Projected Dreams – Relaxing Puzzles and Shadowy Silhouettes

“Oh, beloved, and there is nothing but shadows where you accompany me in your dreams and tell me the hour of light.” – Pablo Neruda

Overview

Projected Dreams is a charming, casual puzzle game in which players must use a variety of items to create a prescribed silhouette to reveal a heartwarming story of friendship.

Narrative

Projected Dreams has a light narrative, conveyed through illustrated ‘photos’ that are collected as each level is completed. The lack of text makes the story universally understandable and very accessible. It follows Senka and relays her experiences as she grows up, focusing on friendship, connection, and saying goodbye. It is both familiar and relatable and will have a gentle poignancy for many.

Gameplay

Projected Dreams is primarily a puzzle game. Players find themselves in a series of rooms, surrounded by nostalgic toys and objects such as a Bop-It and a Rubik’s Cube and must use these items to recreate a specific silhouette. The shadow created will be graded out of three stars, and the player can progress to the next puzzle as long as they have achieved at least a one-star rating. Scores are tracked in a journal along with the photos that are revealed when a puzzle is completed. Incomplete images fill the spaces before each puzzle is done, and players can look at the reverse to see which objects are needed to complete it.

There are a number of levels, each consisting of around seven puzzles. Each new level adds a fun new mechanic and, consequently, an extra challenge and increased difficulty. For example, level two features two spotlights, meaning players must layer two separate sets of objects to create the desired silhouette. Level three gives the player the ability to make one object invisible, which makes things trickier as it is even more unclear which objects must be combined to achieve the puzzle’s solution. There are also a small number of cassette tapes to collect throughout each level, adding an extra objective for players looking to complete the game thoroughly.

Styling

Projected Dreams uses a mix of simple 3D art for the environments and delightful hand-drawn 2D art for the photographs and story. The game uses a variety of colour palettes, but they favour pastel and muted colours with subtle pops of more vibrant shades, giving a cosy feel overall. Each level has a different aesthetic and theme, such as a bedroom or a haunted house. This adds an extra layer of interest and variety as players progress through the game.

The music used in Projected Dreams is mostly unintrusive, relaxing background music that suits the gameplay very well. The addition of collectable cassette tapes adds a fun element of variety and control for the player.

Summary

Projected Dreams is a fun, chill-out game with satisfying and original puzzles. It will take around 3-6 hours to complete, depending on completion level and pace. It boasts nostalgic settings and objects and a charming aesthetic. The artwork in the photos is especially delightful and helps to tell a touching story with an almost universal relatability. Each aspect of the game works in tandem with the others, and the overall experience is a lot of fun and very relaxing. It is a great example of a casual puzzle game, and I’d happily recommend it to fans of the genre.

Looking for more relaxing puzzle games? You may also enjoy these reviews:
The Shape of Things – A Little to the Left – Zodiacats