The Dream Machine
- May 10, 2012
- The Sleeping Machine
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"The Dream Machine" is a point-and-click adventure game set in a surrealist dream world. The player must solve puzzles and uncover the mysteries of a creepy apartment building, using objects and interacting with characters in each chapter. With a unique claymation art style, the game delves into themes of paranoia and the blurred line between reality and imagination.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique claymation art style that is visually stunning and immersive.
- The story is engaging and thought-provoking, exploring deep themes of dreams, existence, and morality.
- Puzzles are clever and challenging, requiring players to think outside the box and pay attention to details.
- The game suffers from significant performance issues, including frequent crashes and lag, especially in later chapters.
- Some puzzles can be overly obscure or frustrating, leading to reliance on walkthroughs.
- The ending is disappointing for many players, feeling rushed and lacking meaningful choices.
- story921 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "The Dream Machine" is widely praised for its engaging and thought-provoking narrative, which explores themes of dreams, life, and existential dilemmas through a surreal and often dark lens. Players appreciate the unique claymation art style that complements the intricate storytelling, with many noting that the plot twists and character development keep them invested throughout the game. While some find the pacing uneven and the ending unsatisfactory, the overall consensus is that the game offers a rich, immersive experience that stands out in the point-and-click genre.
“The story is intriguing and lovely, the animation is beautiful and weird, the music is atmospheric.”
“The story is captivating, with a unique blend of surrealism and emotional depth that keeps you engaged throughout.”
“The dream machine tells an absolutely captivating story, that is supported by some truly stunning and unique visuals and sounds.”
“If what I've read is correct, the creators are making a movie based on the story of this game, and frankly, if that ever comes out, I'd deeply recommend checking that out instead.”
“The biggest problem I had was that the story was not there either.”
“However, the story really fell apart for me after chapter 4.”
- graphics405 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique claymation and handcrafted aesthetic, creating a visually distinct and immersive experience that enhances the storytelling. Many reviewers highlight the meticulous attention to detail and the surreal, dream-like quality of the visuals, which contribute to the game's eerie atmosphere. While some players find the character designs unsettling, the overall artistic direction is celebrated as a standout feature that sets the game apart from others in the genre.
“The handmade, claymation art style is the game's most striking feature.”
“The attention to detail in the graphics is simply stunning, and it is clear that the developers have put a lot of love and care into the design of this world.”
“The dream machine is a masterpiece of game design with stunning handcrafted graphics that create an immersive world.”
“People keep praising the art style of the game and while the claymation of it is cool, the actual modeling is basically grotesque and ugly and the music of the game is garbage.”
“I'm not a fan of the art style; it looks like the creators of Wallace and Gromit started hallucinating on meth and decided to make a game with extremely poor performance, dropping to 3-10 fps on all machines.”
“The graphics are quirky and unique, but the gameplay is smooth and the storyline is quite engaging.”
- music162 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and haunting qualities that enhance the overall experience, creating a dreamlike and eerie ambiance. However, some players found certain tracks repetitive or grating, leading them to mute the music entirely at times. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as beautiful and fitting for the game's unique art style, opinions vary on its effectiveness and appeal.
“The music is haunting and mesmerizing, and it will occasionally invoke feelings of nostalgia for a long-distant memory as a child and innocent years of a simpler time.”
“The atmosphere is absolutely chilling and the soundtrack helps set the haunting mood.”
“The music and sound design are top notch, immersing you in whichever dream world you're occupying.”
“There are a few tracks (Mr. Morton's office) that are so grating and annoying that made me mute the music entirely to be able to continue playing.”
“Game keeps freezing, has a ton of lag despite being seemingly simple, there's basically no audio design and the music just constantly loops the same boring 8 bars, that, coupled with boring puzzles makes it just incredibly boring.”
“The music is deliberately uncomfortable and unpleasant.”
