Dream Alone has a tired story, clunky controls, and flawed mechanics, and most of its problems can be traced to the near-fundamental incompatibility of this type of horror with this type of platforming. Its most promising aspect—multiple dimensions—is by far the creepiest part, which is enjoyable, but it seems to sabotage itself with a few key flaws that impact the entire game’s playability.

After finishing my time with Dream Alone I didn’t really find myself satisfied with anything that it was trying to do or be. It’s got the makings of a nice little horror story, but there isn’t enough actual story to live up to its opening’s promise.

Frustrating gameplay paired with needlessly dark and messy levels holds this 2D “horror” platformer back from accomplishing what it sets out to do. It’s difficult to find much Dream Alone attempts that can’t be found better executed elsewhere.