5. October 2025.

Dreams of Another – The Poetry of Creation Through Destruction

by Ivan Katić 0 Comments 8 minutes read 343 Views 6 months ago

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DEVELOPER: Q-Games Ltd.
PUBLISHER: Q-Games Ltd.
PLATFORMS: PC, PlayStation 5, PS VR2
GENRE: Shooter / Psychological
RELEASE DATE: October 10, 2025
STARTING PRICE: 34,99€
REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Dreams of Another is much more than a regular video game. It is a deep philosophical journey disguised as a third-person shooter and exploration experience. The core idea is the thought-provoking theme: “No Creation Without Destruction.” This powerful concept immediately challenges how games usually work, offering an introspective journey through a surreal, fragmented world.

If you expect a typical shooter experience, this isn’t the right game for you. Dreams of Another focuses entirely on the story, voices, music, memories, and the intrigue of having different dreams every night. That’s why if you are not a fan of deep, slow-paced experiences, this game might not be for you. However, if this style intrigues you, particularly if you liked a game such as 1000xResist, then you are in the perfect place.

Where Shooting Is an Act of Creation

The heart of Dreams of Another is its innovative core mechanic. Unlike a traditional shooter, where you destroy things with bullets, here, shooting becomes an act of creation. You play as one of two protagonists: The Man in Pajamas or The Wandering Soldier. They use their weapon to materialize parts of the world. To do this, you aim and fire at floating, pixel-like particle clouds found in the environment. You then bind these elements into solid objects like doors, trees, and pathways.

Adding depth to the surreal landscape is the interaction with sentient objects, such as trees and doors.

The game is structured around reflective exploration and puzzle-solving. You must utilize the creation mechanic to construct necessary elements, advance through the story, and unlock fragmented memories. Adding depth to the surreal landscape is the interaction with sentient objects, such as trees and doors, which engage you in dialogue and give reflections on human society, such as a piano telling you: “I only allow this human to play me and no one else.”

Dreams of Another uses this unique framework to ask you deep philosophical questions. For instance, why are moles being thrown out and dying? And why does the soldier constantly collect useless objects and assign them meaning? The storytelling is intentionally non-linear and focused on thematic closure. In fact, the main idea is for you to sit, relax, and listen to the dialogue happening in the background.

Rhetorical Questions That Linger Long After the Credits

Personally, I was especially intrigued by one question: “Do we remember when a certain object was given to us, and what kind of emotions were involved in creating it?” The game asks many questions like this but does not necessarily give you the answers. Instead, it lets these questions stick with you. The ending avoids traditional plot twists, as it offers an emotional resolution that emphasizes creation and destruction as a natural cycle.

The entire focus is on the characters’ quest for self-understanding, especially since the protagonist cannot use the gun to fight or protect himself. This is what the game does perfectly: it draws you deeper into the dreams. Every time you complete a level, you are taken back to the main menu, just like a dream that eventually ends. Then, when you click play again, it feels like you are sleeping once more.

While you can shoot, throw a grenade, or use a bazooka, these actions are not THAT important.

However, the actual gameplay is almost nonexistent. While you can shoot, throw a grenade, or use a bazooka, these actions are not THAT important. The fun is not in the mechanics, but in everything else the game offers. Dreams of Another uses an instantly unique and recognizable visual style. This is achieved by using point cloud technology. As a result, the entire world gives the impression of walking through a shifting, dreamlike landscape made entirely of flexible particles.

Must-Buy If You Crave Deep Psychological Themes

Game director Baiyon made sure the experimental music score fits the atmosphere perfectly. The music adds to the feelings of dread and the sense of not knowing what awaits. This score also successfully complements the visuals, however voice acting often sounds flat and lacks emotion, which sometimes clashes with the game’s overall vibe. I think that this is rather subjective, as some might find the voice acting fitting while others won’t.

If you think this is a short game, you are mistaken; the story keeps evolving, which was a genuinely nice surprise. The pacing is consistent too. You usually visit the same areas, but they either change or you move to new ones. Although the story gets more interesting as you play, the core mechanics unfortunately always stay the same, which definitely makes the game less fun. Despite this, if you enjoy deep psychological themes, this is a game you should be buying.

Pros

Deep Philosophical and Introspective Journey: Centers around the powerful and thought-provoking theme “No Creation Without Destruction”, offering an emotional quest for self-understanding.
Innovative Core Mechanic (Creation through Shooting): Inverts the shooter concept by having the player’s weapon create the world—doors, pathways, and structures, from swirling particle clouds.
Unique Visual Style: Uses point cloud technology to render a recognizable yet dreamlike landscape made of shifting particles, resulting in a surreal, one-of-a-kind aesthetic.
Evolving and Consistent Story: The narrative steadily evolves throughout the experience, maintaining a balanced pacing that keeps the player emotionally engaged.
Atmospheric Sound and Emotional Ending: Features an experimental, mood-rich soundtrack and a powerful conclusion that reinforces the cycle of creation and destruction as a natural balance.

Cons

Lacks Traditional Action Gameplay: The game is explicitly not a typical shooter; the “gameplay is almost nonexistent,” which may disappoint those expecting action or challenge.
Repetitive Core Mechanics: Despite the evolving story and setting, the core creation mechanic stays the same throughout, making the gameplay feel static and less engaging over time.
Flat/Unemotional Voice Acting: The delivery often feels disconnected from the tone of the story, which can undercut its emotional depth, though this remains subjective.
Not for All Players (Slow-Paced): A deliberately slow, story-driven experience focused on atmosphere, voice, and music, ideal for introspective players but not for those seeking fast-paced action.

Review copy provided by the publisher