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Picayune Dreams

99%Game Brain Score
music, story
grinding, optimization
99% User Score Based on 4,028 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom €4.99
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About

In "Picayune Dreams," you must survive relentless hordes of interdimensional beings and bullet hell bosses across randomly generated levels, with limited roguelike progression elements. Every second counts in this challenging, psychedelic experience, set to a heart-pounding glitchcore soundtrack. Your skill, endurance, and perseverance will be tested as you dodge attacks and collect resources to stay alive. Character count: 230 characters

Genres & Tags
Play Modes

99%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,028 reviews
music666 positive mentions
grinding24 negative mentions
  • Engaging gameplay that combines bullet heaven and bullet hell mechanics, providing a unique challenge.
  • Incredible soundtrack featuring breakcore music that enhances the overall experience.
  • Visually striking art style with a surreal aesthetic that complements the game's themes.
  • Some players may find the upgrade descriptions in code format confusing and not user-friendly.
  • The game can experience significant lag during late-game runs with many enemies and effects on screen.
  • Limited variety in enemy types and some weapons may feel underwhelming compared to others.
  • music
    1,180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Picayune Dreams" has been universally praised for its outstanding quality, with many reviewers highlighting the breakcore soundtrack as a standout feature that perfectly complements the game's frenetic gameplay and surreal visuals. The soundtrack, created by milkypossum, is described as both energizing and immersive, enhancing the overall experience and making it a key reason to play the game. While some players noted that the music might not appeal to everyone, the majority found it to be a significant highlight, often recommending the soundtrack as a must-have even outside of the game.

    • “The music always fits the hectic gameplay, and the boss themes don't feel too repetitive whenever you eventually are in your 10th+ run.”
    • “Milkypossum did a fantastic job with an intense breakcore/jungle soundtrack that wonderfully complements each moment of the game, from browsing menus and pondering your upgrades, to desperately fighting for your life against the oncoming horde, to weaving through bullets against a boss.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing, the story is actually really interesting, the game has a lot of replayability and most importantly you can keep the bosses as your friends after you defeat them.”
    • “The music is not very good imo.”
    • “As an addict of the genre the only complaints I have are the generic breakcore music and that I was left wanting more.”
    • “I could have bought just the music and felt it was a worthy purchase but the game more than delivers for the price, I just wish there was DLC for those who loved it.”
  • story
    1,008 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Picayune Dreams" is a captivating blend of surrealism and horror, delivered through fragmented memories unlocked by defeating bosses, reminiscent of RPG Maker aesthetics. While some players find the narrative intriguing and engaging, others note its brevity and cryptic nature, which can leave certain plot points vague. Overall, the story enhances the gameplay experience, providing context and emotional depth that elevates it above typical roguelike titles.

    • “The background behind every character, the reason you're in space, and the dialogue exchange between characters adds a perfect amount of backstory and flavor text.”
    • “Picayune dreams has an actual story with recurring characters that have endearing personalities and struggles, on a bullet heaven of all things, the game uses every tool at its disposal to make sure you know the characters feel, their loss of self, loneliness, pressure and guilt, and that pushes you to play flawlessly and witness their endings.”
    • “The story is immensely interesting for what's there and how it's presented.”
    • “Story is kinda meh, though.”
    • “The story sections of the game also change up the gameplay perspective and it is a nice respite from the bullet hell action the game throws at you.”
    • “Picayune dreams utilizes an approach to storytelling that leaves the new player confused; characters always seem to be on the same wavelengths in their conversations while the player is left to pick up whatever pieces make sense with what little they know.”
  • gameplay
    786 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Picayune Dreams" is widely praised for its addictive and engaging mechanics, blending elements of bullet hell and roguelike genres, reminiscent of "Vampire Survivors" but with added complexity and challenge. Players appreciate the dynamic combat, unique boss fights, and the integration of a compelling narrative that enhances the overall experience. While some note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time, the vibrant visuals and outstanding soundtrack contribute to a captivating and enjoyable gaming experience.

