Dreamview Weekly Roundup #82

It’s well nippy here, and our poor writerly fingers are fast turning into eight perfect popsicles - plus two much less perfect popsicles that look like they could once have been thumbs, but equally might have been toes. If the whole Roundup thing doesn’t work out, we’re thinking of breaking them off and selling them out of a van to hungry commuters. The ideal wintertime treat!

While we warm ourselves by the toasty glow of our red-hot business acumen, why not peep our five recommendations for fab creations to check out in Dreams this weekend? First person to read them all gets a free Frozen Finger Food coupon: two for the price of thumb.

Garry: A Mini Adventure#

by jaffakree

Estimated playtime: 15 mins

Gnomes are, generally, a bit divisive. Some love the sassy little chaps, with their terrifying beady eyes and suspiciously ruddy cheeks. Some do not care for the voyeuristic garden demons, with their terrifying beady eyes and suspiciously ruddy cheeks. (The Impsider, as ever, remains an impartial observer.) What is without question, however, is that jaffakree’s Garry the Gnome is one of the good ones. He’s having a cracking time in this uncomplicated and joyous platforming adventure, bumbling and bum-sliding around a picturebook world to collect happy little orbs and unlock more areas. There are some lovely surprises in how prize bubbles are discovered - one of our favourite design tricks is the secret slides being hidden under pop-up cardboard chimneys. Naturally, the prizes you collect can be used in your own creations. There’s more than a sprinkle of LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway delight in his one - we reckon Garry, Sackboy and Iota would get on like a house on fire.

NAVY SEAL#

by JiggaSasch

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Never underestimate the power of a catchy title. This bit of wordplay immediately drew our eye - although we confess, we did half-hope we were about to play an ‘angry internet commenter’ simulator. Nonetheless, this launcher game feeds our noughties web nostalgia; tasked with firing a seal as far as possible across the surface of the sea, we must aim our shot well, fine-tune the power and control our cuddly projectile’s trajectory to maximise our score, as in countless Flash games of old. There’s a subtle art to this blubbery puzzle; before long, we find ourselves aiming for certain powerups in a particular order, carefully layering our seal’s speed-boosting or water-bouncing accessories. Quite apart from scoreboard glory, there’s something else to aim for: seeing as much of the entertaining background chaos as possible, from sunken isles to pirate showdowns.

Melody Blake-Character Showcase#

by NearRivers

Estimated playtime: N/A

Character artist NearRivers has really been putting in the work lately. Their more recent stylised sculpts show a growing skill and commitment to the fine details of their vinyl toy-style art. Intrepid investigator Melody Blake is no exception: from her perfectly messy strands of hair to the precision-shaping of her eyes and hands, plus the overall texturing and general presentation, this is an immaculate interactive scene that instantly gives us a sense of who Melody is. NearRivers’ dedicated showcase for Melody’s trusty tools of the trade; a close-up examination of her walkie-talkie and mega-watt torch helps us connect with how our hero connects with her world.

Dream Golf 2 DEMO#

by olit123, xXRazorfistXx and TheDreamForge

Estimated playtime: 30 mins

Golf’s got a bit of a reputation for being the sport of rich, plaid-wearing old fuddy-duddys. Not so in the Dreamiverse: like Golfito before it, Dream Golf 2 recognises that divot digging is way more fun when you break a few rules. The basics are all there: ball, hit the ball, hole, profit. But mechanical curveballs make these attractively-sculpted, Dreams-themed courses truly memorable, such as the ability to launch your ball skywards or into skee-ball targets while in launchpad areas, and gauntlet runs that suddenly give you full control over your ball as you dodge raining missiles and make death-defying leaps across platforms. Did we mention your ball actually takes the form of your equipped Imp? Yeah, try not to think about the ethics of that one too hard. A couch co-op party challenge for up to four players (our 30-minute time estimate is based on our two-player session), this generous demo contains the first three levels of the full game to come, which promises nine holes and even more mechanical mischief.

The Little Ninja 2022 ADVENT CALENDAR#

by Mystical_Vortex_ and DissObeyGames

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Nothing says ‘the holiday season’ quite like a branded tie-in. Just like the Pig Detective Advent Calendar, this virtual spinoff merch for Mystical_Vortex's game and animation series The Little Ninja is a delightful wander down memory lane. Behind each numbered door is a beautifully sculpted ornament featuring characters from The Little Ninja and Tale of the Little Ninjas, which you’ll collect over the course of the month as the background scene shifts and music plays. Clever use of the Date and Time gadget means that you really can only open one door per day, a charming concept that is nonetheless completely foreign to us. Personally, we’re opening all the doors to our choccy calendar on the first day of advent, then tipping the entirety of its contents into our drooling, Christmas-loving maw. It’s the reason for the season!

Check out the playable edition of this week's Dreamview Weekly Roundup right here in Dreams!

Which creations caught your eye in the Dreamiverse this week, and why? Tell us about your personal picks over on the official Dreams forums!(opens in new tab)