist understands the meaning.”
- “They chose to use obsolete retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “The graphical style makes (especially) the opening frustrating and harder to read, as well as affecting how well the UI functions.”
- “No graphics settings, which is a damned travesty considering there's a forced scanline filter with no means of removing, reducing, or adjusting it.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being tedious, unengaging, and often unplayable due to poor mechanics on smaller screens. Players find it slow and lacking in aesthetic appeal, with frustrating elements such as excessive reading and reliance on external resources for progress. Overall, the gameplay experience detracts significantly from the game's potential.
- “The game has a good idea, but the screen makes gameplay very difficult.”
- “Story progression and gameplay:”
- “Having to find things outside the game to play (i.e., screenshots on Steam) is somewhat interesting, if it's a mechanic used throughout the game; otherwise, it's just bloody annoying, particularly at the very beginning of the game before you've done anything else.”
- “The gameplay is a bit tedious to get used to as well.”
- “Some mechanics of the game don't work on smaller screen resolutions, making the game unplayable at certain times.”
- “The gameplay isn't just bad; it looks bad as well. It feels slow, and the lack of background music is overwhelming. The game doesn't have a nice aesthetic to distract you from the hour-long scrolling through the in-game journal that you have to read through.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the intro track and find potential in the overall sound, others criticize the basic sound effects and lack of engaging background music, which detracts from the gameplay experience. Overall, the music does not seem to elevate the game significantly, leaving some players feeling unengaged.
- “I mean the game might have potential, and the music's pretty good!”
- “The music for the intro is pretty nice.”
- “The sound effects are basic, and there's some music that I didn't care much about listening to.”
- “The void of no background music is going to consume you; it doesn't have a nice aesthetic to distract you from the hour-long scrolling through the in-game journal that you have to read through.”
- “Is there really nothing special to be doing other than playing a game, reading some essays, and listening to music, or is it just me?”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unengaging, particularly criticizing the difficulty in reading the text due to poor font choices. This has led some to feel that the game is not worth their time or money, especially for those with busy schedules.
- “But when you are an adult like me who has no time for tedious games as uninteresting as this, keep your bucks to yourself.”
- “The gameplay is a bit tedious to get used to as well.”
- “Reason 1: the text is tedious and sometimes impossible to read due to the font.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some users find it manageable and enjoyable with a guide, others report significant bugs that render it unplayable. Overall, the experience varies greatly depending on individual tolerance for glitches.
- “So buggy and broken it can't be played.”
- “Sure, it's a bit buggy but it's free and with a guide, it's an easy to beat game.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for enhancing the overall experience, making it intriguing and engaging, even amidst challenging puzzles. Players find that the atmospheric elements contribute significantly to the enjoyment of solving the puzzles.
- “That is not at all necessary, but it serves this game's atmosphere quite well.”
- “Yes, the puzzles can be hard, but the game is also intriguing in its atmosphere and the puzzles can be a joy to solve.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is noted as positive, as it is completely free, contrasting with the common trend of games made with Gamemaker Studio being perceived as low-effort cash grabs.
- “Very often, game maker studios are used to create shovelware and lazy cash grabs, although in this case, the game is completely free.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The optimization of the game is widely criticized, with users describing it as "garbage," indicating significant performance issues and a lack of polish.
- “The optimization is garbage.”
- “The game runs poorly and needs significant optimization.”
- “I experienced constant frame drops and lag due to lack of optimization.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is characterized by light-hearted, relatable moments, often involving playful warnings or mishaps, such as the importance of backing up progress to avoid comical mistakes. This blend of practical advice and humor adds a charming touch to the overall experience.
- “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, with clever writing that keeps you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious moments that catch you off guard.”
- “The witty dialogue and playful banter between characters add a delightful layer of humor that makes the experience even more enjoyable.”