    • “The gameplay is addicting, and I cannot recommend it enough.”
    • “The bullet-hell roguelike multi-upgrade gameplay is extremely fun, and the beautiful surreal pixel graphics along with the borderline psychological horror storyline are highly engaging.”
    • “The gameplay, narrative, music, and visuals are all dizzying, colorful, dark, and overwhelming in the best way possible.”
    • “The gameplay can get stale after a while but still a good purchase to sink in a few hours.”
    • “The game had some issues in the horde gameplay as it just lasted way too long making it very tedious.”
    • “But after the story you don't feel like playing anymore because there's nothing driving you, and the gameplay isn't as deep as its contemporaries.”
  • graphics
    612 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their unique and captivating aesthetic, blending psychedelic visuals with a nostalgic, early internet vibe reminiscent of RPG Maker titles. Reviewers highlight the beautiful art style, engaging character designs, and a cohesive visual presentation that complements the game's frenetic gameplay and outstanding soundtrack. Overall, the visuals are described as both trippy and immersive, significantly enhancing the gaming experience.

    • “The game is so visionary in its execution and style: raw code being used in the UI instead of clear numbers and descriptions, the psychotic breakcore soundtrack (absolutely the best soundtrack of the year, and best video game OST of the past several years period), the oddball visuals that sort of look like early 2000's pre-rendered sprite jank, the surreal story with RPG Maker horror segments clearly inspired by the classics like Ib and Yume Nikki.”
    • “This game captured me through its wonderful visuals and soundtrack.”
    • “The visuals and music are both incredible and unique; it's really not something you get to see that often.”
    • “Bought this hoping the gameplay reflected the positive reviews, despite its unappealing visuals.”
    • “The game largely abandons its aesthetics and design for them in their first half which actually makes sense in-universe, but doesn't incorporate anything really in their second half, instead favoring a cool surreal RPG Maker horror feel.”
    • “A bullet hell/heaven that's not so dull in its aesthetic; every game of this genre is pretty boring in visuals, in my opinion... or at least it gets old after playing 3 or 4 similar games.”
  • replayability
    62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players enjoying the variety of unlockables, achievements, and engaging gameplay mechanics that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some users noted that once all items are unlocked, future runs can feel repetitive, suggesting a need for additional content or challenges to maintain long-term interest. Despite this, the combination of a captivating story, excellent soundtrack, and customization options contributes to a generally positive perception of the game's replay value.

    • “It has insane replay value and lots of things to unlock.”
    • “Despite the relatively small amount of content there is in this game, it is extremely replayable and genuinely really fun.”
    • “Finishing the main storyline doesn't take much time, but the game has a super high replayability thanks to all the unlockables, achievements, etc., and the advanced power-ups allow for really crazy builds that can smite enemies to smithereens.”
    • “That more holistic approach does mean this is a less replayable iteration of the genre, having some very clear endpoints after which you’ll know you’ve essentially seen it all.”
    • “The many runs required for the ribbon showed me that this game is not the strongest in the replayability department-- once you unlock all items, future runs feel kind of samey.”
    • “While not the perfect version, I do have my fair share of complaints about the game in terms of replayability and itemization which you can already find in the few negative reviews the game has.”
  • humor
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying the quirky dialogue, absurd character designs (especially the "funny rabbit"), and amusing interactions throughout gameplay. Many find the blend of humor with engaging mechanics and a compelling narrative enhances the overall experience, although some feel that certain jokes can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its charm and entertainment value.

    • “Fun gameplay, killer soundtrack, and a surprisingly good narrative behind it all with some humor thrown into the mix.”
    • “Trippy but interesting lore that unfolds bit by bit on every boss fight along with some funny dialogues.”
    • “However, the addicting gameplay loop of unlocking and trying new upgrades (along with the funny boss chats) always kept me engaged until I managed to find a combo to main, and bulldoze through the campaign!”
  • atmosphere
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "Picayune Dreams" is characterized by a surreal and haunting quality, enhanced by its vibrant yet unsettling visuals and a captivating breakcore soundtrack that complements the game's eerie themes. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of unease and intrigue, particularly during its horror vignettes and memory exploration segments. Overall, the combination of art, music, and storytelling creates a unique and immersive experience that resonates well with fans of atmospheric gaming.

