Questo gioco è speciale. Talmente speciale che si merita un parere ancor prima che la serie finisca. Siamo al quarto dei sei capitoli che formano la fantastica avventura di The Dream Machine, e alla fine di ognuno di essi ti senti sollevato e spaventato allo stesso tempo. Sollevato, perché sei riuscito a cavartela tra rompicapi vari (ma comunque sia abbastanza intuitivi, e che richiedono solo uno sforzo un tantino sopra la media per essere risolti); spaventato, perché non vuoi avvicinarti alla conclusione di questo viaggio unico nel suo genere. The Dream Machine travalica il senso comune di avventura grafica, perché trae il suo punto di forza da ogni singolo elemento di ogni singola area di gioco: ognuna di esse è viva, respira della magnifica semplicità della clay motion, ti ingloba tanto da farti sentire quell'odore pungente di argilla con la quale ti sporcavi le mani alle elementari. E ancora le musiche, un ambient onirico, emozionante, unico, indispensabile per completare i diversi quadretti brulicanti di vita dei quali il gioco si compone. E ultimi, ma non meno importanti, i personaggi. Ogni singolo personaggio è come se fosse un nostro conoscente di vecchia data. Il protagonista, Victor, con il suo fare fatalista, sempre tranquillo anche nelle situazioni più assurde ed impensabili che affronterà, è uno specchio neutro e cristallino di ogni gamer. Ma le emozioni le senti, le sue e quelle degli altri compagni di avventura, in un mondo dove non c'è bene o male, ma soltanto trascinanti gorghi emozionali dentro le insospettabili vite di piccoli pupazzetti di argilla, sfogliate fino al nucleo stesso della loro anima attraverso rompicapi più o meno originali. Un gioco davvero, ma davvero speciale. Coinvolgente, emozionante, a tratti ironico e sarcastico, ma anche oscuro e inquietante, The Dream Machine entra nel mio cuore assieme alle altre avventure grafiche "particolari" come quelle dell'Amanita Design, con le quali condivide le perfette atmosfere musicate, ma che in più porta con sé una sceneggiatura e dei dialoghi suggestivi e mai noiosi. Da avere assolutamente, se non si era ancora capito.
Aggiornamento a caldo dopo aver finito il capitolo 5: Forse il capitolo più difficile da risolvere, ed anche il più largo da esplorare (gli sviluppatori affermano infatti che il suo gameplay equivale a quello di tutti i capitoli precedenti messi assieme). 45 nuove bellissime ambientazioni dettagliate in maniera certosina, nuovi intrighi, nuovi ragionamenti filosofici oltre la soglia del tangibile, un doppio sogno con il suo labile confine da affrontare, ed il finale che alimenta la straziante attesa dell'ultimo capitolo di un'avventura unica e straordinaria come poche.

This game is ridiculously good - so much so that I'm actually writing a review. Please PLEASE do yourself a favor and buy it - even full price! It's more than worth it.

I won't go in detail into game mechanics and whatnot (other reviews do the mechanics justice) but suffice it to say the claymation is well-done, the puzzles are interesting and often challenging, and the plot is very engaging. It's a great story! And while it's not a "scary" game, it is a deliciously disturbing one (I mean, it's based on dreams, of course it's gonna be disturbing, especially in the later chapters. I guess I'd say it's a similar feeling as watching one of Tim Burton's films, but with more blood, and a slightly more mature rating.) The only downside to this game is having to wait for the 6th chapter to come out. Rambling aside, 2 thumbs way waaaay up.

The Dream Machine : A game made of materials such as clay and cardboard. Catchy, ain't it? Sufficient enough to draw one's attention.

The Dream Machine marks a rekindling of passion for the point'n click genre and holds a special place in my heart. Need no more than a little bit of imagination, some raw materials along with great crafting skills...The whole coupled with technology and the result is this fantastic game.

