Dreamview Weekly Roundup #71

September has blown in through the front door, bringing with it a swirl of leaves, an autumnal chill, and a farewell to summertime. Which is all very well and good, but we’re actually out of milk. Would have been nice if September could’ve popped by the corner shop on the way home - that’s all we’re saying.

No matter: the Weekly Roundup, as ever, comes bearing gifts. Read on for five of our most goosebump-inducing recommendations for creations to play in Dreams this weekend.

metA Innocence#

by FeyzPS

Estimated playtime: 1-2 hours

This is a fishing game unlike any other. You’ll start out as one of FeyzPS’ typically loveable, wide-eyed characters - this time, a kind of robot goat in a fetching sunhat - trotting about the deck of a sailboat. It’s when you cast your line into the water that the true nature of this adventure reveals itself; your float, it turns out, is the core of an artificially intelligent being designed to engage in turn-based battle with the creatures of the deep. These hacking clashes are no joke, offering a meaty tactical challenge once you puzzle out the stylish but minimal UI. The key is to pay attention to what move your opponent is preparing next, and to use your limited turns and abilities accordingly. Successfully win enough bouts, and you’ll unlock emotions-based skills to further boost your offense and defense - and even more of the ocean opens up to you to explore in an entirely new perspective. We’re hooked.

Creation#

by lillouakola81

Estimated playtime: N/A

A talented sculptor and a particularly insightful study of character, lillouakola81’s art is some of the most visually arresting stuff you’ll see floating around out there in the Dreamiverse. But it’s their latest that has really set our minds whirring. Partly joyful, faintly monstrous, this blank-eyed bust feels like a bittersweet ode to the act of making art. Vivid colours trickle down a lined face, evoking not just paint but blood; bright tones pop against the dark, boxy shape enclosing this figure. The halo suggests an ascended being - but the claustrophobic surroundings perhaps hint that the incredible power of this god only extends so far.

DreamStats Tournaments HUB#

by Keduko_

Estimated playtime: Replayable

The high-scoring coMmunity initiative has levelled up its approach to promotion. Through its excellent website, DreamStats Tournaments enables players to simultaneously compete on the leaderboards in games made in Dreams; when time’s up, it aggregates the scores and crowns a winner. This impeccably presented in-game hub - seriously, that UI is so smooth you could spread it on your toast - does a fabulous job of explaining how the tournaments work, and shows off the new rewards system designed to encourage players to keep returning over the course of a season. It functions as an in-Dreams basecamp that displays upcoming events and who are the current champs on whom you might want to paint a target. The idea of meeting potential new tournament-goers where they’re probably at - in the game - as well as on the web is the kind of savvy cross-promotional thinking we love to see. Fingers crossed for a smashing first season.

Steampunk#

by rettro228

Estimated runtime: Looping

Rettro228 is a stickler for detail, and there’s plenty for the eye to get lost in in this animated scene of industry. Cogs whirr, steam rises, spires dream, with every little feature cast in a muted, monochromatic sepia. It’s a perfect presentational choice for a scene all about repetition, where tiny lights cast a tentative glow across tiles and machinery that seem relentless in their pursuit of endlessness. Almost hypnotic, really. Hm. Anyone else feeling the sudden urge to lay an egg or cross a road? Bwark.

HEAVY#

by I--AURA--I

Estimated runtime: 2 mins

Heavy is the word. The subject matter of this hauntingly beautiful ballad might be dark, but I--AURA--I’s vocals - frequently alternating between soft sotto voce and genuine belting power, giving us echoes of Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee - lift it into the light, as does the expressive animated track art. Incredibly, this appears to the first original with-vocals song I--AURA--I’s ever released in Dreams - a track like this that’s not just expertly performed but emotionally very brave is a debut that deserves all the applause.

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)