Collaborating in Dreams

Vast is the Dreamiverse. Powerful are the Dreams tools. Anything is possible. But it can also feel a little intimidating trying to make everything yourself. So why not collaborate with another coMmunity member on your grand designs? With Dreams, you can do more than just access and remix people’s creations, you can also invite others to collaborate on your projects with you to create your magnificent masterpieces.

We imagine you have many questions: how do I get in contact with people to collaborate; what is the process for doing so; is it okay to eat burnt toast? That’s why we’ve created this section - to easily walk you through the process of collaboration, from finding someone to work with, all the way through to releasing your collaborative creations. Nothing about burnt toast though, sorry.

Finding Friends#

Possibly the most daunting part of this process is actually finding people to work with. So we’ve laid out some handy steps for where to start below. These are all just suggestions, and you might well find people through other approaches as well. But the best thing to do is try, as you won’t get anywhere without giving something a go, right?

Find a Fellow Dreamer You Like

Arguably the first step to finding a collaborator is to find someone you would actually consider working with. There’s quite a few ways of doing this, but an obvious one is to quite simply play some creations and see what you like. Keep up with our Dreamview Weekly Roundups, or jump into our weekly streams, to see what’s hot in the world of Dreams that week. We’ll keep you up to date with the coolest creations to help you identify the people you might want to collaborate with.

Try Releasing a Demo

One thing that we’ve seen quite a few dreamers do is to release a work-in-progress demo of what they’re creating, and ask for help following that. You can put all sorts of information in the description of your creation, so why not use that as an opportunity to reach out to the coMmunity asking for help? It pays to be specific in these instances, so try and be explicit as possible about what you need help with. Do you need someone to design the art for you? Do you need help making some tight platforming? Is audio not your strong point? That way, people can easily see if they would be interested and willing to help.

Check out the CoMmunity Events

The coMmunity events in Dreams are a range of challenges and prompts created by the coMmunity to create and design certain things, or even to beat high scores on existing Dreams! On top of being fun extra challenges to complete in Dreams, they can also be an absolute gold mine for finding cool dreamers you might want to collaborate with. Some prolific coMmunity members create challenges, and those who regularly take part are likely to be open to working together on a collaborative project.

Make Use of the Dreams Forum

The Dreams forum(opens in new tab) is a great place, full of dreamers sharing their creations and chatting about how they created them. But did you know that there’s also a whole section just for collaboration(opens in new tab)? This is where dreamers come to find each other, pitch their creations and projects, and set out how they want to work together. Why not try pitching the project that you would like to work on in the forums, and see who volunteers to help you with it?

Use Social Media

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to do everything in Dreams (though we do love seeing how much you enjoy being in the Dreamiverse). A lot of dreamers are on social media, and promote their creations to the wider public beyond the Dreams coMmunity on various platforms. Try searching the hashtag #MadeinDreams on Twitter for example, and it will come up with a whole host of creations and dreamers showcasing their latest projects. There’s also a very active Reddit(opens in new tab) coMmunity which can be helpful too, and the coMmunity regularly share a bunch of tops tips and answer various queries about creation there.

Search on indreams.me

What’s that? The website you’re on right now, you say? We don’t want to blow our own trumpets too much, but this website has a ton of nifty little features directly connected to the game. By using indreams, you can quickly search for Dreams and dreamers on the go, and view who has collaborated on various projects quickly and easily. Even better, by searching for words like collab or collaboration, it will bring up everyone who has mentioned those words in their profile. Give it a try! But make sure to click on Search Dreamiverse first.

Reaching Out#

Okay, so you’ve found someone you think you’d like to work with. Now what? How do you reach out to them to start the collaboration process?

Say Hello

This is pretty self-explanatory, but you will have to introduce yourself at some point, right? So you might as well get it out of the way now. You can send other dreamers a message in Dreams, and this is a great way to make contact. Maybe share one of your work-in-progress creations as well, so they can see what you're up to. Just remember to be nice, and don’t be offended if the person doesn’t get back to you immediately. We’re all busy and have our own lives outside of Dreams as well, remember.

Leave Some Positive Feedback or a Comment

This is a great way to get into contact with people, whilst simultaneously showing appreciation for their efforts. By heading to a Dream's cover page, you can leave feedback in a variety of ways. Whilst giving a Dream a Thumbs-Up gives positive feedback generally, a more direct way is to actually leave a comment or a message for the dreamer that created it.

Offer to Help Someone Else Out Too

There’s no need to wait for someone to come to you. If you see that someone has reached out to the coMmunity in some way asking for help and advice to create a certain aspect of their game, why not offer your services? Helping other dreamers shows that you are willing to be an active member of the coMmunity, and that you’re happy to help and support other creators.

Dreaming of Streaming

We love to hear about coMmunity success stories here at Mm, and one that always tickles our fancy is the story of how Dreamflix came to be. One of the most successful coMmunity collaborations, the Dreamflix series of animations started with coMmunity members talking to each other in the chat of a streamer that was playing Dreams. Dreams streamers will often be happy to connect with the coMmunity, and you never know, you could create the next Dreamflix!

Remix, Remix, Remix

If you’re feeling a little shy, and you don’t want to reach out directly to someone, then perhaps try remixing someone else’s content. They will be notified that you’ve remixed their level, or kit, or creation and might go take a look to see what you’ve done with it. You never know, if they like what you’ve done with their creations, or think that you’re particularly talented with it, then they might reach out to you to see what you could create together if you pooled your talents.

Putting It All Together#

Finally, here’s a few things to remember about bringing your collaborative creations to life now that you’ve found each other.

Be Patient

Most dreamers do this as a hobby, so they will have lives and other priorities outside of their time spent in the Dreamiverse. So be patient with other coMmunity members, and remember that they’re doing this work with you out of the kindness of their own hearts.

Keep in Contact

Try and agree to fairly regular contact between you, whether that’s through messages in Dreams or other forms of communication. Please remember to also respect that other coMmunity members may not want to communicate as frequently, or in the same way, as you.

Agree on a Provisional Deadline

Something that might be helpful early on in the process is working out a provisional timetable of when your collaborator might be able to commit to providing the various assets or gameplay elements that you need. This means that you both have a clear idea of roughly when the content will be provided by. But do be flexible, as unforeseen events can happen, and life can get in the way of a hobby like this.

Overall, the most important thing to remember is that the Dreams coMmunity is a lovely place, full of people brought together by a passion for creation. So if you need help, make sure to reach out and connect with one another. See you in the Dreamiverse!