Dreamview Weekly Roundup #100

The day has finally arrived. Triple digits. ONE HUNDRED DREAMVIEW WEEKLY ROUNDUPS. That means over 500 hand-written reviews, telling you all about some of the greatest, weirdest, funniest and most creative things to enjoy in Dreams. According to our calculation, that's an average of about 100,000 words. Woah.

Once upon a time, there weren't a lot of words written about Dreams-made games on the internet. We started the Roundups back in March 2021 as a way to shout about the amazing variety of art, games, music and more available in Dreams - on a regular weekly basis, in a bite-sized format. (Recently, our resident archivist recovered the 11 infamous 'Lost Roundups'(abre numa nova aba), bringing them to their proper home here on The Impsider.) Since then, we've welcomed more and more Roundup writers to The Impsider, and the strange references, lore and jokes have only spiralled into sillier depths. (Hats off to you if you've kept up with the Dark Kevin and Four-Leaf Clover sagas.)

And, happily, it seems to have worked! We've had fantastic feedback from you all about the great creations you've discovered from our recommendations, as well as countless lovely messages from creators who've been delighted to be featured. It means an awful lot to us all that you've been enjoying reading them as much as we've enjoyed writing them.

For Dreamview Weekly Roundup #100, then, we've done something a bit special. We've asked Molecules from across the studio to select their favourite creations ever featured across the past 99 Roundups. Some of them have even picked their fave Roundups, which has properly made us do a little cry. That means we've got a bumper fourteen, rather than five, recommendations for you this week.

And there's something else - an interactive treat! In addition to this week's companion collection, we've put together the ultimate Roundup 100 Interactive Personality Quiz, and it's available to play in Dreams right now! Why not take a trip down memory lane with us, relieve some great Roundup moments, and discover: which Roundup are YOU?

VIDEO DREAM SYSTEM#

by Tapio_X

Recommended by: Luke Hardwick, Community Manager

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #39

Soul-chilling. Atmospheric. Liminal. What more could you ask for in a Dream? Tapio_X’s “VIDEO DREAM SYSTEM”, as originally featured in Weekly Roundup #39, has been self-proclaimed as “Media Molecule’s best-kept secret” and it certainly lives up to that statement!

I’m an absolute fiend for Tapio_X’s environmental art style. Its sci-fi vibes will draw you in with its faux-VHS and (good) scary life-likeness. It’s one of those many Dreams creations which makes you wonder in awe how it was even made in Dreams. VIDEO DREAM SYSTEM is some of Tapio’s very best work, so much so it even came runner-up in the Alternate Realities Jam.

As the Dream System’s menu flickers, you’re transported to various mysterious worlds, but what exactly connects them all together? This creation will make you ask so many questions that your mind will hurt. Why is there a countdown timer? What lurks beyond those misty horizons? Who recorded these VHS tapes? Why is the Dream’s title all in caps? Are there aliens? AHHHH! SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!

Tides#

by: venwave

Recommended by: Liam Wiseman, Online Content Editor

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #81

Regular Impy winner venwave is no stranger to people praising their work, but I'm going to do it anyway. Tides is one of my favourite creation in Dreams, and for me, perfectly encapsulates the Dreams experience. This experience oozes creativity, transporting you across the wondrous wilderness of Floworld as the diminuitive bug, Fin.

Tides is a rip-roaring action platformer that strongly incorporates venwave's unique combination of 2D and 3D art styles, in what is absolutely the most confident showcase of their abilities. Probably the most interesting mechanic about this game is the costume-swapping element, which distinctly changes the game with each new outfit you don. One moment you're a frog hopping all over the levels, and the next you're a bee flying around the level and nabbing all the pollen you can. With all the variety that this presents, the game never gets dull, and the costume powers never overstay their welcome. Fun, colourful, and unique? Lovely jubbly.

Have You Seen My Pants?#

by DrunkenFist_Lee

Recommended by: Jacob Heayes, Content Curator

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #19

Even after eighty-one roundups, this question haunts my every waking moment, infinitely scrawled on my notepad with all the frenzy of a Jack Torrance daze. Nonetheless, there’s little doubt in my mind that this creation’s deliciously manic energy still possesses its surreal spark. This is instantly confirmed upon replaying; that madcap overload of an opener startles like no other. DrunkenFist_Lee’s knack for rapid visual subversion doesn’t just defy expectations, but renders them impossible to establish whatsoever. Relentless visual stimuli hurls the player through uncanny interactions and overexposed tapestries, like a migraine-induced stream of consciousness. Quickly, this constant disorientation garners its own addictive quality. Whilst it’s true I’ve yet to locate the whereabouts of my pants, that sense of unknowing, of being lost in this psychedelic maze, is a sensation I’ll never want to truly know the answer for.

