Dreamed Away is a lovely-looking pixel-art RPG being published by Pineapple Works, and it’s coming to Switch late next year. This game looks warm and cosy on the surface, but underneath its guise hides a mystical, unsettling vibe that’s akin to Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away.
Developed by solo developer Nicolas Petton, who was inspired to create the game after the birth of his second child. Dreamed Away focuses on the sibling bond between Théo and his sister Louise in a small French village in Brittany. Théo wishes to reconnect with his sister, but struggles emotionally, which is where the cosiness and charm wash away into something a bit darker.
The cartoony pixel art style reminds us a lot of EarthBound — and we know we say that a lot, but there’s something really charming about the look of the characters and the gentle, idyllic village setting that lulls us into a false sense of security. The unusual enemies and the mystical, magical settings don’t do much to settle our nerves either.
The combat also gives us a little bit of Undertale — a game which, while turn-based, relies on reacting and dodging attacks. Dreamed Away’s combat is a little more real-time, and you need to dodge AND react with attacks at the same time.
Pineapple Works shared some of the upcoming RPGs features with us in the game’s press release:
– Cozy and safe atmosphere mixed up with unsettling and dark mood full of doubts
– Externally introspective: Dive deep into Theo’s fears while exploring the game’s story
and world
– Alternative way to battle: pre-equip varied abilities that can affect the stats of the player
or enemy and/or impact gameplay. Each ability has a side-effect
– Engaging turn-based combat system with real-time enemy attacks
No specific release date has been announced for Dreamed Away, but we do know we’ll need to wait at least until the end of 2024 to get our hands on it.
What do you think of Dreamed Away? Are you intrigued? Let us know in the comments!