    • “One of the best roguelike bullet hell games I have ever played, with one of the most amazing soundtracks I've heard, thrilling and atmospheric visuals, and of course, the impactful storytelling.”
    • “The art, music, story, and atmosphere all lend to a perfect surreal and dreamlike feeling that feels good to experience.”
    • “The story: honestly I still don't understand all of it and sometimes I felt like it repeated 'the world is ending' a little bit too much, but I do like it and feel interested in it. The atmosphere for exploring each of the memories was really well done and I felt unsettled and even scared during some of them. Horror really is done well in this game overall, but in these memory segments I especially feel like that's the case.”
    • “The game isn't trying to scare you, but it does a great job at maintaining a mysterious, strangely haunting atmosphere.”
    • “Graphically, Picayune Dreams features a broad range of visuals, from the clay-like enemy designs to the very minimalistic character models that are present in the story sections, which are unlocked after beating each boss for the first time, to the uncanny realism that I have seen sometimes compared to the somewhat horror-esque atmosphere of games like Yume Nikki.”
  • grinding
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the grinding in the game to be a balanced and rewarding experience, with a well-paced upgrade system that encourages engagement without becoming tedious. While some aspects, like horde gameplay, can feel overly long, the dynamic combat and meaningful progression keep the grind enjoyable. The option to toggle 2x speed also helps alleviate monotony, making grinding feel less like a chore and more like a strategic challenge.

    • “Balanced, challenging but not too grindy, and cheap!”
    • “The game's challenge level is perfectly tuned for this-- it took some focus and build-planning, but was not grindy, infuriating, or overly reliant on RNG.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The game had some issues in the horde gameplay as it just lasted way too long, making it very tedious.”
    • “Cool but way too grindy.”
  • character development
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its imaginative and unique character designs, which blend various artistic styles to create a visually stunning experience. While the narrative may be minimal, the distinctiveness of the characters and bosses contributes significantly to the overall atmosphere and engagement of the gameplay. Players appreciate the fusion of aesthetics and gameplay mechanics, making character design a standout feature of the game.

    • “Obsessed with the aesthetic; the best way I can describe it is a mix of Hylics enemy designs and Signalis main character designs, but it's a blend of styles I've never seen done before in the best way.”
    • “The character designs are also superb, and I adore all of them.”
    • “Outstanding soundtrack, immediately eye-grabbing art style and character designs, incredibly engaging gameplay loop and upgrade system that allows for fun new ways to play every time, all working together to create a game that keeps your eyes glued to the screen to the very end.”
  • optimization
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of Endless is generally seen as needing improvement, particularly in later stages where performance can significantly lag if experience points are not collected promptly. Users have noted that while the game runs well initially, it suffers from performance decay during extended play, especially in infinity mode, though recent patches have addressed some of these issues. Overall, players are hopeful for future updates to enhance performance further.

    • “Looking forward to the new update that fixes some of the performance issues that you hit when you get too far into the infinity mode.”
    • “One downside though is that if you let experience points float around, the game gets super slow in performance especially on later rounds where you have a bunch of hordes on you, but as long as you use the magnet or pick up a lot of experience points it shouldn't be laggy.”
    • “One downside though is that if you let experience points float around, the game gets super slow in performance, especially on later rounds where you have a bunch of hordes on you. But as long as you use the magnet or pick up a lot of experience points, it shouldn't be laggy.”
    • “While Picayune Dreams never crashed, I experienced severe performance decay even on a single run from start to the final boss (i.e., without looping).”
    • “Performance is a bit shaky.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game emotionally impactful, particularly praising its touching and thought-provoking story that complements the gameplay. The true ending leaves a strong impression, leading some to contemplate uninstalling the game due to its emotional weight. The soundtrack is also highlighted as an emotional motivator that enhances the overall experience.

    • “Proposes and executes an interesting blend of bullet heaven and bullet hell gameplay-wise, and has a touching, thought-provoking story when not defeating enemies.”
    • “Listen to some of the soundtrack (Occultation, Ejecta & Stage 3 (Celestial Variant)) if you would like an emotional motivator to try it out.”
    • “Now that I've gotten the true ending, I'm seriously considering uninstalling and never touching this game again.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that the game runs smoothly and performs well on the Steam Deck, indicating a high level of stability. Overall, players express satisfaction with its performance.

    • “The game runs smoothly and performs exceptionally well on the Steam Deck.”
    • “I highly recommend this game; it operates flawlessly on my device.”
    • “This game is stable and provides a great experience without any hiccups.”

Buy Picayune Dreams

10h Median play time
12h Average play time
10-21h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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