Dreamview Weekly Roundup #106

Oh, hello. It's you. No offense, but what are you lot doing here? Hmm, what's that? What day is it? No, it can't be (checks calendar). Friday? How is it a Friday again so soon?

Oh dear, Dreamers, you seem to have caught us a wee bit unprepared. Well, we have a good reason for that. You see, we're still in a bit of a Tren and PlayStation Plus hangover to be honest. It's been incredible to welcome so many new Dreamers to the Dreamiverse, and there's a palpable buzz around Mm towers. The reception to our latest Mm Original has been absolutely wonderful, and we appreciate all the kind words you've shared about that tiny train, and all the support you've given to Dreams over the years.

But enough of all that mushy stuff, you sops! Over in Impsider corner we still have a purpose - nay, a duty, to scour the Dreamiverse for the latest and greatest creations from our loyal coMmunity. If anything, with all the new players that have joined, it's more important than ever! Brace yourselves, people.

It's on.

Château Architect#

by Prinz_Laser

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Maybe we're just a sad set of ageing millenials who've resigned themselves to the fact that we're unlikely to ever own a home, but there's something charming and captivating about all these cosy building simulators that have been popping up recently. Games like Dorfromantik and Townscaper have proven to be huge hits, and Château Architect continues that trend with its own spin on the chilled out building sim format.

There's no particular purpose to this game, apart from crafting the château of your dreams. But the crafting is so simple, and the game so charming, that it's easy to lose yourself in the intricacies of your development. A quick manoeuvre of the left stick and a swift tap of is all you need to start building out your château empire. And there's something utterly joyous about the ways you can change the type of building you're placing. Popping a section of building on its own creates a several story home complete with professionally trimmed bushes, but setting one down next to an existing buildings joins the two in what we can only assume is the building equivalent of wedded bliss. Particularly pleasing is the presentation, with clean, bright, minimalist graphics, and a relaxing soundtrack that trick you into thinking you're one step closer to home ownership. So long, dream house, so long.

BLACK HOLE#

by Dzimbol12 and ejbop1

Estimated playtime: 5 minutes

Ever wanted to watch an astronaut get sucked into a black hole? Look, it might sound slightly messed up, but we get it. When the morbid curiosity strikes, you just have to go with it. And that's exactly what BLACK HOLE provides, as this 5 minute short focuses on a couple of astronauts at the mercy of that unknowable cosmic eldritch threat, the black hole. What starts as the duo attempting to fix a space shuttle orbiting the black hole escalates quickly as they are sucked into its gravitational pull, and flung hither and yon across its surface until, inevitably, they become space food. The sound design here is something to be celebrated, as the lack of significant sound effects for much of the short helps to really hit home that once the fallen star has you in its clutches, there's really no stopping it. But BLACK HOLE captures more than just the terror of being absorbed by an unstoppable monstrosity, it successfully emphasises the loneliness of space, and the vastness of the universe in a way that reminds you that yes, you are tiny and insignificant, and the universe can easily destroy you if it sees fit. Cheers, thanks.

Wordee#

by Uncuddly

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Word puzzles are a big deal these days. And we don't mean the traditional crossword (who cares about crossword puzzles in the year of our Tren lord 2023?), we mean word puzzle games like Wordle, which took smartphone users by storm the world over during that dark time when we weren't allowed to go outside and have picnics [Fat chance of that happening in the UK anyway! - Ed]. And now we have Wordee, a high score word puzzle-'em-up that carries on the spirit of those addictive timewasters. Uncuddly has really grabbed hold of the spirit of those games, generously crafting over 200 mind-bending brainteasers for your puzzling pleasure. And if solving these puzzles on your lonesome gets too much for you, there's also an (up to) fourplayer mode using one controller, meaning you can always draft in your mum, your housemate, that terrifying clown that won't stop following you, or a sibling for a nice spot of puzzling co-op. There are some cracking hints in here too, displaying a cheeky and intricate sense of humour that makes it an even more enjoyable experience. And with so many puzzles on offer, you could get stuck into this for hours.

It's so good, in fact, that we decided to set up our own wordy puzzle. See if you can crack this:

What do you get when you cross a diminuitive creature with an alcoholic apple beverage?

Answers on a postcard, or see the bottom of the page*.

Eyes Wide#

by AyeWilder

Estimated playtime: 5 minutes

Eyes are weird, aren't they? They allow you to see all the colours of the rainbow, observe all the wonders of creation, and take in the eternal majesty of the universe. But they're also just a bit... squishy. And wet. And sometimes they leak all sorts of fluids [You should probably get that checked out - Ed]. Bleurgh.

Good thing Eyes Wide isn't only about the eyes then, as this is not only just a beautifully surreal showcase of AyeWilder's sculpting talents, but also a showcase of their musical genius as well. That's right: those bizarre backgrounds aren't actually the stars of the show here, as it's the accompanying track that steals the spotlight. Eyes Wide is actually an absolutely banging drive-time anthem exploring burnout, depression, and love, all presented in a positive and forward-looking set of lyrics. With lines like "You've resuscitated all that I am", this is a truly feel-good track about someone reaching their limits and then coming out on the other side almost like a new person. If you need something to uplift you (amongst a bunch of beautifully rendered but strange eye hands) then stick this on and watch your serotonin rise. Or your bile, if you're not a fan of eyes.

San Diego Incident (Found Footage)#

by Krenautican

Estimated playtime: 5 minutes

What do you think you would do if you came face to face with an actual living, breathing, chomping tyrannosarus rex? Would you tense up, trying to convince it that you're not alive? Would you immediately flee for your life, attempting to outrun the lumbering creature? Or would you grab a camcorder in an attempt to record what is likely to be the last minutes of your life? San Diego Incident (Found Footage) is what happens if you chose the latter option.

A fictional short film filmed in the fictional city of San Diego in the fictional year of 1997, San Diego Incident (Found Footage) is, as the name suggests, a found footage creation exploring the terrifying possibility of a dinosaur being let loose just down the road from you. Whilst this is an incredibly well shot and directed short film in its own right, what makes it exceptionally good is the little touches like the incredible VHS filter that crackles and fizzes exactly like a tape from the 90s would, and the addition of motion controls that give you an extra degree of freedom to look around and try to work out what's going on as the dinosaur gets ever closer. It's very tense, and the limited motion control movement both increases the tension tenfold and puts you directly in the characters shoes. Right up to the point when you have your head chomped off by an oversized lizard. Could happen to anyone, we suppose. We've seen Jurassic Park - we know how this goes.

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

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*Impsider, geddit? Imp and cider? Never mind...