50
An admittedly wonderfully detailed passion project, but one that is mostly style over substance.
85
The 8 long years it took to reach the end of this dreamy adventure seem unimportant now, gazing back to this intriguing and unique masterpiece of the two man team of Cockroach Inc. It is simply a must for all adventure gamers.
80
The Dream Machine is a flawed, yet stunningly gorgeous game. The time and effort that went into it from such a small studio is mind-boggling, and every minute of it was well worth it from an aesthetic point of view.
6
It's an uneven experience. Some episodes are well-paced and have logic puzzles (episode 2 is the best), but others make the same mistakes as all old adventure games and force players to take counter intuitive actions. At some point, you have to decorate a grave to appease a restless soul. If you have not finished another "quest" you have to remove the decorations from the grave, as they are necessary for another puzzle. You have to pick up an item you already used! In such a profound context!!! This example is by far the worst puzzle design in an adventure game I've ever witnessed. Moreover, performance on PC is close to non-playable, you have to reset the game every couple of minutes due to some memory leaks.
7
Overall a solid point and click game. Unique graphics style and a dark foreboding atmosphere make this a unique experience. The game is challenging and the story is interesting and involving ... so my personal enjoyment was somewhat spoiled by the unsatisfying ending.
9
Five Word Review: Crazy claymation adventure in dreamland. Favorite Thing: I've been a huge fan of claymation since The Nightmare Before Christmas. I've loved adventure games since Grim Fandango. It's a perfect match! Least Favorite Thing: The story got pretty messed up at the end. I didn't dislike it but it was a little too metaphysical for me. Date Completed: 2017-07-03 Playtime: ~ 15h Enjoyment: 9/10 Recommendation: It's a solid point and click adventure.
The Dream Machine
Released On:
Dec 14, 2010
Metascore
Generally Favorable
75
User score
Generally Favorable
8.4
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
75
77% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
23% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Aug 28, 2013
95
I played dozens of point’n’click games over the years and The Dream Machine might be the best of them all. [CD-Action 10/2013, p.68]
Nov 20, 2014
86
With a very satisfyingly long runtime, excellent, challenging puzzles designed for hardcore adventure game players and it's inimitable mood, atmosphere and graphic presentation, the Dream Machine is only held back from "instant classic" status by it's lack of recorded voice-overs. Everything else in this surreal odyssey of the mind is simply top notch and guaranteed to find a place in the hearts of true adventure gamers everywhere.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.4
77% Positive
44 Ratings
44 Ratings
19% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
4% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Mar 8, 2014
10
Wonderful and intriguing story about dreams in a point-and-click adventure with environments, objects and characters basically hand-made from clay, divided by 6 chapters, each one granting like 3 hours of gameplay. The first 4 chapters was already launched, and despite some delay on bring us the fourth, it seems like the fifth is coming and the sixth will not last too much for coming too. I played the first 3 chapters, and so far i got any bugs unless the Steam layer that doesn't work. The puzzles are good enough, they're reasonable and you'll not have to try combinations of objects desperately trying to guess because of bad designing. You may found some difficult at the main/last puzzle of each chapter - they're hard, but not nonsensical. It is a collection of great and beautiful craftwork, but it doesn't try to stand by the art itself, being part of a very good story with solid gameplay, so it's a great game. If you're those who like point-and-click adventures, mostly with good stories, this is a game for you.
Aug 3, 2013
10
This game is fantastic! If you like Monkey Island kinda point and click, but without the random put every item with every item and hope something happens elements. You will probably love this! This game has great atmosphere, interesting story and puzzles. Not to mention very subtle and hilarious jokes What you do, Don't miss out on this point and click,
Nov 8, 2011
84
Unfortunately, point-and-click games don't lend themselves to replayability. The time you spend with The Dream Machine, though, will be immensely enjoyable.
Jun 18, 2012
80
A mysterious adventure that creeps under you skin, thus makes you comfortable, and finally catch you off guard to bring you deeper in the invisible place where all dreams are tailored.
Feb 22, 2011
80
The Dream Machine is probably the best browser game we've played, and lives up to all expectations one might have of a modern adventure game.
Mar 7, 2011
70
The Dream Machine offers a genuinely interesting and thoughtful story, great «handmade» graphics and some devious puzzles. It's a little short on content, though, and having to be online to play a single player game is a disadvantage.
Feb 23, 2011
50
The first two bites of unusual episodic adventure game taste quite fair, but instead of tasting saturation it just irritates the stomach. [Issue#201]
Jul 5, 2017
9
Five Word Review: Crazy claymation adventure in dreamland. Favorite Thing: I've been a huge fan of claymation since The Nightmare Before Christmas. I've loved adventure games since Grim Fandango. It's a perfect match! Least Favorite Thing: The story got pretty messed up at the end. I didn't dislike it but it was a little too metaphysical for me. Date Completed: 2017-07-03 Playtime: ~ 15h Enjoyment: 9/10 Recommendation: It's a solid point and click adventure.
Aug 8, 2013
9
This game is great! The puzzles are sufficiently challenging, the atmosphere just the slightest bit creepy, the characters painstakingly hand-made (and, on occasion, relatively freaky looking), the story/plot wonderful and last but not least, you can detect the subtle sense of humour the creators possess at certain parts. Sure, it can take awhile for chapters to be released and it really does make you impatient, but I think it's rather worth the wait. From what I've seen so far, the difficulty level increases slightly with each new chapter, which is great isn't it? In conclusion, if you're looking for a unique point-and-click with an intriguing plot without having to fork out very much money, The Dream Machine is a game well worth your consideration.
Sep 12, 2012
9
Great game and the puzzles are JUST right. It's only downfall is the fact that it's a bit short atm. Even with 3 out of 5 chapters released I was able to play through it rather quickly (but not TOO quickly). It was really worth it thou and I am biting the bit waiting for the remaining chapters.
Aug 2, 2021
7
Overall a solid point and click game. Unique graphics style and a dark foreboding atmosphere make this a unique experience. The game is challenging and the story is interesting and involving ... so my personal enjoyment was somewhat spoiled by the unsatisfying ending.
Nov 10, 2024
6
It's an uneven experience. Some episodes are well-paced and have logic puzzles (episode 2 is the best), but others make the same mistakes as all old adventure games and force players to take counter intuitive actions. At some point, you have to decorate a grave to appease a restless soul. If you have not finished another "quest" you have to remove the decorations from the grave, as they are necessary for another puzzle. You have to pick up an item you already used! In such a profound context!!! This example is by far the worst puzzle design in an adventure game I've ever witnessed. Moreover, performance on PC is close to non-playable, you have to reset the game every couple of minutes due to some memory leaks.
SummaryA point-and-click adventure where you play as a couple, Victor and Alicia, who have recently moved into their new apartment only to discover an unsettling secret about their new home.