You play as Victor Neff, a young fellow who has just moved to a new appartment with his wife Alicia Neff. Not long after settling down, Victor and his wife will soon notice that something wrong is happening in the building. Not to mention the landlord, who is quite peculiar...

Won't say too much but I think at this point, you know it has something to do with dreams. Some kind of a "Dream machine". You guessed right! You will have to EXPLORE people's dream.The game is divided into 6 chapters, each one involving a new tenant, sometimes more and their dreams, of course; each one bringing its share of surprises, different from one another. About to finish Chapter 5 released not long ago and still another final chapter to come.

Make no mistake, this game is not intended for a young public but well and truly for a rather mature audience. Don't get fooled by the childish look of this one. Exciting plot and storyline. Look forward to seeing the ending in chapter 6.

The Dream Machine is offering a real challenge without being too hard. Like similar point'n click games, it can be quite frustrating after a while when you have no idea what to do. You need to use your mind, but I'm not telling you anything new. Ask youself a lot of questions (ok, this squirrel use a wheel as a door to protect his treasure in a tree, you need the wheel but the squirrel won't give it to you. He needs all the reinforcement to protect his treasure. What could you give him in exchange for the wheel?), care with the little details...clues might be everywhere, EVERYWHERE. You may, if you're too desperate go on the internet checking for the answer but you'll be dubbed as a quitter. What I usually do when I have no clue, is to quit the game and come back to it later, giving me the time to wrap my head around it. I have that sort of pride when managed to succeed all by myself.

Apart from the puzzle part, the game is noticeable for the great work that the developpers put into it. You will be fully immersed into this well-crafted, lively world. Also important to point out that this game was made by two guys, two "sexy Swedish nerds" named Erik Zaring and Anders Gustafsson. I am still amazed to see how one can bring something to life, I mean literally.

Assuming that you play this game while knowing anything, it may last long...very long. All depends on your ability to resolve puzzle.

This is my way of saying thanks. Also, feel free to check out their site, at least to enjoy their work.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=355645382

Probably the most underrated game on Steam, if not ever.

One of the best games I've ever played. You just have to give it a go. Amazing atmosphere of gloom and downfall, unique look and... I don't know... It feels different. This game is pure art.

This is definitely one of my favorite games. It's a point-and-click made with stop motion effects and it looks excellent. The stop motion is far from a gimmick as it adds so much atmosphere to the experience. The puzzles aren't going to break your brain, but they will slow you down for a bit and make you think. The story is fascinating and well-delivered. I played and completed up to the third chapter (that's all there was at the time) and haven't gone back, because I want to play the entire experience once it's finished. Let me tell you, waiting is painful.

If you're a fan of point-and-click adventures or are just looking for a different kind of game, this is for you. You won't be disappointed.

Oh boy, would I recommend The Dream Machine. I've just recently gotten into point-and-clicks and I think this just set a high standard and it's going to be hard to find a game that beats it. The wait for Chapter 6 is going to be painful, especially because the devs post teasers on their Twitter. As an artist, this is a game to appreciate, and as someone who enjoys 'darker' art, it's a smorgasbord.

Reasons why you need it:
+ Devs are very responsive to cries for help with glitches
+ Art style is incredible and obviously takes a lot of work
+ Puzzles are really tough
+ Puzzles are innovative and different
+ Chapter format makes it easier to appreciate in moderation instead of doing a binge
+ It's easy to binge

There are some little glitches here and there, but your love for the game will overpower them. Community for this game is great as well. There are no cons, really. Although, I would love to see some dynamic backgrounds.

The claymation intrigued me, so I decided to dive right in.The point-and-click is essential to this game. Your main goal is to explore and find solutions. The game gives you just enough of information to figure out the puzzles on your own without being too ridiculously difficult. Sometimes you'll get stuck, but don't abandon the game. Take a break for about half an hour and try again. A solution will be found.
I love the claymation because it is clearly a labor-intensive gamestyle, but very very worth it. The dialogue can become a bit repetitive, but the story is woven in very well with real life dream theories. If you don't like puzzles, this is not the game for you. This is also not for the faint of heart. There are some very disturbing scenes in this claymation universe.

