Game: Sweet Dreams Alex
Genre: Puzzle, Indie, Pixel Art
System: Steam (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Developer|Publisher: Clarity Games | Kasedo Games
Controller Support: None
Price: UK £12.79 | US $14.99 | EU € 14,79
Release Date: October 5th, 2023
Review code provided with many thanks to Press Engine.
Sweet Dreams Alex is a sort of tower defense game with a whole lot of levels and concepts. You begin with little Alex, a girl that is nervous about moving. Her house is being packed up in boxes, and her stuffed teddy is worried that she will be plagued by nightmares. You are tasked with creating mazes for these nightmares to make sure they cannot reach Alex in time.
The Gameplay of Sweet Dreams Alex
In order to keep the nightmares that spawn from nightmare portals away from our little girl while still letting the nice dreams in, you’ll need to create labyrinths for the nightmares to wind around, making sure they can’t get from the portal to Alex’s head before her alarm goes off in the morning.
While the basic premise is interesting, it’s everything that gets added as you continue through the levels that really amps this game up. You will get speedier nightmares, good dreams, unmovable boxes, different layouts, roads, street lights, and more that end up influencing how you need to build your mazes for those pesky night-time beasties.
Sometimes, Sweet Dreams Alex even limits the number of crosswalks, boxes, and other items to make it even more challenging to keep the bad dreams away.
The Look and Feel of Sweet Dreams Alex
Sweet Dreams Alex has a very distinct aesthetic, and it is amazingly adorable. The color scheme is all deep blues and browns, and the level system is an intricate constellation theme that flows well with the midnight blues. It feels like a sweet dream, and while it can be challenging, it’s somehow always relaxing. Some of the levels are incredibly difficult, but there is no timer, no points to lose if you make a mistake. You just start from the beginning of the level and try again. The music is also relaxing, which adds to the softness of it.
The art might be pixel art, but each pixel is lovingly rendered. Sweet Dreams Alex is gorgeous, and a lot of thought went into the color scheme, the look, the music, and the levels.
Hidden in some of the levels is a journal entry, written by Alex’s parents about her and her sister’s adventures packing up the house, meeting very fat cats, and doodling in the journal they are keeping. All these are adorable details to add to the lore of Sweet Dreams Alex.
This game feels like a passion project. The level of detail is brilliant, the levels are all difficult and well made, and the vibe is all about a relaxing, fun time. The colors are soothing, and every inch of the screen is well-planned and the experience is polished.
I love this game from top to bottom.
A Surprising Amount of Customization
The devs did not have to do this, they really didn’t, but they went ahead and added customizable character options and room looks. You can change up Alex’s hair, hair color, PJs, skin color, eye color, hat, and more. There is also a separate menu for decorating her bedroom, changing the flooring, wall colors, and other options.
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw these menus. What a wonderful little addition!
Conclusion
Sweet Dreams Alex is a polished, relaxing, fun puzzle game with a lot of heart. Everything from the color scheme to the levels is well planned, and I am deeply surprised with how much content there is in this game. There are different kinds of levels, difficulty modes, and plenty to do. I really couldn’t come up with a single complaint about this amazing puzzle game.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up: