Dreamview Weekly Roundup #96

Five: the most magical number there is. It’s got cuddly curves and mysterious edges. It’s the number of fingers (usually) on one hand, which is, er, handy. And it’s right in the middle, like a belly button. Five, baby! It’s where it’s at!

Giving you exactly five recommendations for creations made in Dreams, then, is what we surely must do. Do let us know if you find reading this number of reviews especially satisfying, so we can file it away in our giant Rolodex of “times we were right about stuff”. And if you don’t, then don’t let us know, obviously. Thanks in advance!

Dodge Blocks#

by radiocattower

Estimated playtime: Replayable

It’s always a delight when a game can raise your pulse with just one button. A 2D challenge seemingly inspired by the similarly minimal and sweaty One Button Speed Run, Dodge Blocks puts you in control of a spinning disc. Its forward arrow is constantly turning clockwise, so moving to a specific spot means waiting for it to be facing in the direction you want to move, before pressing a single button to give it a little shove - or many little shoves - forward. Get clipped by any of the randomised blocks flying past as you bob and weave, and your run will end.

It’s simple, but quite brilliant: working with the precise timing of your revolutions is the key to success, putting us in mind of how videogame speedrunners ‘make cycles’, managing all the different timer loops of elements in levels to figure out an optimal path. Any game that manages to make us feel like a speedrunner gets a resounding thumbs-up from us. (Or it would, if we hadn’t already worn the thumb down to a dodge-happy nub.)

Bun#

by Tinydiorama

Estimated playtime: N/A

We’re not saying this pillowy little persona isn’t beautifully made. Quite the opposite, in fact: we could just eat them up. There’s a delectable level of detail on display here, from the artistic intricacies of the steamer basket’s weave and wood grain, to the characterful touch that are the doughy dimples pressed into this chopstick-carrying friend’s face. The problem is that this is not the first time we’ve fallen in love with an adorable edible entity - and years later, we’re still recovering from how that story(s'ouvre dans un nouvel onglet) ended. So, understandably, we’re find ourselves getting a bit weepy, looking at their chubby little cheeks. Still, nothing wrong with a few tears, eh? Good seasoning, if anything.

Queer, Queer Futurity#

by HelenOfBoy

Estimated playtime: 30 mins

We’ve gushed about drag queen developer HelenOfBoy’s specific brand of gay chaos in a previous Roundup - but it’s a delight to have another excuse to wax lyrical about one of the Dreamiverse’s most expressive creators. Said excuse? A recent update to Queer, Queer Futurity pushed the open-world alien adventure to the top of our queue. It’s worth taking a trip around this place, all sketched in HelenOfBoy’s unabashedly unfastened style: as always, this world might not be a looker when you’ve got your nose pressed against it, but Helen has a startlingly keen eye for the big picture). The aquarium is an atmospheric new addition to this odd megatropolis, giant wrought-iron lanterns swaying from the ceiling as our character leaps and floats across them.

Well, one of our characters. Queer, Queer Futurity allows you to press the touchpad to select from a motley crew of alien species, from tentacular creatures to sci-fi supermodels to cowboy robots (each of whom reveal their own fabulous abilities when you hit the left bumper). Fittingly, this strange sandbox is a tribute to the magic of many different kinds of lifeforms living in intergalactic harmony, with its own hilarious archive footage and lore - a properly future-looking brand of utopian sci-fi that centers the concept of queerness, and what that might look like millions of years from now. Will evolution eventually give all interstellar life forms the ability to execute a perfect death-drop? We can only hope.

Plant Scatter Tool#

by Orue223

Estimated playtime: N/A

Impy Award-nominated creator Orue223 has been reaching new heights of curation excellence lately with their considered, well-organised collections (The Ocean and Fantasy Weapons collections are two recent favourites of ours). But it turns out their desire to help out the Dreams community extends far beyond curating creations. While browsing their wares, our eye is caught by their Plant Scatter Tool. When remixed and used in Play mode, this neatly-presented tool lets you select from a dizzying array of flora, then paint them onto the ground as you see fit - before you switch to Edit mode, so that you can use the ‘Bake Emitter’ functionality to easily cement them into your creation.

Orue223’s expert selection of the plants and flowers here, and the speed that the tool’s layout allows for, are what makes this ‘asset painting’ tool a particular joy to use. Even if you’re not planning on baking a finished flower field into a larger creation, though, this is a worthwhile experience; we spend many minutes enjoying the colouring book-esque zen of it all, hand-painting a beautiful forest for no reason other than how it feels to summon all this with just a few sweeps of our imp.

Carousels: An Inside Look#

by Helekosi

Estimated runtime: 3 mins

As a special treat, we thought we’d uncork a bottle of vintage Helekosi. Released back in 2019 before the full release of Dreams, this was the Impy-award winning artist and musician’s first “real” project - and what a calling card it is, being both wonderfully niche and undeniably beautiful. If you’ve ever been even slightly curious about the mechanics of a popular fairground attention, this step-by-step animated breakdown of what’s involved in making a carousel work is for you. From the interlocking cogs and pushing pistons, to the individual designs and placements of each horse, Helekosi covers everything in enough reverent detail that our head is left spinning. You’re even able to freely explore the full working model at the end. An unmissable watch for fans of ‘How It Works’ videos - and a delightful statement of early intent from one of Dreams’ most meticulous creators.

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!(s'ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)