I called the removal man in-game in a surveillance room while spying on him on a monitor and watched on the monitor (one of nine on screen at the time) as he actually picked up the phone and answered. It wasn't even part of the plot. The attention to detail is immense and admirable.
The puzzles are often difficult but not impossible, the tone is both dark and comic. I haven't been this impressed with a pure, puzzle solver point and click game since Grim Fandango and Monkey Island.
If this sounds anything like something you might like, give it a shot. As many people have already said, it deserves more recognition.

Possibly the finest and most original point and click adventure I have EVER played. 'Nuff said.

The dream machine is the one of the best point and click games I have played in a long time. The puzzles are enjoyable. The art style is very original and memorable. The atmosphere is a little creepy(in a good way),and the musical style fits in well with the atmosphere. A little about the game in general , chapter one is very basic in approach getting used to how the puzzles are.Chapter two and later is where it starts getting really interesting and the dreams become more fun to enter into. If you are looking for something new and interesting try this title out.

AWSUM! I wonder when the soundtrack would be available too. Great game, great music, great atmosphere! 10/10

Original aesthetic, the story is not much but leads to rather imaginative places and interesting characters, the puzzles are more or less good, there are some annoying bugs and glitches at times to times.

This is not among my favorite point'n'click games, but still a pleasing experience and I am looking forward to the release of the next chapters.

Adorable graphics and storyline. I congratulate the creators of this game for their vision. Players will enjoy the deep freudian realms and will feel like the whole world is upside down. From the routinely casual life of a simple guy who rents an apartment to the philosophical conversations with decrepit statues, all will amaze you. Remember, it's a game for the point and click fans:)

Upon first seeing this game in the Steam store I was intrigued. The claymation art style really got my attention. I decided to take a risk and buy, and I'm so glad I did. The story is original and creative, the puzzles are challenging but not impossible, and the game overall is eery and very atmospheric. I can't wait for chapters 5 and 6 to see what happens next.

Edit: Chapter 5 has been released, I'll update this review once I finish it.

Excellent original game, it will have you clicking/guiding a clay man around for weeks if you're not up to scratch on problem solving & out of the box thinking. If you want to gain some IQ or troubleshooting skills then take a crack at this.

I don't play adventure games very often because I'm tired of all those stupid puzzles where you have to join more and more absurd items together to get even more absurd item...

But The Dream Machine is different. It's 100% logical. It's rewarding. It's mesmerizing. It's mysterious.

I love the graphics, I love the music and sounds, I love this game. Diamond among ordinary stones.

I've just finished chapter 5 and I can't wait for the final one!

Excellent point-and-click adventure. The first couple of chapters were a little slow to start with but it was worth waiting for the later chapters, and it's definitely worth playing through until the end. The choice of using a style like claymation results a very unique environment and required a huge amount of effort on the part of the developers besides, and it shows. Localization is good. If I had to nitpick, it would have been nice to have recap of each chapter since I was playing new chapters after a few months' wait, but nothing's stopping me from just replaying the previous chapters. A few bugs in the later chapters but nothing game-breaking. Two tentacles way, way up!

A really nice adventure game that's just emanating the love of the devs have for making it. This is clear in that its all made in claymation which is notorious for being painstaking as hell and it shows, the first episode of this game came out like four years ago. It looks really atmospheric and eerily beautiful because of the claymotion though so its totally worth it.The game's also nicely written with a likable cast and a morally gray antagonist. Some of the puzzles can be obtuse and pixel-hunty, but they're mostly fine. Definitely deserves more love and hopefully the last episode comes out next year. (A fun little bit trivia I learned was the dev for this made Gateway 2, a flash game I played years back that I thought was neat.)