Dreamview Weekly Roundup #46

Oh - it’s you again! We’d recognise that face anywhere. A very facey kind of face, with two eyes, and a mouth. Possibly a nose. And your personality? Um. Well, sometimes you can be extroverted - usually around people you’re comfortable with - but other times you’re shy and reserved. You’re a real independent thinker that likes to see statements backed up with proof. And, of course, you have really great taste in online reading material.

See? We’d know you anywhere. Remember that one time we went potholing in the Peak District, and you got stuck in a cave, and we had to break out the personal stash of mayonnaise we keep in our backpack to grease you up and pull you out, like a wayward slug out of a chicken salad? Okay - too specific. We ruined it. But you are special to us, even if we can’t tell exactly which of our audience you are.

Whoever you may be, we’re fairly certain you’ll enjoy this week’s recommendations for things to check out in Dreams, should you take the time to read our words about them. There’s a statement backed up with proof for you.

WELLNESS#

by slamdonahue and opiaa15

Slamdonahue continues to be a fearsomely good writer of dialogue in this imaginative buddy comedy, which takes place over the course of a single wild night. It stars Jack - procrastinating writer, hapless seeker of answers, quick wit - and the sarcastic Sam, who we’re pretty sure is a demon who lives in his head. The two, voiced by the creative duo themselves, somehow have enough chemistry to outshine both the neon signs of the bars and casinos they crawl, and the raw charisma of an evil three-headed mannequin named Michael. Interestingly enough, despite the surreal trappings of this place, the story is actually rather simple. This is just another day at not-work for Jack in this hellworld, with mind-passenger Sam requesting to play games on his phone (among them a 2D platformer and a text adventure that you can also play) as Jack discovers just how troublesome his creative stalling might prove.

Tortocity Crossing#

by TaibhseLa

You may be familiar with the concept of the World Turtle, a gargantuan mythological being that bears the entire world on its back. Solid stuff, honestly, big thumbs up to whomever came up with that - but the whole thing does induce quite a bit of cosmic dread, doesn’t it? What if someone were to package up that idea in a more manageable, bitesize form: say, a city on the back of a merely medium-to-large-sized turtle? Maybe it could be trudging across a verdant forest floor in a queue with a load of other adorable reptilian metropolis-haulers. …Oh, TaibhseLa, you genius. The mythological marketing department is going to be very pleased.

The Arctic Cathedral#

by Motorstorm—101

First, a recommendation: if you have a PSVR headset, pop it on for this one. Motorstorm—101’s rendition of Norway’s breathtaking Arctic Cathedral is best experienced in virtual reality, as you stand beneath a painterly homage to the Northern Lights, glinting on the pristine edge of the pyramidal glass church. The scale of the structure is humbling; happily, the creator allows you to soak it all in, wisely keeping the puzzling light as you make your way through the structure. There’s a fantastic moment of drama as this enhanced recreation of a real place transitions you from one space to another, and from non-fiction to fiction, revealing a hidden layer of fantasy worldbuilding. At least, we assume it’s fantasy. We did do a bit of research and visitnorway.com tells us that “the oak pews, the large prism chandeliers, the altar rail and pulpit are the most significant fittings” of this place as opposed to, say, a massive subterranean network of caverns inhabited by aliens. So that’s reassuring.

Like a dream#

by skfletch1

Need a moment of calm? Don’t we all. Fortunately, skfletch1 is on hand to supply just that. This flythrough gently leads you through a carefully assembled forest scene, featuring assets from both the creator and other talented coMmunity members: cinnamon ferns from animeboy0021, a painterly bush from Cryziel. What makes this special, however, is just how masterfully every element is placed in the scene - and the quality of the lighting work. The latter makes the entire scene look rich, warm and strangely alive, like a dream from which you’ve just only awoken and still feel to be real. (Hey, maybe that’s where the title comes from!)

DONT EAT MY PEAR#

by ItsMeJuvy

And we thought Triangle Is Sentient’s “open a door by shooting a spear into a big sentient stone head” puzzle was weird. Presenting ItsMeJuvy’s latest bit of oddball brilliance: a puzzling showdown with a blobby-faced, spindly-limbed monster. The monster has erected a sign requesting that you do not eat its pear; as is often the case in videogames, your job is to ignore the sign and do whatever the heck you please. Using only your motion-controlled imp and the things available to you in the room, you must work out a way to snaffle the prized pear without it noticing. This is free-form puzzle design kept small-scale enough to work well, providing just enough tools and hints for the player chew on without inducing frustration. Speaking of frustration, however: should your adversary spot what you’re up to, you can expect to pay for your crimes. A monster’s gotta eat, after all.

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!