Dream Chronicles
Encyclopedia
Dream Chronicles: The Endless Slumber, better known simply as Dream Chronicles, is a 2007 award-winning adventure
, hidden object, and puzzle casual game
developed by KatGames
and published by PlayFirst
. It is the first installment in the same name series
, and also the opening part of the first trilogy called Faye's Journey. The game was pitched to PlayFirst at the first Casual Games Association event in Amsterdam
in February 2006, and became the very first adventure game to hit the mainstream casual game industry. The prototype was initially rejected by publishers, but after coming up with the premise of Dream Chronicles, KatGames was signed-up by PlayFirst and completed the title. It tells the story of a mortal woman
named Faye who is the only one being able to awaken from a powerful fairy
's dream spell. After that, she embarks on an adventure through a gorgeous dream world to find her fairy husband and save her hometown. To solve the mystery, players must complete challenging puzzles and search for subtle clues leading to the whereabouts of Faye's husband. But if not all of the clues are found, the spell may never be broken.
Dream Chronicles was first released as a digital download
on June 12, 2007. It quickly became a best-selling game topping seven major casual game charts, and peaking inside top ten on many other charts. The game proved to be one of the biggest and most innovative casual games of 2007, winning a Zeeby Award
's "People’s Choice Award for the Best Hidden Object & Adventure Game of 2007" in July 2008. Dream Chronicles received positive receptions from casual game critics who described it as "a casual cousin to epic, hard-core adventures like Myst
and Uru
", and they normally praised its creative yet approachable gameplay which is a well blending of adventure and hidden object games. Along with Azada
and Mortimer Beckett
, it marked the birth of a new merged "Hidden Object & Adventure" genre in casual game. Up to now, the original Dream Chronicles still has been the most successful game of the whole series, earning both critical and commercial success. As the first part of the first trilogy, Dream Chronicles spawned two direct sequels, Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze
and Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child
, which were released in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
with many mysterious puzzles in store for players to solve. It is not a simple or typical hidden object game, but is more similar to an adventure or quest game. The game resembles epic Myst series
in a way which is much simpler.
When players enter a room or any location for the first time, Faye makes some entry statement to set players on the right track. Almost all the objects in the room can be described to players by Faye, players just need to click on them and they will have a statement with a probable hint. Clicking items place them in your inventory at the bottom of the screen. Once there, players can use them on other objects, and combine them to solve the various conundrums encountered. However, unlike most "hardcore" adventure games, players never lug around any unnecessary inventory items in the game. All the items players collect can be used only within the location players found them in, but not in future puzzles. Solve the poser at hand and players unlock the door to the next location. The game itself is separated into many segments, and there is a cut-scene between these ones. These cut-scenes are cinematic-like wide-screen briefs which tells the story through the main character Faye's point of view.
Dream Chronicles gameplay consists of a series of puzzles that the players as Faye must solve to reach the next chapter. Each scene incorporates one or more puzzles to be solved, with thorough investigation crucial to advancing. Most involve searching for and making use of hidden objects, while others are logic puzzles. The players are required to do is collect a lot of items from the scene, and put them back where they belonged. The whole game covers a wide range of game types, including adventure, role-playing
, jigsaw puzzle
, seek-and-find, Simon games
... Players are given hints as to how to proceed, and some brief instructions, but they need to work out what is actually required themselves. And if players leave the game having not solved all the puzzles within a scene, they will have to start the scene from the very beginning.
Throughout the game, players find various colored gems. These are Dream Pieces, gems that make up the Dream Jewels collection. They give lots of detailed information about some important fairies and their roles in the Fairy Realm which features in the series. Finding and completing Dream Jewels adds to the player's score at the end of the game. Unfortunately, players cannot revisit the scenes to pick up unnoticed gems. For every Dream Piece collected in the game, players earn 1,000 points. There are 115 Dream Pieces molding eight Dream Jewels to complete in Dream Chronicles. Dream Jewels collection is a creative element that differs the Dream Chronicles series from any other casual game
s in the market. Though often being credited for borrowing Myst series' concepts, Dream Chronicles is one of the earliest casual games combining the adventure game's elements with hidden object game's proportions (along with Azada
and Mortimer Beckett
).
