1 
0 Projected Dreams, the debut title from small Swiss-based Flawberry Studios, is a heart-warming tale told through the medium of shadows. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and possibly go crazy solving an increasingly mind-bending collection of puzzles. You’ll also not be able to buy it until 29th May. But that doesn’t stop you adding it your Steam Wishlist!
The Last Of The Shadow Puppets
Can your shadow puppet skills carry Senka through the journey of life? Or will you end up all fingers and thumbs? Let’s dive in!
Gameplay
Projected Dreams is enchantingly simple. You’re shown a mysterious, shadowy shape and asked to recreate it using a torch, a wall, and whatever other objects you can find. If you can get somewhere in the ballpark, then that is OK too. Succeed, and you will be awarded three stars and advance to the next challenge. Thankfully, Projected Dreams plays loose with this premise and encourages the player to be creative within the sandbox. There are quite possibly hundreds of different ways to recreate a shadow to clear the stage. You will quickly transition from carefully constructing a perfect shadow, to slinging together a rubber duck, a coffee cup and a baseball bat into a shape that the game defines as “good enough” allowing you to progress onwards.
Each chapter of the tale takes place in a different environment. This changes the gameplay enough to keep things interesting and forcing you to think differently to reach the goal. Multiple light sources, invisible objects, and gluing bits and pieces together are just some of the mechanics employed.
To flesh out proceedings, each shadow is a little slice of Senka’s life. Starting as a small child, to a teen, to an adult, with all the trials and tribulations in between. The story is wonderfully told with the right amount of narrative, allowing the illustrations to convey the bulk of the story.
Multiple control options make Projected Dreams extremely accessible, and the lack of text means that anyone can dive in. It is an ideal entry point for anyone new to video games. Or even for those apprehensive at the sight of a multi-pronged game pad.
Graphics & Audio
Sending shockwaves through your graphics card is not the intention of a game like Projected Dreams. Instead, we have lovingly hand-drawn graphics for the central narrative and crisp, clear 3D environments for the shadow puzzles. The autumnal tones and craft paper aesthetic, perfectly stitch together to form a game of understated beauty. The UI is minimal, and objects are rendered with a child-like simplicity. All adding to the overall chill emanating from the screen. Each room bursts with personality, perfectly reflecting the setting of that particular chapter, whether it’s a haunted house or space station. Also, every area has plenty of interactivity to save you from the game’s more challenging moments.
The music is equally oozing with cosy vibes. The gentle chord strumming and what can only be described as “soft-toy ASMR” is a perfect accompaniment to proceedings. In both of these aspects, Projected Dreams fulfils the brief and does not burden the player with unnecessary clutter. If exasperation leaves you wanting to throw your controller out the window, playing with the in-game cassette recorder will bring you back down to earth too!
Longevity
Projected Dreams quickly lures you into thinking this is a game aimed at younger children, such is the simplicity of the opening moments. However, once you are a few chapters deep and the story has sunk its teeth in, the frustration levels creep up. This is no fault of the game; which plays its hand fairly, although a quick hint system during some of its more taxing moments would have been a handy touch.
Relaxed and welcoming in nature, Projected Dreams will have you coming back for more, especially to see the deeply affecting story unfold to its conclusion. It’s a gameplay loop that is potentially endless, and if additional puzzles were added later down the line, I’d be diving straight back in.
Final Thoughts
Projected Dreams is a charming and original puzzle game that will tug on the ol’ heart strings. Just don’t blame me if it provokes the odd tear or three. I experienced a range of emotions during my playthrough, from the thrill of constructing a tower of junk that kinda looked like a rabbit, to frustration when things didn’t go my way. It’s challenging, thought-provoking, with an extra-large ladle of cute.
All in all the game takes a brave punt on an original idea and shadow boxes it into an enchanting little puzzle experience.
As a debut title from a small team, I give Projected Dreams the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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