Dreamview Weekly Roundup #89

Cor blimey - it has been a busy few weeks, hasn't it? We're fresh from revealing the incredible lineup of nominees for the 4th Annual Impy Awards, and just launched a lovely new version of our documentation website! What a time to be alive, folks. This years Impy Awards lineup showcases some of the very best that Dreams has had to offer over this last splendid year of creation, curation, and curiosities, so give it a look if you haven't already.

And we're not even close to being done with Impys fun yet. This year, you can even design your own island to sit within the Nomi Nations, our very own Impys Wonderland from which this year's event will be broadcast. Go fall down the rabbit hole and create your own slice of the Nomi Nations now! Wait, not just yet. Finish reading the Weekly Roundup first, obvs.

This week, we're bringing you soaring soundtracks, potential traffic accidents aplenty, and the chance to get stuck in a gigantic maze for hours at a time. It's like a game show, except all you win is inconvenience and many wasted hours of your life. Soooooo... it's a game show.

W I N D B O R N E#

by sumesest

Estimated playtime: 3 minutes

We've featured sumesest's stunning OST creations before in the roundup, but this has to be one of their best yet. On top of being a really difficult title to type out, W I N D B O R N E is another orchestrally stunning piece of music from the veteran Dreams composer. Made specifically for arepera's flight game Windborne Tentude, the tune really does conjure up the feeling of taking your flying machine on the road to the skies and soaring through the clouds. To match the soothing music, sumesest has also created a beautiful piece of colourfully striking artwork that wouldn't look out of place on an album cover. The sky, clouds, and stars overlook a planet's shadowy surface as the music swoops and soars around you. It almost feels as if you're suspended hundreds of feet across the ground, looking down at how tiny everything is below you and thinking how long it would take to hit the ground. Ooo-er. Maybe not, eh?

PugMonster (Painting A Day)#

by LegendOfSketchy

Estimated playtime: N/A

PugMonster. It's a pug monster! It's a pug that is also a monster. As far as we're concerned, that should tell you everything you need to know about this adorable bit of artwork, but unfortunately we do actually have a word quota to fill. So let's elaborate a little bit. PugMonster is the latest in LegendOfSketchy's Painting A Day series, a self-imposed challenge to create a unique bit of artwork every day (here's a link where you can check out the rest of the Painting A Day series). And unique it is, with PugMonster's tiny paws, beady peepers and squishable horns, this magnificent monster is one we'd be happy to take on a walk, play fetch with, and occassionally let it pee on a lamp post as a treat. We unfortunately don't have a dog, but if we did, we imagine it would look something like this. Digital monster doggos still count, right?

Sheepdog and Wolf#

by m_mitsumi

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Does anyone remember that old movie about the pig that thought it was a sheepdog? And then it hangs out with an old farmer in order to uncover the secret code to control sheep? Not ringing any bells? Well, no matter, as m_mitsumi has whipped up a creation that satisfies the innate sheperding instinct we definitely all have to protect the flock. And did we mention that they're cube shaped? Cube shaped things are always approximately 68% cuter, it's a fact. Taking control of two cuboid sheepdogs at the same time (one with each stick), you're tasked with the goal of barking away with wanton abandon to scare off encroaching wolves. While this sounds like a simple concept, your starting flock of 100 sheep are quickly whittled down into a bleating mess, as you battle to stave off the aggressive attacks of these wily wolves. Despite the top-down camera angle giving you sight of your entire flock at once, it quickly becomes a test of skill and hand-eye coordination to save your flock from the jaws of death. Where's that sheep-pig when you need one? He could probably sort this out in a jiffy. That'll do, pig. That'll do.

GRIDLOCK'D#

by atheistsw, arepera, and animeboy0021

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Let's be sensible for a moment and ask a genuine question. Is there anything as satisfying in gaming as smashing up cars? Watching the bumpers and wheels crumple up in slo-mo has long been a delight of dangerous digital drivers the world over. Well, if you like car crashes, then too bad, as the gameplay of GRIDLOCK'D actually focuses on not smashing up your virtual vehicles (blasphemy, we know!), and instead speeding as far as you can down busy city lanes without hitting any other traffic. On top of the inevitable car crashing mayhem (turns out we're not that good at avoiding incoming traffic - our bad), there's some absolutely stunning attention to detail here. With the windscreen wipers activating in snowy or wet weather, power-ups appearing just when you might need them, and brilliant environmental design, this is a tour de force of treats for the car-loving Dreams player. A game that is both destined to become a new hi-score favourite in Dreams, and allows you to smash up your favourite cars without worrying about the insurance repercussions? We'll happily stay GRIDLOCK'D forever.

The Lucky Maze#

by jiar300

Estimated playtime: N/A

Okay, we're gonna level with you. This is not a game for the claustrophobic. But if you like long, meandering corridors, a sense of helplessness, and the feeling of existential dread setting in almost immediately, you'll be well into The Lucky Maze. And given the love the Dreams coMmunity seem to have for all things liminal, that could be pretty likely. This enormous 10km² of nightmare fuel is all that stands between you and a sense of satisfaction from finding your way to the centre. On top of being an impressive technical achievement given the overwhelming scale of the structure, the maze itself is also tricky and a real test of your dedication, tenacity, and sense of direction to see it through and find your way to the centre. At least we'd hope that you would be better at finding your way than us, as our internal sat-nav repeatedly led us straight into a variety of dead ends. The Lucky Maze might not be everyone's cup of tea, but given the fact that you could probably hide out here for years before anyone found you, it might well be an introvert's dream.

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)