After years of waiting, the long-awaited Dreams beta was finally released to the public (or at least a lucky subset of the public) back in December 2018. With it, many were able to truly get a grasp on what Dreams was. It’s one thing to see a creation straight from Media Molecule, but it’s another to have it finally out in the wild. And ever since the NDA was lifted, Dreamers from all over have been showing their creations to the world.
With the beta now officially over, we decided to highlight some of the most unique creations in the Dreamiverse. Some are well-known, while some are a bit more under the radar. This represents only a fraction of the creative genius that Dreams has spawned, but it still serves as a showcase of what it has to offer. Now, none of these projects are perfect. Animations and controls may be off, but at the same time, these were projects that were made in weeks on a platform that is yet unfamiliar to creators. With these selections, we wanted to be as widespread and diverse as possible.
And since we know that creations will carry over to the full Dreams release (as long as they’re published), it’s exciting to think about what some of these projects will turn into down the road. Unfortunately, any project involving copyrighted products has the potential to be purged (Media Molecule hasn’t been clear on how those will be handled), so there’s a chance that some creations will never see the light of day. But that doesn’t invalidate the wonder these projects have. So let’s take a trip through the Dreamiverse and see some of our favorite creations, shall we?
What were some of your favorite Dreams creations? Did we miss anything great on our list? Let us know!
Dreams Beta Creations February 2019
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PT (Made by lewisc729)
Yes, this was leaked before the NDA lifted, but either way, it got people talking about this game. In a world where we'll never get Silent Hills, this recreation of that now-iconic hallway showed that Dreams is something special. Sure, there have been plenty of Silent Hills "spiritual successors," but nothing can beat that original game. And maybe Dreams will finally give some the chance to play it.
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Human 1.0 (Made by UsagiVindaloo)
The text-based adventures are the secret weapon of Dreams. They may not be as flashy as some of the other projects found, but they also have the most potential. Using text allows you to create scenes that would be near-impossible otherwise, and Human 1.0 is a clear example of that. A story of the relationship between a lonely crew member of a space expedition and the A.I. that runs the ship, the less said about Human 1.0, the better. Go in as blind as you can.
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DEEP (Made by LBP)
The ocean is one of the scariest places on Earth, and that's because we don't know what it houses. According to DEEP, however, the deep sea is a beautiful, colorful place. This demo doesn't offer much to do; you simply travel to a clearly-marked goalpost. But that short time underwater is nevertheless a breathtaking one.
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Toon Raider (Made by se-mi92)
Give players the power to create anything they want, and they'll undoubtedly look to the past. While Tomb Raider is off on an exciting new direction, many still have nostalgia for Lara's PS1 days. The controls may not be as sharp as what Crystal Dynamics does, but the spirit of Lara's first adventure is there. And hey, at least there's no tank controls!
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Expiration Date (Made by zeroclub)
Sometimes the most imperfect creations are the most memorable. There are flaws in Expiration Date, but then again, there are flaws in everything. What Expiration Date offers is a moody, tense atmosphere with some light RPG mechanics. This is the definition of a diamond in the rough, and with a little more polish, maybe Expiration Date could be the next horror sensation.
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Mario Dreams (Made by XxCrazyK1ernanxX)
It turns out we do, in fact, have Super Mario Maker on the PS4. Obviously, Nintendo is the absolute master of 2D platforming, and nothing will be able to compare to that. However, what is important is that the spirit of Mario is there. Hopefully, this game is able to live on in the full release (although considering Nintendo's track record, that's dicey). If the controls and animations are smoothed out even more, maybe the next great 2D Mario could be on a PlayStation system.
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Pacroll Dreams (Made by Team_LBI)
Sometimes, you just want to chill out and roll around. Playing Pacroll Dreams was a bit of a meditative experience, from the color palette to the music in the background. However, it still will make your brain work. While the challenges aren't overly hard, they do require some precision to perfectly execute. This is a game I could picture on an HP laptop circa 2005, and I mean that as an absolute compliment.
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Slayer Scrolls (Made by LifeTookLemons)
In any game creator, there will be a first-person, expansive RPG. The fact that this was made in the course of a few weeks is nothing short of impressive. In my first ten minutes in this snowy world, I killed an assassin who was supposedly targeting me, and lied my way out of paying a ridiculous toll. There's much more to discover in this world, of course, and I'm excited to see what kind of adventures I can go on next.
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Ultra realistic FPS (Made by VirtuallyVain)
This is unlike anything I encountered in Dreams. Naturally, the aesthetic of it lends itself to more fantastical art styles. However, what we have here is a dark, almost noir-esque shooter. This demo has very little to offer, but it's clear from the jump that this is very much a testing ground. Just look at how beautiful this thing is! Like almost every project we've discovered in Dreams, the potential here is near-limitless. Who knew something so short could get us so excited?
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Unknown Island (Made by Lidas)
No, this isn't a game at all. It's a set piece that's purely designed to show off this beautiful creation. But what a creation it is! The colors are so vibrant, and the lighting effects are so spot-on, you'll find yourself lost in this world, even if you aren't actually doing anything. We already knew that Dreams could be used to make much more than just games, and this shows it.