- gameplay143 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a point-and-click adventure that features a mix of intriguing puzzles and creative mechanics, though it suffers from significant backtracking that can detract from the experience. While many players appreciate the artistic visuals and engaging story, some find the gameplay repetitive and occasionally frustrating due to bugs and simplistic controls. Overall, it offers a unique experience for genre fans, but its execution may not appeal to everyone.
“The gameplay is incredible, clever, enticing, mind-boggling, and mysterious.”
“With its stunning graphics, compelling story, and satisfying gameplay mechanics, it's a game that will be remembered long after the credits roll.”
“The art style is incredibly unique and the gameplay has just the right amount of challenge to it.”
“The core gameplay from chapter 3 onward involves a ton of backtracking, which tends to drag the game out considerably.”
“Unfortunately, the amount of bugs and lack of gameplay made me hate myself for wasting money on this game.”
“Sadly, the gameplay becomes tedious in the second half with lots of backtracking to places you already visited.”
- atmosphere115 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique and immersive qualities, characterized by a beautifully crafted claymation art style and a haunting soundtrack that enhances the eerie and whimsical experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from nostalgia to unease, creating a captivating environment that draws players into its surreal and often unsettling world. Overall, the combination of rich visuals, atmospheric sound design, and engaging storytelling contributes to a memorable and profound gaming experience.
“The art style is phenomenal - walking through all those detailed and vibrant dioramas and experiencing them close up gave everything such a unique atmosphere that I've never really felt in a game before.”
“The dream machine ably creates a unique world with imaginative, surreal, and often unsettling atmospheres, and the presentation of hand-made sets and characters offers a series of visually striking experiences never seen before in point-and-click games.”
“The atmosphere is absolutely chilling and the soundtrack helps set the haunting mood.”
“The atmosphere is truly unsettling, the environments are delightfully surreal, and the story is surprisingly engaging and had quite a bit of depth.”
“Without being a full-on horror game you will still feel weird and eerie playing this; you don't need jump scares because the atmosphere is enough.”
- humor49 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "The Dream Machine" is characterized by a unique blend of dark, witty, and surreal elements, often juxtaposed with unsettling themes and emotional depth. Players appreciate the clever dialogue and quirky characters, which contribute to both laugh-out-loud moments and a creepy atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with its artistic and philosophical undertones, making it a memorable experience.
“The dialogue is snappy and humorous, and there are plenty of moments of genuine emotion to get the heart racing.”
“It is an awesome self-adventure as well at some point, full of beautifully modeled scenes, characters, witty dialogues, and an intelligent, somewhat dark sense of humor.”
“The dialogue, which admittedly fills a lot of the game, is well written, relatable, and humorous.”
- emotional46 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a profound journey through themes of love, loss, and personal growth, often blending dark and humorous moments with deeply touching storytelling. Players report being emotionally invested, experiencing a range of feelings from joy to heartbreak, with some describing the game as an emotional rollercoaster that leaves a lasting impact. While the visuals and music enhance the emotional experience, opinions on the ending vary, with some finding it abrupt and unsatisfying, detracting from the overall emotional resonance.
“The emotional storytelling takes players on a journey through complex themes of love and loss, while the challenging puzzles are seamlessly woven into the storyline.”
“I don't know what to say... besides... I'm hurt and sad about the outcome and am emotionally wrecked for the time being after finishing :( ... but I want to say, this game is amazing and I'll remember it and be happy to have had the honor to play for years to come.”
“It was an emotional rollercoaster the entire way through and left me in tears.”
- stability40 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs, crashes, and freezes reported by users. Many players experienced game-breaking glitches, particularly during key chapters, which hindered progress and enjoyment. While some minor glitches are manageable, the overall consensus is that the game's stability detracts from its otherwise strong visuals and storytelling.
“The game often freezes for me.”
“It pains me to leave a negative review for such a creative and beautiful game, but I can't look past the bugs - crashes on loading, glitches like getting stuck in a door and being unable to move, a bug in chapter 5 where it was impossible to complete the task because of a missing laser beam, and a weird bug where my save file would only show up after restarting the game.”
