I’ve been playing the walking simulator genre for years. But it wasn’t until last year that I began to appreciate them more. A few of my favorite games from last year were these, and I suspect there will be a few I like this year. The latest one of these that I got my hands on is Dreamcore. Imagine a game that has you trying to escape from a dream that you’re watching from an old VHS tape. Well, that’s what this game is. If you have the patience, you will see what this game has to offer.
This dream is a maze
Dreamcore features a series of “dream” scenarios. At launch, the game includes two levels: Dreampools and Eternal Suburbia. Although they are different experiences, they share the same premise: find the exit. This may sound simple, but that’s where things get interesting.
The game doesn’t explain too much to you. That also includes not telling you what you need to do. The levels rely on the player examining their surroundings. Like The Platform 8, the key here is to notice things that stand out or appear different. Use that to your advantage and move around until you find what you’re looking for.
Both levels are mazes of different sorts. In Dreampools, you’re in a massive aquatic center. A place filled with pools, pipes, and other oddities. Meanwhile, Eternal Suburbia takes place in the suburbs and you must find a way out. Here, you’ll move from property to property as you search for what you’re looking for.
No clear goal, which is the point of the game
You need to go into Dreamcore accepting that the game isn’t going to lay out the goals right away. Each level starts with the same warning, which does serve as a clue. There are subtle clues, but the player needs to pay attention and discover them on their own.
It’s stated that both levels are random, so the placement of clues may vary from person to person. At the same time, some players might be able to solve these mazes in minutes. Meanwhile, others might take much longer. It all depends on your level of focus and how much you’re willing to explore.
It is easy to get lost. I spent over an hour in Dreampools. I was too focused on trying to find different rooms, that I completely forgot what I was doing. This is partly because I was under the impression I needed to go one way but I should have been going somewhere else.
This might annoy some people. At the same time, I must commend the developers for putting in a fair amount of easter eggs for players to discover. Based on the achievements alone, I missed out on a few things on both stages. This does encourage going back and trying the levels a second time. I certainly did.
Two now with a few more over the next two years
Dreamcore is not a complete game. At launch, only two of the five planned levels were available. The developer’s blog says the rest will come over the next two years. Unfortunately, there is no sign of a release schedule. They might come out all at once next year, or we could see one every couple of months.
Because of that, it’s hard to give a full opinion on the game. I enjoyed both levels. Although, I liked Dreampools more, Eternal Suburbia offered a greater challenge. Both had some interesting surprises and again, it’s might be interesting to return to a level to see what I may have missed.
I haven’t touched too much on the visuals. This is a game that mimics 90s VHS home recordings. It’s done well and adds to the atmosphere. It does give us the impression of you rewatching a home video. There is the ability to zoom in and out, but I didn’t find much need for it. It will be interesting to see how the other levels incorporate this aesthetic. A few settings could work well with this style, so I’m curious about what the developers are thinking for their next levels.
As it stands, this is an easy recommendation
Dreamcore starts strong and I’m interested in how the rest of the game shapes up. Based on the first two levels, this is an easy recommendation for people who enjoy tackling mazes. Don’t get too frustrated if you get lost. If you pay attention finding the exit is easy.
