Sweet Dreams Alex: Review

This game was reviewed on PC.

Reviewed by:  I.C. Leviathan

I am reviewing "Sweet Dreams Alex" on PC through Steam, and it's my pleasure to provide you with a comprehensive overview of this unique gaming experience.

"Sweet Dreams Alex" scores a 7 out of 10. This rating is based on the fact that the core gameplay of the game is good but somewhat confusing. While it's a tower defence game, it deviates from the typical tower defence format as there are no turrets or direct means of self-defence. Instead, your objective is to create paths that obstruct the nightmares' progress, preventing them from reaching Alex while she sleeps.

The core gameplay is intriguing. As Alex sleeps, nightmares attempt to reach her, and your task is to prevent these nightmares from giving her unpleasant dreams. To do this, you strategically place obstacles to hinder the nightmares' progress before the timer, usually set at 60 seconds, runs out. In the initial stages, which encompass about 25 levels, your only available obstacles are boxes, and sometimes you have a limited number of them. If the nightmares reach Alex before the timer expires, you must restart the level. However, the game provides a handy restart and fast forward option on the user interface, allowing you to restart the level whenever you choose.

While the game features extremely soothing and tranquil music, the story is intriguing but occasionally confusing. Although it mentions that the parents are the authors of the diary entries you can read, it does not provide their names, which creates a slight disconnect from the story. The freedom to place obstructions wherever you wish is an interesting aspect. You must employ strategy in placing them to effectively waste the nightmares' time. One issue I encountered was in the third level, where a nightmare inexplicably got stuck on a box and became agitated. It could have easily moved up or down to bypass the obstacle, as it was unobstructed. I had to restart the level three times due to the nightmare repeatedly getting stuck in the same spot.

Unlike most tower defence games that offer predefined levels, "Sweet Dreams Alex" provides a level creator feature, enabling you to craft your own levels and share them if you desire. The game also integrates a Discord link on the menu screen for easy access. While the level creator is enjoyable, it lacks a tutorial, leaving you to figure out the mechanics through trial and error. For example, it seems that nightmares require a clear path to follow, and if you merely place different land pieces and portals without a connected path, the nightmares remain stationary and become agitated. Placing objects near the portals is also not advisable, as it elicits the same negative response.

The term "get angry" refers to the nightmares' reaction when you obstruct their path with any type of obstacle, be it boxes or moving crabs. You have a mere 3 seconds to react before they exhibit their frustration, denoted by the appearance of three dots above their heads.

In conclusion, "Sweet Dreams Alex" offers an enjoyable gaming experience, marred by numerous bugs and glitches that hinder the overall enjoyment. While I had a great deal of fun with the game, the absence of a concise tutorial for the primary game and the lack of guidance for the level creator can be perplexing when you attempt to craft engaging levels. If you're in search of a fun tower defence game to while away your free hours, accompanied by soothing and tranquil music, then "Sweet Dreams Alex" might be the ideal choice for you. Setting aside the vexing glitches and bugs, experimenting with the placement of boxes to confound the nightmares is an undeniably pleasurable pursuit.

Reviewed by: I.C. Leviathan