Cute and colorful shmup Like Dreamer is coming to Steam on July 21

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-07-11 21:00 JST)

Sotonohito, who runs the independent game development group Outside, has announced that their upcoming shmup Like Dreamer will be coming to Steam on July 21 (July 22 JST). The game will be available for 1,420 yen (roughly $10).

Like Dreamer is a bullet hell shooter with a social media theme. In the game’s world there’s a popular bullet hell social media platform called Bulletolk, and by showing off impressive gameplay, users can receive “likes” from others.

The game features three playable characters. First is Vanilla Alice who likes posting selfies in sexy cosplay and has a strong need for approval on social media. Next is Yuricocoa, a high school student who refers to herself as a black cat type. She also has a strong need for approval on social media. And last but not least is UJAKO who carries herself like a prodigy and plays on a Bulletolk program that she slightly modified. She has some desire for approval on social media.

Like Dreamer features a stage select system where clearing a stage unlocks the next one, and players are free to choose which stage to play. The game has three difficulty levels and boasts being balanced for both beginners and experts.

The game has what it calls the “Mental Gauge” system for both offense and defense. The Mental Gauge is filled as you shoot, and when the gauge is up, a shield will activate when you take a hit. The Mental Gauge can also be depleted to release a powerful bomb.

Then there’s the “Buzz Gauge” system which is tied to the social media theme of the game. As you defeat enemies, you gain likes and followers while increasing your Buzz Gauge. When the Buzz Gauge fills up, Buzz Fever will be activated for a short amount of time. This greatly increases your firepower, and in turn, the likes you receive. Likes appear to represent score in the game.

Once all the stages have been cleared, an arcade-style Trial Mode is unlocked. There’s also Practice Mode where the starting point and other parameters can be freely set by the player. In addition, there’s the extra Boss Rush mode and image gallery where artwork can be unlocked by clearing certain conditions.

Like Dreamer is coming to PC (Steam) on July 21.