Point and Click Adventure Review: Dream Machine Chapter 4

The fourth chapter of the episodic handmade point-and-click adventure, Dream Machine, is the most ambitious yet.

In this chapter, the dream machine is finally used on one of Victor's neighbors. She is an elderly woman named Edie who is enjoying tea, so the object is to get her asleep so that Victor can put the dream machine helmet on her head. Once inside, things get really interesting as Edie's dream is related to her past.

The music has a suitably eerie vibe. It is memorably haunting and fits the creepy storyline and aesthetic for which the game is aiming.

The puzzles continue to be challenging yet logical. The beginning puzzle that involves getting Edie to sleep is really interesting. It involves several adventure game tropes, such as reading books for recipes and using the environment to come up with a solution to a number puzzle. Luckily, these puzzles are interesting and the rewards are great because the most interesting areas and the most beautiful art are yet to come.

Speaking of art, the backgrounds in this episode are fantastic. It continues to amaze me that this game is handmade. Many of the various rooms in Edie's dreams are beautiful. The high quality of the handmade art is one of the major selling points of the game. I can't imagine how long it took to build the backgrounds and implement them in the game.

The Dream Machine: Chapter 4 is the best episode yet. The interesting storyline, haunting music, and beautiful artwork work together to create a wholly unique experience. It absolutely sets a high bar for the episodes yet to come.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Chapter 3 Review

Chapter 5 Review Coming Soon

Point and Click Adventure Review: Dream Machine Chapter 3

The third chapter of The Dream Machine follows the second with a bang, as Victor explores the dreams of the person he cares for the most.

This chapter starts right where the second left off, with Victor inside the dreams of his wife, Alicia. In her dream, she is the captain of a boat named the S.S. Albatross. The crew is quite unnerving because every person Victor meets in his wife's dream is an identical copy of himself, albeit with different jobs to perform. 

The artwork in this episode is the best yet. I continue to be awed by the fantastic backgrounds, especially considering everything is made by hand out of physical material such as cardboard. The walls of the ship and the metal stairs are really impressive, as they have a well-worn quality to them, with spots made to look like dust and faded paint. The strung-up lights adorning the ship are super impressive, considering that these rooms were created with real-world materials. I've worked on animation projects with clay, and it is very hard to get the lighting right. With the addition of lights, I'm really impressed that they were able to maintain lighting consistency in every area explored on the catwalk outside the ship's quarters.

The music continues to be pleasingly macabre. It's not anything I'd call memorable, but the haunting melodies work well with the atmosphere of the game.

The puzzles in chapter three also continue to live up to the standards of the episodes before them. They are challenging but fun and interesting. They are one of the best parts of this chapter.

Dream Machine chapter three continues to live up to the high bar set in the previous episodes. The creepy story, chilling vibe, and fantastic handmade artwork make this game a pleasure to explore. Chapter three doesn't set the stakes up with its finale the way the previous episodes did, but it's still a wonderful episode.

Final Verdict:

3½ out of 5

Chapter 2 Review

Chapter 4 Review

The Dream Machine Chapter Five Is Out

The Dream Machine, the excellent dream traveling adventure game made of clay and cardboard, has now been updated with the release of episode five.  So, now our hero can go upstairs and help more of his neighbors get free of the grip of the dreaded dream machine.  There's just one more episode to go before this game is finished, so although it'll take a while to come out and no release date has been announced, now's a good time to catch up if you want to experience the story before the finale.

The Dream Machine Chapter Four Is Out Now

I'm a bit late on this, but chapter four of the excellent handmade clay and cardboard adventure game The Dream Machine is now available to play, as of two weeks ago. In this chapter, you'll get to find out what your neighbors dream about.

Thanks to Rather Dashing on the Telltale Forums for the news.

The Stuffing Bundle bundles 4 Adventure Episodes

Indie Royale's Stuffing Bundle is on now. It includes seven games, including the adventure game The Dream Machine chapters 1-3 and the adventure puzzle game Puzzle Agent 2. It also includes Children of the Nile: Enhanced Edition, Anomaly: Warzone Earth and Adventure Apes and the Mayan Mystery.

All of these games are available for the current minimum of $5.30 USD.  If you pay more than $8, you'll also get the music album Tree of Knowledge by yogurtbox.

Point-and-Click Adventure Review: The Dream Machine: Chapter 2

The second chapter of The Dream Machine certainly has a lot to live up to, as it's the first chapter of the game which is not free to play.  Luckily, it not only manages to live up to expectations but exceeds them as this game is much better than the already endearing first chapter.

The chapter begins in the landlord's seemingly empty apartment. I have to point out here that if you play chapter one directly into chapter two the chapters transition seamlessly into each other. This is the first time I have seen an episodic game do this, but it was handled so well, I find myself hoping other studios do this in their future games.

The first part of the game involves finding out where your landlord is hiding.  This part is entertaining, and the puzzles are challenging yet follow logic well.  But, the game really begins once you discover the titular dream machine.  You won't truly track down your landlord until you search for him in his dreams, and the team really amps up the art and puzzle quality once you do.