“Freezes on loading screen.”
- optimization38 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 47 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting frequent stuttering, crashes, and significant performance drops regardless of their hardware specifications. Many attribute these issues to the game's reliance on Flash technology, which is no longer supported, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from its otherwise impressive artistry and storytelling. Overall, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, making it difficult to recommend without significant updates to address these technical shortcomings.
“Though this game does have a myriad of positives, there are a couple of glaring issues, most notably; its performance, as the game will frequently shift to lower frames despite how impressive your rig may be.”
“Yes, still very good and, yes, absolutely amazing artwork that anyone and everyone should see, but I just can't suggest the game unless there's some kind of bug-fix or optimization update.”
“This stuttering was present in every single area, especially in larger, more detailed and active ones.”
“It seems like the engine has not been optimized for modern hardware, which is a shame because some of the game's areas suffer needlessly as a result.”
“The optimization of the game is crap; the game basically stutters, especially in dialogue areas.”
- grinding31 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 87 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is often viewed as tedious, particularly due to excessive backtracking and complex puzzles that can require trial and error. While some players appreciate the challenge and creativity of the puzzles, many find the repetitive nature of certain tasks and lengthy dialogues frustrating, especially in the later chapters. Overall, the experience can feel rewarding for those willing to invest the time, but it may deter others due to its grindy elements.
“In the later chapters, there is some backtracking through parts of the earlier chapters, but fortunately, you can quick-travel, so it is not too tedious.”
“The ending would be very divisive for some people and chapter 5 is by far the worst and most tedious.”
“Sadly, the gameplay becomes tedious in the second half with lots of backtracking to places you already visited.”
“This game is one that requires a lot of thought and a lot of patience, because starting around the second chapter, most of the time you will spend playing this game will involve backtracking, and if you are clueless about what is going on, the game can become somewhat tedious and frustrating.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable due to its complexity and engaging content, others criticize it for being linear and lacking replay value after completing the chapters. The short length of each chapter and the simplicity of the puzzles contribute to a diminished incentive to replay once the story is finished.
“🔲 Infinitely replayable.”
“I loved this game so much, and it is replayable.”
“Replayable due to its complexity (after a decent amount of time).”
“Being a linear point-and-click adventure game, with each chapter only a few hours long and having no replay value, it really doesn't make any sense for someone to sell this type of game piecemeal if there was going to be several years between each chapter's release.”
“The puzzles are not extremely difficult to figure out and sadly, there’s very little replay value once you’ve played through.”
“Replayable due to its complexity (after a decent amount of time)”
- character development8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game features exceptional character development, with players noting its poignant moral dilemmas and the protagonist's growth throughout the adventure. While the character design has been described as creepy, it ultimately contributes to the game's unique atmosphere and charm, enhancing the overall experience despite some initial reservations. The combination of engaging puzzles and immersive storytelling further solidifies the game's strong character development.
“I've not seen better character development in an adventure game, or more poignant moral dilemmas.”
“Puzzles can get a bit challenging at times and the story starts out somewhat standard but very much worth a play just to enjoy the unique graphics and be charmed as you watch the protagonist go through character development.”
“Truly submerges the player into its atmosphere from the beginning.. the character design, ambient music and thought-through entertaining quests.”
“Aside from the clay animation and the unique character designs, I would say it brings nothing new to the table as far as this type of game goes.”
“But honestly, atrocious character design aside, this game is pretty cool.”
“The puzzles are really unique and satisfying, the music is haunting and ambient, and the character design is creepy, but seriously grows on you.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is viewed positively, as it is not classified as early access and does not appear to exploit players for cash. Reviewers appreciate that it delivers on its promises and stands out as a superior title within its genre, despite some concerns about unfinished content.
“I don't really condone early access purchases; I feel they are a cash grab.”
“The monetization model feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
“The game is fun, but the constant push for microtransactions is frustrating.”