Quartier de Misu#

by Fr0d0_FragginS79

Recommended by:Zach Arundel(abre numa nova aba), Data Analyst

Featured in:Dreamview Weekly Roundup #70(abre numa nova aba)

There was a funny Twitter discourse last year about Bioshock Infinite’s DLC, which has a bit that’s supposed to be in Paris and there’s a young lad capering around with a baguette to sell the setting to players. The medium galaxy brain take is that this was Elizabeth’s imagined version of Paris. The big exploding galaxy brain take is this is what Paris is actually like and that’s why it’s the best city on the planet.

Quartier de Misu captures what I love about Paris. The night life, the mansard roofs… the baguettes. More games set in Paris, please!

Toasty Bird#

by Magrathean_42

Recommended by: Jamie Breeze, Designer

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #7

Moments after loading Toasty Bird, the eponymous pigeon stole my heart. They’re a lawless soul, wreathed in wholemeal and looking for trouble – and I am captivated. This one is a game of municipal park cred to begin with; you’re cooing around, building up a humble birdy posse of breadless wonders while keeping wild gulls at wing’s length. I won’t spoil the absurdity that follows. It might be a brief affair (or not, I’ve oft returned for a victory lap of the park with my flock), but it’s a well-polished and remarkably silly jaunt that I think about frequently and fondly.

DEAD DREAMS 2#

by SmileBasic

Recommended by: Andy Haslam, Lead Programmer, Game Systems

Featured in:Dreamview Weekly Roundup #76(abre numa nova aba)

Picking a favourite from ninety-nine incredible roundups feels like whittling a five-hundred-item specials menu down to just one serving. But as someone who, at buffets, takes tiny tasters to maximise my medley of mouthfuls, I am particularly fond of DEAD DREAMS 2 (Roundup #76), which bundles thirteen prototypes into one ready-to-consume package. Spanning various genres, each game showcases unashamedly unfinished ideas upon which others can provide feedback and draw inspiration. Whilst works-in-progress are not uncommon, SmileBasic sidesteps typical risks of disappointment through “completeness” ratings for each project, cleverly managing expectations and enabling each experience to be enjoyed as they are.

THE RANGE#

by KarstenStaack

Recommended by: Ryan Wilkinson, Customer Support Specialist

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #84

A frustratingly addictive shooter with a high skill ceiling I just had to master. Whilst considering myself somewhat of a veteran in FPS, I felt like an absolute novice being chucked in at the deep end - but yet still somehow thoroughly enjoyed my journey throughout the game. Learning to quickly release, eject, load and insert a cylinder into the magnum is a skill I didn't think I'd enjoy as much as I did.

Lasagna Cabin#

by ItsMeJuvy

Recommended by: Hollie Tang, Community Manager

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #86

Hello! So I've been given a spot on The Impsider, huh!? They told me I can write anything I want and it'll probably go in so here we are. HI MUM! I MADE IT! Also I've made myself the big boss now - you saw it in writing here first, folks! (Hollie, see me in the office please. And bring your best karate moves. - Ed.)

Let's get into it, then. Those that know me will know I have a soft spot for chaos and weirdness, and this creation was no exception. A fun pick-up and play that has been in my mind ever since reading about it from The Impsider, the line between culinary innovation and cosmic horror blurs into one in this short but deliciously terrifying adventure. Lasagna Cabin by ItsMeJuvy has you gathering ingredients whilst being chased by an unknown entity, all the while trying to navigate this pixelated world. Although a brief experience, I found myself unable to put down the controller until I gathered every last piece of my ingredients (you asked for lasagna!? I'LL GIVE YOU LASAGNA!). After all, no lasagna is complete without the addition of creature hair, of course. Who's coming round for tea, then?

Dreamview Weekly Roundup #40#

featuring creations by payoffwizard, venwave, Hypertronik, Rainholder, and foxikarti9

Recommended by: John Beech, Creative Director

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #40

I loved Roundup #40! The opening line about Jacob being MIA made me laugh, because he's definitely still alive! (John, you've somehow managed to make us sound even more suspicious. Please edit. - Ed.)

