7 of the Best... Action and Adventure Games in Dreams

If you've ever been in the unenviable position of trying to decide what is and what isn't an Action or Adventure game, you'll know how tricky it can be. Thankfully, you don't have to do that. But we did, and let us tell you, it's a doozy! The breadth of variety in the action and adventure genre is huge - which makes picking out a selection of some of the best the Dreamiverse has to offer a tricky task. Luckily, there were some obvious standouts that really stack up as some of the best action and adventure games in Dreams.

From glorious open worlds to smaller doses of point-and-click humour, and a plethora of in-your-face shooters, the Dreamiverse is fit to bursting with action-packed things to play. Of course, this is just a small selection: consider this a jumping off point for all the epic adventures you can find in Dreams.

Isle of Eras#

by Grambitious

Estimated playtime: 5 hours

Few Dreamiverse creations do mysterious settings and intriguing exploration as well as Isle of Eras. Beginning the adventure on a boat on the way to find your missing brother Otto, the game quickly escalates as you venture out to the mysterious Isle of Eras, where time and space refuse to follow the rules of nature. The titular island is full of all manner of secrets and some very dodgy scientific experiments, but what sets this creation apart as one of the best action and adventure games in Dreams is that it has the power to constantly surprise you. Not only is the world that Grambitious has crafted stunning to look at, but there are twists and turns around every corner, fascinating secrets and tricky puzzles across each and every inch of the island. Navigating this massive world is a huge part of the fun, and the discoverability of various items and mechanics as you progress keeps this time travelling adventure fresh for the whole of its lengthy runtime. Like a nice bit of wibbly wobbly timey wimey action? Then this one's for you.

The Pig Detective Series#

by SebastianTeamPD, Lotte_Double, DirtyHarolds, ReddishBoat and AndymationB

Estimated playtime: 8 hours

Where do we even begin with the Pig Detective series? This wonderfully offbeat point-and-click adventure saga has been a coMmunity favourite for as long as we can remember (though our memories and attention spans are frankly terrible at this point, no thanks to social media. Wait, where were we in this sentence again? Oh yes), with each instalment delivering another hilariously low-stakes but high-in-comic-value adventure. Everything about these games reminds us of the classic point-and-click greats, with luscious environments, engaging puzzles, and some top-tier character animations. Pig Detective himself is a real charmer, too: sarcastic, smart, with a particular love for doughnuts (the ideal man honestly).

There's really nothing else quite as ambitious or as loveable out there in the Dreamiverse, with its witty dialogue and memorable characters, and even some rat banter (there's a phrase we never thought we'd have to type). Whilst we would absolutely recommend playing each game on offer in order from 1 to 3, the Pig Detective games are standalone adventures, so you can jump in wherever you feel like and have an excellent time regardless of where you begin - although you'll find that Pig Detective 3 is the most impressive of all, with its creators' years of experience on full display. And with another fully-featured adventure on the horizon in the form of Pig Detective and the Beast of Boffington, you ain't seen the last of this hammy hero.

Cyber Trigger#

by Paulo-Lameiras

Estimated playtime: 1 hour

Cyber Trigger is what you get when you take the style of classic Metroidvanias, a dash of stunning pixel art, and mash it up with the wonderful freeform creativity of the Dreamiverse into a playable paste. Mmm, paste. This side-scrolling adventure nails the style and tone of retro 2D action games, with pixel-perfect art and satisfying alien blasting action. The level design of this game is really something special, with an intricately interconnected layout that harkens back to the days of the finest classic platforming action. Yet despite the obvious influences of retro games, this pixel-perfect creation is able to carry a sense of style all its own. Sometimes you'll find yourself forgetting that this is a creation made using the Dreams toolset, as it looks unlike anything else you'll come across in the Dreamiverse. That's before even mentioning the soundtrack, a blissfully 8-bit OST that both hypes you up to explore this alien planet and makes you jam along to it at the same time. Cyber Trigger's unique style, flair, and gameplay lands it a spot as one of the best action and adventure games in Dreams. If you're feeling nostalgic for a spot of side-scrolling, platforming, action-blasting fun, you could do a lot worse.

DREAM RELENTLESS (FPS)#

by Intrattackout

Estimated playtime: 2 hours

Alright, let's just put it out there. Sometimes you just need to shoot things and blow stuff up, y'know? It's therapeutic, okay. And there's nothing more satisfying in the Dreamiverse for this purpose than DREAM RELENTLESS (the title is in all caps, so you know it's serious). This DOOM-like is a full-on FPS complete with explosive shooting, expansive environments, and a banging metal soundtrack. It makes us think of a simpler time, before FPS games had XP grinding, and you could just headbang your floppy hair along to your grisly ultrakills. Whilst the design across the whole experience is a joy, we have to highlight how good the guns feel. They're weighty, chunky, and topped off with some great sound design to really add to the feeling of holding these weapons in your hands. It's like the cherry on top of a cake. A very violent cake. And if you're in the market for some tactile, hands-on melee kills, that's all present and correct here too. Movement is fast and fluid, which lets you really get into that much-coveted flow state, and the robotic, demonic enemies are truly relentless in their approach, leading to some frantic firefights among the industrial sci-fi environments of the game. Ultimately, this is a polished shooter filled with aggressive charm and some eye-popping fights that'll leave you feeling satisfied, accomplished, and covered in alien/demon goop. You sicko.

