Dreamcore (2025)

Dreamcore (2025) 💭🌠

Let’s start by showing y’all what this game even is…

Yeah… except I can’t really do that properly because trailers for this game don’t even explain it right.

They’ll show you:

empty spaces

pools

neighborhoods

weird lighting

And you’re sitting there like: “Okay… but what do you DO??”

Yeah.

Good question.

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⚠️ Quick heads up

This is NOT:

an action game

a horror game with jumpscares

a game that holds your hand

If you need: 👉 objectives every 5 seconds
👉 enemies chasing you
👉 constant stimulation

You’re gonna hate this.

I’m serious.

🧠 What are liminal spaces? (for anyone confused)

Alright, quick explanation because I know not everybody knows what this means.

A liminal space is basically a place that feels… off.

Not scary in a normal way.
Not dangerous.
Just… wrong.

It’s usually somewhere that’s meant to be in-between.

Like:

empty hallways

school buildings at night

a mall with no people

a neighborhood with nobody outside

Places that are supposed to be full of life…

but aren’t.

And that’s what makes them weird.

Because your brain goes: 👉 “This should feel normal… so why doesn’t it?”

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🧠 Why they feel so eerie

And I think the reason these places feel so unsettling is actually pretty simple.

We’re wired to be social.

We’re used to being around people, hearing noise, seeing movement, just… life in general.

So when you see a place that looks like everyday life— like a neighborhood, a school, a store—

but it’s completely empty…

no people
no sound
no signs of life

Your brain kind of short-circuits.

It goes: 👉 “Something’s wrong.”

Because a place like that shouldn’t be that quiet.

It shouldn’t feel that still.

And that’s where that weird feeling comes from.

It’s not fear in the normal sense.

It’s more like: 👉 “This doesn’t feel real… and I probably shouldn’t be here.”

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🟨 What are the Backrooms?

Now the Backrooms is basically that idea…

turned into a full concept.

The original idea is:

👉 you randomly “clip out” of reality
👉 and end up in this endless maze of yellow rooms

ugly yellow walls

buzzing fluorescent lights

damp carpet

no windows

no exit

Just rooms.

Forever.

And the scary part isn’t just how it looks.

It’s the idea that: 👉 you’re stuck
👉 and there’s no way out
👉 and you don’t even know how you got there

Some versions add creatures and stuff…

but honestly?

The original concept didn’t even need that.

Because just being trapped in a place that:

feels familiar

but makes no sense

and never ends

That’s already enough.

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🧠 Why Dreamcore works so well with this

This is exactly why Dreamcore hits.

Because it takes: 👉 liminal spaces
👉 Backrooms-style environments

And turns them into something you actually explore.

It’s not trying to scream at you.

It’s trying to make you feel like: 👉 “I’ve been here before… but I don’t remember how.”

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🧠 What even is Dreamcore?

On paper?

👉 it’s a walking simulator

…but saying that feels like calling a rollercoaster “just sitting down.”

Because yeah—you’re walking.

But what you’re ACTUALLY doing is:

getting lost

trying to recognize patterns

questioning if you’ve already been somewhere

slowly losing your sense of direction

This game doesn’t guide you.

It just drops you in and goes: 👉 “figure it out.”

—

🗺️ The maps (this is where the game shines)

There are currently 4 maps, and each one feels like a completely different dream.

—

🟦 Dreampools

This is the one you’ve probably seen.

giant glowing pools

quiet echoing spaces

weird lighting that feels peaceful but off

It looks relaxing…

until you realize you have no idea where you are.

—

🏡 Eternal Suburbia

This one is messed up in the best way.

same houses

same fences

green hills everywhere

It looks like a normal neighborhood…

except it NEVER ends.

You will genuinely start asking yourself: 👉 “Did I already pass this house?”

And the worst part?

You won’t know.

—

🧸 Playrooms

This one goes: 👉 “what if childhood… but wrong?”

colorful

playful

but something feels off

It’s like being stuck inside a kid’s imagination that forgot how reality works.

—

🏨 Liminal Hotel

This one feels the most structured…

but also the most confusing.

hallways that loop

elevators that don’t make sense

rooms that feel familiar but aren’t

It’s like a dream you ALMOST remember.

—

🎮 Gameplay (aka “just walking”… but not really)

Yes.

You walk.

BUT:

you’re solving environmental puzzles

you’re following subtle clues

you’re learning how the map behaves

There’s no:

minimap

waypoint

objective marker

Just you and your brain.

And your brain WILL betray you.

—

📸 Visuals & camera

This game is gorgeous.

Like genuinely.

Unreal Engine 5 environments

insane lighting

huge spaces that feel real

But what really sells it is the camera:

👉 VHS / analog style
👉 grainy, slightly distorted
👉 feels like found footage

It doesn’t feel like you’re playing a game.

It feels like: 👉 you’re remembering something

—

😨 Is it scary?

Here’s the weird part.

👉 not really
👉 but also yes

There are:

basically no jumpscares

no monsters chasing you

But the game still manages to feel unsettling.

Why?

Because: 👉 nothing is happening

And somehow that’s worse.

—

🧠 The real horror

This game doesn’t scare you.

It makes you question yourself.

“Was that always there?”

“Did this change?”

“Why does this feel familiar?”

It’s like your brain is slowly gaslighting you.

—

⚖️ The biggest criticism

Let’s be real.

Some people are gonna play this and go:

> “I walked around for an hour and nothing happened.”

And yeah…

that’s valid.

This game is VERY much: 👉 either it clicks or it doesn’t

—

🔄 Ongoing support

This isn’t a one-and-done game either.

new maps have already been added

more are coming (DeadMall 👀)

So the experience is only gonna get bigger.

—

🏢 The devs

Small indie team.

And you can FEEL that.

Not in a bad way—in a: 👉 “we made something weird and specific and didn’t care if everyone liked it” way

Which I respect.

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💭 Final thoughts

Calling this a walking simulator is:

✔ accurate
❌ completely underselling it

Because this isn’t about gameplay.

It’s about:

atmosphere

confusion

exploration

It’s about getting lost…

and somehow enjoying it.

—

⭐ Final rating: 10/10

Yeah.

I’m giving it a 10.

Because even though it’s a slow burner…

👉 it sticks with you

This is easily the best backrooms/liminal space type game I’ve played.

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🧠 Final line

This game doesn’t scare you…

👉 it makes you feel like you’ve been here before.

And that’s somehow worse.