Dream Cage is the latest anomaly-based horror entry from the developer behind Supernormal and Supernatural, but unfortunately, it feels like a step backward in terms of polish and design. The core concept remains intriguing: you're confined to your apartment, tasked with identifying "anomalies"—visual distortions or transparencies between realities—by using a camera that reveals what the naked eye can't see. It’s a strong premise that builds on the developer's previous work, but it struggles under the weight of technical issues and design imbalance.

Sanity and camera battery management are central mechanics, and in theory, they should provide tension and pacing. In practice, though, the sanity system is overly punishing. Even when using pills, it often feels like your efforts barely make a dent in your mental state. The drain is aggressive, making survival feel less like a challenge and more like a battle against poorly tuned systems. This frustration is compounded by bugs and performance issues that undermine the experience. While nothing game-breaking occurred during my playthrough, it was certainly janky, with a sense that things weren’t functioning quite as intended.

That said, Dream Cage isn’t without its strengths. The game’s soundscape is absolutely intense—one of the best parts of the experience. The developer has a clear talent for audio design and environmental ambiance. Every creak, distortion, and distant sound works hard to keep you on edge. The visual design of the apartment is effective, even if the levels start to blur together after a while. They’re similar in layout and presentation, but still feel thoughtfully constructed to maintain immersion and deliver unease.

Gameplay-wise, once you understand how the anomaly detection and survival mechanics work, the game becomes fairly easy. It’s not a particularly long experience—maybe one to two hours—but for the price, it’s hard to argue with the value. The short length is almost a strength in this case, letting you get in, get scared, and get out without overstaying its welcome.

Ultimately, Dream Cage is the weakest of the developer's trio of horror titles. It lacks the coherence and refinement found in Supernormal or Supernatural. It’s buggy, it’s unbalanced, and it can be frustrating. But it’s also fun, immersive, and worth checking out for fans of indie horror who are willing to look past the flaws. There’s clear care in the craft, especially in sound and mood. If you temper your expectations and embrace the rough edges, there’s still a solid horror experience to be had.

i literally cant, i ♥♥♥♥ myself

This was terrible. #1 cashed multiple times on start up. #2 The controls (keyboard or controller) were clunky and inaccurate. #3 it wasn't scary. As long as you don't say anything during the bed scenes...they won't hurt you lolz #4 impossible to avoid the "scary" ghosts even when your sanity level was low enough, but no explanation as to why. Definitely no time to find the papers (which couldn't even be selected to read). Finished with the "bad ending". So let down and disappointed...I hyped this one up in my mind way too much. Thankfully, I got it on sale. Do not waste $8 on this trash.

Here's my playthrough https://www.youtube.com/live/VlPmtHZqQ0g?si=Ne-pGWwqMhDDHxBc