Dreamview Weekly Roundup #38

Love is in the air this Friday at the Dreamview Weekly Roundup. A romantic work of sculpture? Adorable. A sequel that’s a labour of love? So moving. An interactive cryptid mating ritual? Goodness, we feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

If you’re after some good company, then, why not couple up with one of our five eminently eligible recommendations this weekend? Or a few, if you fancy it. No judgement here.

Plywood Edge Desk#

By cgCody

One of Dreams’ most talented engineers returns from a short break to boggle minds once again. It ‘started as a quick mockup of a desk design’, cgCody explains - but, on the evidence of this final short, ended up as so much more. Painstakingly-drawn blueprints give way to a cluster of materials - screws, wooden dowels, endless plywood layers - that are not only convincingly rendered but subject to the whims of physics, clattering into view. From there, a detailed live build plays out, each part fitting satisfyingly into another (sure, videogames are cool, but have you ever seen a DOVETAIL JOINT in action, kids? Unforgettable). If ever a virtual desk build felt like an epic tale, it’s this one - complete with a grand finale. Wait for the drop, as they say.

Falling#

by Punch-A-Pixel

Artists, authors and musicians throughout time have all tried to capture the emotion behind falling in love, to varying degrees of success. Well, maybe Rembrandt, Shakespeare and Whitney Houston should have hopped on Dreams for a hot minute and got stuck into some sculpting tutorials, because Punch-A-Pixels has done just that - and we bet it took a lot less time. Sculpted completely freeform, the lovers are entirely focused on one another as they fall through the sky. This scene needs no speedline tricks to convey the sudden, uncontrollable, stomach-swooping plummet that is ‘falling in love’; add in the shiver-inducing vocal tone of ineap09, and you’ve got audiovisual poetry.

Citadel - Act Two Teaser

by schreppybroepke

Not content with recommending one of our favourite new Dreams creations just in time for last week’s Roundup, this week schreppybroepke launched a teaser so excellent that they’ve earned their own time in the spotlight. This opening level of the second chapter of the Islands sequel - phew, that’s a mouthful - sees you pick up your journey as a masked Wanderer. Layers of a tall circular temple swim beneath your gaze, glowing with bioluminescent flora; you must puzzle out a way to lower the water level and reach the bottom. It’s a simple conceit, but beautifully executed - from the immersive audio design, to the subtly-lit areas that beckon you toward your goals, and a sophisticated, spiralling level layout (one moment of clarity, in which we realise we can now revisit what once seemed like a dead-end, sticks in the memory). And then there are the wry hints at the thing you’re unwittingly sharing this space with - leading up to an ending that will leave you wanting more.

Red and the Cursed Isles#

by RedSeikatsu-

Want to play a Dreams game in which you can keenly feel the effort, thought and love put into every bit of it? Silly question - of course you do. We challenge you not to beam your way through Red and the Cursed Isles, the latest release from dedicated developer RedSeikatsu-. With its creator’s beloved mascot at the helm, this expansive, multi-hour, story-driven adventure takes you on a whistle-stop tour of an archipelago filled with platforming challenges, diverse mechanics, hidden treasures, and a cast of impeccably voice-acted characters. (Alright, yes, some of us Molecules might have lent our talents to a few of them.) There are a few rough edges here and there - the combat could be a little tighter - but the sheer ambition and heart on display here more than makes up for them. There’s a surprise around every corner: a Wind Waker-inspired overworld map, minigames in entirely different art styles - even an entire island customisation system. With shades of Kingdom Hearts and all your N64 favourites, this is breathtakingly earnest - and absolutely loveable.

IS IT LOVE?#

by Gianni_no_Mitaka

Oh, you lot. You really know the way to our hearts, don’t you? It’s no secret that we’re fans of the strange, experimental and original here at The Impsider HQ, and Gianni_no_Mitaka’s interactive alien baby-making simulator ticks all our weird little boxes. Two squid-like creatures sway, backlit and entangled, on the screen, performing a kind of underwater mating dance. Hoping to tune the encounter to the perfect reproductive conditions, we have the entities switch between 'flow' states, hold the touchpad to cycle through colours and adjust the speed of movement - before, finally, new life appears.

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