The clay and cardboard art design were wonderful in the first chapter, but in the dream world, it really shines.  The art direction really evokes a sense of wonder, and the fogginess present in your landlord's dream really fits his character.  The storyline is handled well as well, as you meet characters in the dream world that are memories of people he's known and symbols of people he's never known but holds in high regard.  These characters let you discover more about the landlord as a character, as well as uncover his motivations behind the machine.

The puzzles here are really creative.  They have a different logic to them than the puzzles in the first chapter, as you are now in the dream world.  So, there's a "dream logic" at play here.  The solutions are whimsical, but they are believable within the context of the world.  They all consist of puzzles that exist just to help the dream characters. However, there is a feeling of accomplishment once you have solved them, as each puzzle leads to a more interesting backstory being unfolded. It's all handled very organically, and it works out really well.

While still not containing anything which will stick in your head after the game is over, the music is also used to good effect in this chapter The music is spooky yet whimsical and helps give the scenes extra atmosphere. It really goes hand in hand with the wondrous artwork.

The Dream Machine Chapter Two takes everything that made chapter one so fun and improves upon it in every way. While the game is still a bit short, and the heavy text of the game practically calls for having full character voices (although there is an option for an automated narrator using a computer voice for the hearing impaired), its shortcomings are far outweighed by the positives. The engaging storyline, excellent art design, and fun puzzles would have been at home in a game made during the golden age of adventures.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Chapter 1 Review

Chapter 3 Review

The Dream Machine 1-3 Available on Steam

The Dream Machine, the episodic adventure game that is handmade from clay and cardboard, is now Available on Steam. Episodes 1-3 are available on Steam now. Episodes 1+2 are available for $5US, episode 3 is also available for $5US, or the 3 games and a preorder for the next 2 games are available in a package for $15US. Episodes 4 and 5 will be released at a later, as of yet unannounced date.

The Dream Machine Episode 3 Released

The Dream Machine Episode 3 is now available, after just making its revised release schedule of October 2011.

Now the plot begins to unfold as you use the dream machine to save your neighbors. The episodes are available online with flash. The first episode is free, the rest are available individually or in a pack containing all five at 20% off for people who order before the last episode is released.

The Dream Machine Episode 3 Out in October

The Dream Machine will finally be continuing in October, as episode 3 gets a release date after a long delay.

The Dream Machine is an episodic flash adventure game that is set to be released in five parts. It is unique in that the art is designed from clay and cardboard. The story revolves around a newlywed couple who discover an odd machine in their new apartment.

The first episode is free to play, and subsequent episodes can be purchased in a package deal, which is currently at 20% off for €13.75, or individually for €4.69 each.

You can view my review of the first episode here.

Point-and-Click Adventure Review: The Dream Machine

The Dream Machine is a five-part episodic adventure game by a Swedish development team called Cockroach. It is made with clay and cardboard and is available to download or available to play on flash-capable browsers. The first episode is available to play for free, with the remaining four episodes available at a cost per episode or in a bundle.

The graphic style of the game is quite stylish, and the character design is fairly reminiscent of Grim Fandango.  You can tell a lot of care went into creating the game's world, as each location is hand-crafted but looks spectacular.  The first episode takes place immediately after a new couple's first night in a new apartment and takes place completely in the apartment building.  The game is short, and there isn't a lot of variety in the backgrounds, but they are all done well.

The music isn't memorable, but it is suitably moody and fits the atmosphere of the game.  The sound effects are all done well, from the footsteps to the crackling of electricity, and they help to add to the atmosphere as well.  There is no voice acting, which is a shame, but for a game that exudes character as much as this game does, it's by no means a deal breaker.

The puzzles in this episode aren't too difficult and are comparable in difficulty to the later episodes in Telltale's first two Sam & Max seasons.  There is only one puzzle that needs logic beyond the "use object on another object" type of puzzle, and even that puzzle can be solved by trial and error.  The puzzles do adhere to sensible logic though, and the puzzles that are there are done well.  There just aren't many puzzles in this episode, and the game can be completed in under an hour, even on the first playthrough.

The Dream Machine: Chapter 1 is a short adventure game, but it has a great deal of charm that makes it worth playing.  The cardboard and clay art style are presented in a very visually pleasing way.  It lacks voice acting, but the story is compelling enough to make up for it.  The game makes you want more by the time it reaches the end, which comes all too soon.  In the end though, since this episode is free, I can't help but recommend it to everyone.  It exudes a charm that overcomes its short length and low-budget roots.

Final Verdict:

3½ out of 5

Chapter 2 Review

The Dream Machine Chapter 1 and 2 Out Now

The Dream Machine is a point and click graphic adventure game in Flash, created in a claymation style with music, but with text with no voice work. The game will take place over five chapters. The first chapter is completely free, and the second chapter is available now as a single purchase or as part of a discounted bundle. The next three chapters will be released over the coming months.