Dreamcore

Dreamecore offers a unique walking sim experience, with a strong sense of disorientation and fear of isolation, making it stand out. But if you're prone to motion sickness, this might not be the game for you.

The contrasting sensations typical of Liminal Spaces never truly resonated with me in this title, and my disappointment in that regard is undeniable, but that does not mean another player could not feel differently. The game offers five varied experiences, albeit overly simplified ones, which may still be enough to entertain players who both enjoy exploration and have plenty of free time on their hands. However, if you are looking for true Liminal Spaces, my advice is to look elsewhere.

Dreamcore is a title that manages to impress with its unique atmosphere and the courage to offer an experience that is different from the usual horror. The choice to abandon jumpscare in favor of a more subtle creepiness is undoubtedly successful, and the journey through liminal spaces is fascinating. However, the game could have dared more in giving depth to the environmental narrative and in providing more reading elements to those holding the pad. Although exploration is at the heart of the experience, the lack of more meaningful detail in the environments and the absence of a more defined progression system can make the player feel adrift. If you're intrigued by dreamlike atmospheres and fascinated by the idea of losing yourself in a world that defies the rules of reality, Dreamcore is definitely an experience worth trying, but if you're looking for a title that also offers a more structured narrative or greater interactivity, you may find the experience a bit limited.

Despite the small amount of content at launch, Dreamcore has potential if the remaining levels are of the same quality. I can’t understate how positively huge each level is, and even though they’re not devoid of tedium, they are still worth pushing through to the exits. If you have a keen interest in the backrooms or liminal spaces, this is worth a shot.

Dreamcore captures the ethos of liminal spaces, using the Backrooms phenomenon as its springboard. Though certainly not a "chill" venture, the eerie vibes it produces are effective despite having only two levels available at launch.

Dreamcore isn’t a game that’s meant to scare you outright—it’s a game that lingers in your mind long after you turn it off. With its masterful use of liminal spaces, ambient sound design, and non-linear exploration, it creates an existential horror experience unlike anything else. However, its lack of structure, slow pacing, and aimless wandering may not appeal to everyone. Players looking for traditional horror elements might find it lacking, while those who love surreal, psychological horror will appreciate its unsettling beauty. If you’re the kind of player who finds the thought of wandering an endless, empty pool complex or a silent, uninhabited suburb unnerving, Dreamcore is absolutely worth experiencing. But if you need clear objectives, structured gameplay, or tangible threats, you might find yourself lost in its dreamlike void—literally.

Dreamcore is one of the best, most unique gaming experiences in this still early year. The unneasyness and creepyness relies on atmosphere instead of cheap and predictable scares. While you do know that nothing will jump up out of nowhere, your mind still thinks something is coming. But as you’d expect, it’s very light on gameplay, this is all about the overall experience and it does feel cheap to have only two levels out of the box. If you’re looking for something different than the typical horror games, Dreamcore is absolute must play.

Dreamcore captures the imagination and serves as a nice proof of concept for what liminal space horror could look like in modern game engines. Sadly, it currently doesn’t feel much more than a pitch, and worst yet, one that outlasts its welcome. Eternal Suburbia is the stronger of the two current maps available in Dreamcore, and the developers promise that three more will be released in the coming years. The game is thus only two-fifths complete. I look forward to visiting the spaces the team creates; I'd just like them to scare me beyond the idea of getting stuck in an endless loop.

Dreamcore nails most of its goals. It’s an audiovisually captivating journey through liminal spaces, a dream-like experience that masters the concept like few other videogames before. Personally, I absolutely can not wait to play the upcoming levels, because Dreamcore is already an amazing and unique ride. This is one dream I won’t immediately forget.

Will you find a way to escape?