Seeing ASCENT REMASTERED was such a highlight from this edition as the original version was great and it showed me how much creators cared about their creations, to remaster something as their skills flourished. But it also included Caféwave, a sumptuous looping animation that blew my mind when I saw it, a real embracing of that hand drawn animation style - bravo!

Dreamview Weekly Roundup #75#

featuring creations by shadow124900, greatscott2204, Pudazuka, Grambitious, and Megla-John

Recommended by: Chloe Mills, QA User Experience Pillar

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #75

Roundup #75 is packed full of delicious dreams. Princess Rhythm is the game I’ve always wanted, and to see it realised and play great was a delight. Isle of Eras hit hard for me, combining time travel, a great story and incredible scale – an absolute epic. Gekuwu is just a perfect little piece of art, perfect for any desktop background. Chapter two of Pressure, well, any follow up to the first chapter is worthy of everyone’s time (if you don’t mind a little scare every now and again). And who could hate Raindrop Kingdom – a raindrop lost in the clouds is such a brilliant idea, wonderfully executed. What a banger of a week!

goth egg | slip and fall#

by CFullJames and KaTMalenjamz

Recommended by: Catherine Woolley, Senior Designer

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #77

It really is hard to pick a creation when you’ve got some many well written, witty, wordplays to choose from, talking about delightful, scary, funny, cute, and weird creations. What is Dreams without the weird?! I’ve had to go with Roundup #77 and Goth Egg | Slip and Fall. Just thinking about it brings the song back in my head. It’s a super catchy track, has the coolest of bands (with snake bites) and also fantastic music video. My favourite lyric being, “Be a shame to see you slip and fall” and my favourite moment from the video being the slow-motion slipping montage. Perfection.

A Puzzle In Time#

by AGACY

Recommended by: Tom Dent, Senior Community Manager

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #5

My pick for this retrospective is (fittingly) A Puzzle in Time by AGACY, which was featured all the way back in Roundup #5! There are certain creations in Dreams that have just stuck with me over the years, and AGACY's Teletech games are prime examples. The puzzles are well thought out, and the right level of tricky - especially for me - and the presentation is excellent! Mix that with great writing for the E-bots and you've got a top notch Dreams creation!

The Appearance Of Evil#

by Wargarble

Recommended by: Rhys Herron, Content Creator

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #63

Wargarble understands Lovecraftian, absurdist body horror better than the masters themselves, which is a feat in itself. Their artstyle is unapologetically gnarly - a word I've been told hasn't been in circulation since the mid-1990s - and belongs in the Louve. And boy howdy, do I Louve this game. "The Appearance of Evil" wields carnage with a gun, clearing out cultists, scarecrows and hay bales. Yes, hay bales. Don't think too much about it. It is chillingly beautiful to look at and there's so few experiences that fully embrace weirdness, and for me, "The Appearance of Evil" will transcend space and time.

Dreamview Weekly Roundup #22#

featuring creations by PieceOfCraft, duckenomics, TRIX9, TheCosmicCadet and DoublePounch

Recommended by: Jen Simpkins, Editorial Manager

Featured in: Dreamview Weekly Roundup #22

It's always fun when we can do something a little bit different with the Weekly Roundup, so I'll always have a soft spot for Roundup #22, which was the first real rule-breaker of the bunch. This one marks the first-ever DreamsCom that I worked on (and for which we also made the first-ever Impsider magazine, and broadcast the inaugural Impsider @ DreamsCom livestreams(abre numa nova aba) with community creator interviews).

DreamsCom '21 was a blast, and this Roundup reflects it: PieceOfCraft's booth for Karts 'n Crafts looked professional enough to show at any major real-life industry expo, duckenomics' Imp Tycoon was a wonderful (and delightfully cynical) bit of booth-integrated game design. Then there was DoublePounch's spellbinding animated setup for Oiseaux Sans Ciel, which really put the thirdperson parkour shooter on the map for me - and led to many late nights poring over the creator's ganmeplay preview footage.

With its focus on promoting and supporting indie creators, and our community's brilliant booth concepts, DreamsCom is - quietly, now - secretly my favourite live event. My memories of it will last longer than words on the Internet ever will - but I'm still so happy we managed to get so many silly, heartfelt, and (hopefully) insightful words about it in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

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!(abre numa nova aba)