The Pilgrim#

by narvikgutten and Majoneskongen

Estimated playtime: 30 minutes

The Pilgrim stands alone as something of an anomaly in this list. Whilst many of the games mentioned here revolve around gratifying combat or high-octane action, The Pilgrim is sombre. Quiet. Considered. And that's not to say that it doesn't contain a bit of action (the combat in particular is a highlight), but there's something more intentional here. The Pilgrim evokes a solemn emotional response, with your character wandering a beautiful yet lonely world, on an unknown journey. Where are you going? Who knows. Why are you doing it? Good luck finding that out. Yet despite all the questions this game manifests in your mind, one thing is clear: this is one of the most unique and atmospheric adventure games in Dreams. Each section of the game presents a new mechanic, and new challenges to overcome. In one section you might be platforming your way up a tower, and the next you could be avoiding waves of enemies in a top-down-shooter experience. For all of its subdued energy, the action never lets up, and the constant shifts in genre means that you never become complacent. The Pilgrim may not give you a clear destination, but this is one journey you'll definitely want to make for yourself.

RID - Memories of the Elders

by LordBruce and Camian

Estimated playtime: 20 hours

If you've kept up with the goings on in the Dreamiverse, this game won't have escaped your attention. RID - Memories of the Elders is a humongous game, and probably one of the most polished experiences in Dreams. With a massive world to explore, and an intriguing story, we're still at a loss as to how two developers managed to create something of this scale. But beyond the lengthy runtime, what is it about this game that places it as one of the best action and adventure games in Dreams?

Firstly, this is a world that begs to be explored, with a never-ending series of intriguing landmarks that entice your curiosity, and secrets galore just waiting to be uncovered. Secondly, the gameplay has a whole load of fascinating lore to piece together, revolving around a mysterious figure known only as The Mariner. And thirdly, the gameplay itself. Here, you're mostly navigating the environment, so its a good job that they've made that process so consistently enjoyable. The ability to climb almost any surface in this game, coupled with the tense platforming sections, and the opportunity to gain new abilities as you progress really lends to that sense of freedom. It allows you to tackle puzzles or obstacles in a variety of different ways, and whilst there is usually a clear answer to a problem, the more imaginative players out there will enjoy devising unique solutions to these challenges. In that sense, the game clearly takes inspiration from modern open-world games like Breath of the Wild, but has a completely unique identity and visual style that keeps it standing out from the crowd. Whether it's jumping, climbing, or swimming, you have so many ways to explore this world that whatever your approach, the experience is a real joy. Having a bad day? Get RID.

Epsilum#

by Jaavaa, MultiMoo and IansaneArtist

Estimated playtime: 5 hours

After releasing a Dreamscom '22 demo that went down as smoothly as a nice afternoon cuppa, it was no surprise to us that Epsilum turned out so well. This FPS sci-fi-em-up is an excellent action game, taking place on the mysterious (and only recently inhabited by humans) planet of Epsilum. Whilst the early narrative is fairly standard (human explores cave with partner, loses partner, returns to base to find everyone slaughtered. Oops!), it develops into an engaging adventure across an unexplored world. A conspiracy quickly unfolds, and it's up to you and your arsenal of robot-blasting weapons to uncover the secrets of this planet, and the mysterious corporation that brought you here.

Of course, it helps that the shooting in this game is incredibly satisfying, and makes you want to sit there making "pew-pew" sci-fi noises and revelling in the enjoyable explosions. (We mean, you might do that, but we definitely didn't. We're grown ups, after all. And definitely not three children in a trenchcoat holding a controller.) It also has to be noted just how gorgeous the environments in this game are. From the first moment you step out onto the surface of the planet, the beauty of Epsilum's atmospheric landscapes and twin moons will have you enraptured. We wouldn't blame you if you spent half your playtime just looking around the world, exploring every nook and cranny for more gorgeousness.

If you're itchin' for more shootin' and scratchin' for more action, then remember that we've only just scratched the surface of the action the Dreamiverse has to offer. Check out the Action and Adventure playlist for more goodies by selecting the Dreams By Genre on the front page of DreamSurfing, and selecting Action and Adventure.

Or you can narrow your search down by hitting up our Action and Adventure collection. Either Play Now or Play Later, but either way, you're going to play*.

*P.S. We're not trying to threaten you, we just really want you to play these awesome creations.