Developer(s) Scriptwelder Release date(s) 2012 (2012) Mode(s) Single-player | Platform(s) Web browser Genre(s) Graphic adventure game | |
Deep Sleep is a 2012 point-and-click adventure game by Scriptwelder. It is a free browser game in which players attempt to navigate a dream world inhabited by shadow people. It was designed for and won first place in the 2012 Jay Is Games Casual Gameplay Design Competition.
Contents
Plot
Interested in lucid dreams, a researcher constructs a world in his mind to explore. However, the world in his dream quickly turns nightmarish, and the researcher becomes trapped. He needs to wake up, which is explained when the player finds a telephone saying he "must wake up". Shadowy figures haunt this world and attempt to restrict the player from guiding the researcher to freedom. At the beginning of the game, the player appears to be in a bedroom. To escape, the player must first find a key, then go into the next room and use the key on a locker. A cube with a keyhole in it appears, and the walls of the room melt down. The player will then have to explore his or her surroundings, and use acquired items to escape. The main obstacle in the game are locked doors, and cannot be opened unless certain items are acquired. After a long period of time, the player finally escapes the building he is in, but still has not woken up yet. Near the end of the game, shadowy figures start to appear and will advance towards the player. The player will then have to escape, as it is impossible to kill them. Running away, the player reaches a lighthouse with a Shadow Figure inside. The player then turns the light so it directly faces the Shadow Figure, and it vanishes. The game then ends, as the player "wakes up". However, the character is curious about the Shadow Figures he encountered and declares that he wants to visit them again.
Reception
Adam Smith of Rock, Paper, Shotgun wrote that although the game has a minimalist story, it "relies on mood rather than jump scares to unsettle". Cassandra Khaw of Indiegames.com called it "creepy without being overdone". Steve Brown of Adventure Gamers called it "a truly disturbing experience".
Sequels
Deeper Sleep was released in 2013, and Deepest Sleep was released in 2014. PC Gamer included Deepest Sleep in its "best free games of the week" for August 2, 2014. Later, The Deepest Sleep was launched and completely ends the plot.