{"id":68141,"date":"2026-06-12T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=68141"},"modified":"2026-06-11T18:09:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T09:09:43","slug":"explore-the-psychedelic-dreams-of-an-elderly-dog-abducted-by-an-alien-in-upcoming-indie-a-dogs-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/explore-the-psychedelic-dreams-of-an-elderly-dog-abducted-by-an-alien-in-upcoming-indie-a-dogs-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"Explore the psychedelic dreams of an elderly dog abducted by an alien in upcoming indie A Dog\u2019s Dream\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Various forms of media put the fate of the world in the hands of humans (or metahumans). Not often does it fall on\u00a0a\u00a0regular old dog to do the saving, as\u00a0is the case\u00a0in\u00a0A Dog\u2019s Dream<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developed by\u00a0the\u00a0two-person\u00a0South Korean indie\u00a0studio\u00a0PUMPKIM<\/a>, the game stars Cloud, a household dog abducted by\u00a0a humanoid\u00a0alien on her 25th birthday.\u00a0You\u2019ll\u00a0be\u00a0dividing your time between exploring the\u00a0alien\u00a0spaceship as Cloud during the day, and experiencing her dreams\u00a0at night\u00a0in hopes\u00a0of\u00a0escaping\u00a0your captors and\u00a0saving\u00a0the world from\u00a0inevitable destruction.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ranging from funny and absurd visions to terrifying nightmares,\u00a0Cloud\u2019s dreams\u00a0are the biggest draw of the\u00a0game, and\u00a0will have\u00a0you playing as\u00a0different protagonists. One dream has\u00a0you\u00a0scrolling\u00a0through social media as a superhero,\u00a0deciding\u00a0who to save next in a Trolley Problem-style format. Another has\u00a0you taking part in a twisted show known as The Circus of Sorrow.\u00a0Throughout these weird scenarios, you will be presented with decisions that are equally strange and ambiguous, with your\u00a0choices\u00a0determining\u00a0how the story progresses.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Completing dream sequences nets you Dream Bugs and Mental Energy, with the former being a currency used to buy items and the latter a measurement of the alien\u2019s mental health. Should the alien\u2019s mental energy fall too low, they will get angry and \u201csuck the Earth like a candy,\u201d so you\u2019ll need to care for their mind too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Daytime in the real world is a little less surreal and has you controlling Cloud as she tries to make her escape. You explore the spaceship in a point-and-click manner and engage in fights with anomalies through turn-based combat. You\u2019ll even be able to recruit some allies, making your escape plan easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With its handmade and hand-drawn aesthetic<\/a>, A Dog\u2019s Dream was inspired by anthologies like Osamu Tezuka\u2019s Phoenix and Maki Sasaki\u2019s The Seaside Town manga series. A touching story is masked behind several strange dreams, and a hidden ending can be unlocked by uncovering clues that you find in Cloud\u2019s dreams and in the real world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n