Dreamview Weekly Roundup #36

Hooray! Our good friend Friday has once again arrived, right on time for the weekend. So punctual! So reliable! So… beautiful, really, when you think about it. You know, sometimes, you can go your entire life with somebody around and never realise just how much they mean to you.

Um, if you happen to run into Friday at any point today, could you let it know that we’re free next Tuesday if it wants to grab a coffee? Don’t be all weird about it, though, be cool. Tell it about that one time we saved an orphanage by ferrying all the children out in our Lamborghini. Thanks, bud - knew we could count on you.

As payment for your wingman services, how about five recommendations for brilliant creations to check out in Dreams next weekend? Here you go. (Remember: Lam-borg-hini. The ‘H’ is silent.)

Mr. Mustache’s MOVEMBER MADNESS#

by the_burgervan

Looking for an ultra-polished 2D platformer with oodles of style and a challenge you can really sink your teeth into? Well, the answer’s right under your nose. Mr. Mustache’s MOVEMBER MADNESS makes a strong impression from the off, as the opening title flows seamlessly into a tutorial and then the interactive main menu (ever wanted to select a game mode by elbow-dropping it? Now you can). The charm and swagger of it all continues throughout this demo level, which demands you put Mr. Mustache’s movement system through its paces, bouncing between walls, swinging from birds and employing what is surely gaming’s most flamboyant double-jump to speed your way through. In addition to the bragging rights of topping this highly competitive leaderboard, there’s a prize for whomever reigns supreme by the end of the month: the_burgervan will be adding a special mask, made to the specifications of the winner. The current time to beat? A blistering 36 seconds, set by SNRG_Driven.

Jungle In The Rain#

by BADROBO82

Ah yes, another stunning snap from one of BadRobo82’s many mysterious holiday trips. Looks like a relaxing experience - the sound of raindrops hitting the surface of the water is so peaceful. Hang on: photographs don’t move, or make sounds. Or let you peer at them in incredible three-dimensional detail using your PSVR headset. Or have ‘Made In Dreams’ stamps in the bottom-right corner. DANG IT, ROBO, YOU FOOLED US AGAIN.

Lystre#

by fluximux

We recently had the chance to interview fluximux about the development of this tiny walking-and-climbing simulator; it’s now released, and is every bit as delightful as we’d hoped. Lystre has many wonderful qualities: a striking ‘flat colour’ 3D art style that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before in Dreams, and an avian protagonist whose disability doesn’t get in the way of her achieving her goals. But best of all is the joy Lystre finds in keeping things simple. “Up to three achievements!”, sings its creation description. There’s not much to do here, but all of it is presented with an artist’s eye for detail and a clear understanding of what a player might find pleasure in - whether that's a dedicated button to whistle birdsong, or the flock of gulls that circles the isle as you make your way to the top. Small, but perfectly formed.

The Finalist DEMO#

by Paulo-Lameiras

A vision in pixels, this demo for Paulo-Lameiras’ 2D action-adventure shows enormous promise. After rolling into the forest on a stranger’s wagon, you’re soon spelunking through caves and climbing castle towers as marauding blobs and bugs threaten to spoil your fun. Fortunately, you’re armed with a sword - which can dish out a sumptuously animated three-hit combo, and be used to pogo on springy flowers - and an item button with which you can employ the ultimate military tactic: throwing rocks at stuff from a safe distance. It feels solid to control - purposeful, if perhaps a little slow for the tastes of some. But as we discover our first powerup, a nippy air-dash, we realise that the full game will see us gradually upgrading this humble hero into a warrior. We’ll stress that you should be prepared to run into a bug or two in this early version of The Finalist; still, nothing can prepare you for the way this painstakingly precise art style looks in motion.

Pecking Order#

by Jimmyjules153

Honestly, we’d love to know where Jimmyjules153 gets their ideas from. This creator is a constant source of inventive, often gloriously silly one-shots. The latest? A minigame in which you play as a vicious magpie dive-bombing unsuspecting park-goers. The means of interaction feels particularly novel, having you draw a figure-eight with a motion-controlled pointer to direct the feathered terrorist’s horrible swooping. You’ll earn points for how much fear you manage to instill in each of your victims, also represented by the emojis goofily pasted onto their heads - the lower you fly, the more you’ll upset them, and using your cooldown-limited claw attack will understandably freak them out the most. It’s something of an autobiographical piece, with “sounds recorded from our local magpie flock”, according to the Australian creator. What is it with Aussie game devs and these games about being harassed by birds?(öffnet ein neues Tab) Are you lot okay down there? Honk twice if you need help.

Want an easy way to view all of these creations in one convenient collection? Check out the playable version of this week's Dreamview Weekly Roundup right here in Dreams!