Today’s gaming enthusiasts often recognize the term “walking simulation,” a term that gained popularity around 2012 with the release of Dear Esther, a first-person adventure game set in the Scottish countryside where you explore on foot, reliving memories of a lost loved one. Initially, the label “walking sim” was sometimes used derisively by some to criticize these games for having limited gameplay. This was certainly true for Dear Esther and many subsequent games. However, the term is no longer solely used as an insult, as it has evolved into a genre classification on Steam, making it easier for fans of this type of game to discover more. Nowadays, numerous games are specifically designed to appeal to audiences who enjoy this style of gameplay.
As a fellow admirer, I share your appreciation for these games, yet there’s always been a bit of a disclaimer in my enjoyment. They haven’t quite succeeded as horror titles, despite numerous attempts. In my opinion, the combination doesn’t click because walkthrough games primarily focus on elements like moving and dialogue triggers, with minimal other mechanics involved. It’s possible to weave an engaging narrative in a walkthrough horror game, but based on my personal experience, it’s challenging to establish a terrifying atmosphere when I can easily discern, metaphorically speaking, that there are no real monster encounters or significant challenges to face. The game doesn’t present me with any high-risk scenarios, or at least not complex situations where survival is uncertain – the very elements that generate tension in a horror story.
Essentially, if a horror game’s mechanics primarily involve navigating on your own without much progression, then the game’s atmosphere must be genuinely terrifying to compensate. Unfortunately, many horror games have struggled to consistently achieve this level of fear in my personal experience. However, a new game called Dreamcore seems to be addressing this issue.
Dreamcore is a first-person “walking sim” horror game that revolves around the concept of liminal spaces, with an emphasis on the dream-like worlds we frequently experience in our sleep. Since 2020, the genre of liminal spaces has gained significant popularity online, particularly on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, as well as in video games. Liminal spaces refer to locations, either real or imagined, that evoke a sense of liminality – a transitional area often associated with an ominous or anxious feeling.
Liminal spaces can sometimes be unsettling, mysterious, and disorienting, much like wandering through an abandoned shopping mall or strolling down a silent hotel corridor where all doors appear alike. Such experiences might evoke a peculiar feeling of unease, as if you were the sole occupant in a hauntingly similar hotel hallway with carpets reminiscent of “The Shining.” Not everyone reacts this way; my family and I delight in exploring these liminal spaces online, while my wife remains unaffected. However, for those who sense an enigmatic, yet captivating discomfort from such places, there’s a flourishing community that celebrates, shares, and explores these environments together—in both real life and fiction.
Dreamcore aims to deliver an experience akin to popular recent titles like Pools and The Complex. These games are essentially walking simulators at their core, but they excel where many other horror games designed similarly often fall short. Unlike a walking sim set in a haunted house that must eventually prove its ghostly or demonic threats lurking in the shadows, a liminal space is the source of horror. Essentially, the terror doesn’t stem from the anticipation and resolution of avoiding or battling enemies, but rather the persistent feeling of discomfort that such a place induces. It guarantees no monsters, no health bars, no chase scenes, and no game over scenarios. The terror lies in the exploration itself, which makes walking, despite being the only interaction available, quite effective.
These locations stir up a sense of unease hidden within me, making them hard to ignore whether they are physical or digital spaces. They have an unsettling quality that makes me feel like I shouldn’t be there and struggle to leave. As a longtime enthusiast of horror, it’s invigorating for me to discover this thriving category of games emerging currently. The gameplay mechanics might not be complex like Dear Esther, but the fright factor can be comparable to Amnesia. This unique blend of fear I’ve only experienced in liminal-horror experiences, and despite my attempts to explore other horror-adventure games, I haven’t found it elsewhere.
In the initial realm offered by Dreamcore today, with further details unveiled later, you delve into intricate indoor swimming pool mazes that might be familiar to aficionados of this genre. However, I admire how extensively Dreamcore strives to create the eerie ambiance that enthusiasts of liminal horror eagerly seek. The game incorporates puzzle aspects, which require keen observation even as you may find yourself seemingly lost in repetition. Additionally, there are a few intriguing Easter eggs hidden throughout the game, which I won’t reveal to avoid spoilers.
In Dreamcore, there’s no fighting or monsters; instead, delve into another captivating realm of liminal horror: The Backrooms. You might wonder what makes this game a compelling walking simulator. It’s hard to precisely explain the allure. Perhaps it’s the haunting jazz melodies that reverberate through the infinite, puzzling pool rooms, or the bone-chilling silence that follows when the music stops, leaving only your thoughts and footsteps echoing. Maybe it’s the vintage visual style reminiscent of found footage from a 1990s camcorder, as if you stumbled upon some eerie snuff film born from REM sleep. It could also be the unsettling feeling that nothing in this world seems to belong, sparking questions about its origin: Who constructed it? Where is everyone? And most importantly, what am I doing here? The answers will become clear when you play it yourself.
The structure at its second tier resembles a common theme in online liminal horror folklore, known as Level 94. You might recognize similar visuals from films such as Toys or Vivarium. A monotonous array of houses with identical shapes dot the undulating, verdant landscapes. While each dwelling can be accessed, the goal of reaching the water tower and unveiling its mystery unfolds like a lab rat navigating a maze, as doors open onto enclosed pathways that lead in circles rather than straight paths. The design is intentionally disorienting, and the contrast between gentle, pleasant music and the world’s eerie and unsettling ambiance leaves me feeling uneasy, yet strangely captivated, much like a siren’s lure.
As a fanatic, I find there’s something both eerie and captivating about liminal spaces and video games that portray them. They have this uncanny knack for keeping us suspended in a dreamlike trance. Just like when we wake up from a dream, the remnants of it gradually fade away. By morning, it’s often challenging to remember even the slightest detail of the dreams we spun in our minds during the night, and they always seem to last longer than they actually did – in reality, dreams are fleeting tales, unraveling over mere minutes at a time.
As a devotee, I find solace in the captivating realm of Dreamcore and its intriguing liminal horror genre, which in essence keeps me in a dream-like state. The opportunity to explore those eerily shaped rooms, labyrinthine neighborhoods, and the unsettling sensation that envelops me, offers an unprecedented horror journey. It’s like embarking on a walking simulator that truly terrifies.
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2025-01-23 17:39