Dreaming Sarah (PC) (2015)

Overview:
Dreaming Sarah is an exploration-based video game where you play as Sarah, a girl who has awaken in a strange world and must figure out what's going on.

The ground is shaking... that can't be good.

20151106:
This game took a little under 2.5 hours to complete with 100% and I enjoyed playing it.

Setup: I started out playing with my keyboard, because for some reason my controller didn't work. But after saving and continuing, I played with my controller. While the key inputs and responsiveness are identical, I preferred the controller for the comfort. The lack of clicking was also a nice change.

This flower is weird.

First Half:
I initially took a break after 90 minutes of playing and completed 16/22 achievements. The six remaining were Secret 1, Secret 3, Heart-shaped key, Juice box, Watch, and The end.

Curious about one of the use items, The Pill, I went and looked at a guide. There I learned that The Pill doesn't reset the game, it merely teleports the character to the location where she starts the game.

Feeling a little tipsy.

Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Atmospheric
+ Great artwork/art direction
+ Solid soundtrack

Neutral:
~ Exploratory gameplay; requires backtracking; feels non-linear

A dead cat. WTF.

Comparison:
After completing the game, the first thought that came to mind was that it was more satisfying to play and finish than Potatoman Seeks the Troof (Online) (2012). Of course this game is exploration-based whereas Potatoman is difficulty-based.

Then I drew a comparison with Limbo (PC) (2011). Both games set up a nice atmosphere, with Limbo being all-around dark due to its black and white color scheme while Dreaming Sarah uses an array of colors but has the occasional morbid scene (e.g., dead cat, allusion of suicide, allusion of murder).

A beautiful sunset. (It could be a sunrise, but... whatever)

Recommendation:
Overall, Dreaming Sarah was a well-rounded game that was only slightly slower paced than I would have liked. Explicitly, every time I wished the game would progress, it would reveal the next level to me within the next two to five minutes. In any case, I would recommend this to any player who might enjoy a short and atmospheric video game.

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Dreaming Sarah (PC) (2015)

I found the umbrella!

Relevant Links:
Dreaming Sarah Website*
Dreaming Sarah (Steam Store Page)*
Dreaming Sarah (PC) (MetaCritic.com)*

*These websites give a synopsis of the plot which may take away some of the surprise.