In the end, player earns a high score. The faster how players can complete the game, the more Dream Pieces they can find, the better score they will earn. When re-playing the game under the same name to beat the score, players will find some items have changed location.
named Faye had a dream in which the Fairy Queen
of Dreams
, Lilith, was casting a dream spell upon her Town of Wish, and making every resident fell into a magically deep sleep. Strangely, Faye could hear her husband Fidget trying hopelessly to awaken her somehow. Waking up from this dream, Faye cannot believe that those things having occurred in her dreams are happening in reality as well: Lilith has already abducted Fidget. However before being abducted, Fidget used his remaining power, removed the sleep spell from Faye, and left a path for her to follow in his precious diary
. Faye decides to check her little daughter Lyra. Unfortunately, Lyra is falling into the sleep spell like any other resident in this town. Faye compulsorily starts the journey in hope of searching Fidget, which is constantly prevented by Lilith's magical obstacles. It is not too long until Faye discovers a big secret that the in-law family
has tried to keep from her so long: Fidget and his parents are ALL fairies. Faye soon learns more about the in-law family's fairy heritage
and their secret past. She acknowledges that all marriages are arranged in the Fairy Realm, and the concept of love was unknown until Fidget's parents, Aeval and Tangle, fell in love. Fidget was to marry Lilith, but his parents chose to raise a fairy like him in the mortal world, so he could marry a mortal for love too. Lilith believed that her marriage to Fidget would strengthen her powers as the Fairy Queen of Dreams. She already had the power to watch and monitor the dreams, daydreams, and imaginings of mortals, but she wanted the power to control their dreams. Since Fidget married Faye, Lilith has hatched an evil plan to make sure that Fidget will become hers. Fidget reveals these secrets to Faye through his diary, which makes Faye feels so confused and frustrated. She soon accepts the truth when she discovers a human-talking, carnivorous plant
named Herbert which, according to Fidget, is his mother's best friend
. After leaving the comfort of in-law family, Faye crosses the streets and tries to open the main gate of the Town of Wish. She ventures outside but quickly gets lost in the forest when the moon rises. Luckily, a sign found in the dark shows Faye directly to Lilith's mansion
where she thinks that Lilith is keeping her husband. Faye has finally found Fidget, and is able to reunite with him momentarily. Lilith soon appears, separates the couple again, takes Fidget with her, and casts another sleep spell upon Faye. She falls into another deep sleep, and hopelessly sees Lilith taking Fidget in front of her.
In 2005, CEO and lead game designer of KatGames, Miguel Tartaj shared the game idea with two potential partners but according to him "it didn't go anywhere". Tartaj wanted to find a publisher who could provide his team with the creative input and non-development support. He also needed a partner whom his team trusted, and had a track record of successfully navigating the casual games market. Tartaj first met PlayFirst
's creative director
Kenny Dinkin and director of publishing Craig Bocks at Casual Connect Amsterdam
in 2006. He was impressed by their dedication to creativity and innovation, and could immediately sense that they shared his vision to make this unique game a reality. KatGames eventually signed an agreement to PlayFirst on what came to be known in June 2007 as Dream Chronicles.
Miguel Tartaj shared his thought when KatGames became a PlayFirst's partner: "We knew that an adventure game like Dream Chronicles was going to be unique for our team and unique for the casual games industry. [...] The iterative nature of a story-based game like Dream Chronicles was going to require a much higher degree of flexibility throughout the game's design and development process. Each new scene involved unique graphics, puzzles, and story elements, so we knew that it wouldn't all be 'figured out' up front. I prefer to work more iteratively and put pieces together to try things out as we go along. PlayFirst's willingness to accept this fact was something that I appreciated in terms of my work style. Not only being able to work this way, but to also be supported in doing it was a great advantage for my team. We truly were able to 'dream' as we went along."
' luminous Art Nouveau
images, a mesmerizing musical score and a gripping storyline. It immerses players in a spell-binding quest through an elegantly designed, lyrical dreamscape." The game was thought to be another underground casual game
, but it surprisingly peaked at number-one on PlayFirst
, Logler Global, RealArcade, GameHouse
, Shockwave
, MSN Games
and Zylom
; number-two on iWin.com, Arcade Town, Big Fish Games
and Yahoo! Games
; number-three on Reflexive Arcade and Oberon Games. It peaked inside top ten on Pogo.com
, SpinTop Games, Amazon.com
and other major casual game charts.
Art Nouveau
-inspired artworks, and ethereally smooth soundtrack. They also sometimes considered the original Dream Chronicles as the most intriguing game of the whole series.
Its first critical acclaim came from the popular casual game review site Gamezebo
when their editor, Chuck Miller, rated the original game the rare 5.0/5.0 stars. Miller stated: "Dream Chronicles has all the necessary ingredients of an exceptional game, one that lives up to its marketing hype. Art Nouveau
graphics are beautifully rendered, an ethereal soundtrack helps bring the world to life, its engaging narrative draws you into the story and diverse puzzles of varying difficulty keep play interesting and challenging. [...] In short, solving Dream Chronicless mysteries is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Place it at the top of your list of must-play games for 2007." On the other side, Miller cited the biggest weak spot of the game is its short length, though this weakness did not impact on his opinions overall. In late 2007, the original Dream Chronicles was honored as one of the best casual games of 2007 in annual Top Games list by Gamezebo's editors.
Meanwhile, Ms. 45, an editor from Jay Is Games
described the game as "a sensual delight, an intellectual challenge, and a very engaging twist on adventure, seek-and-find and puzzle games." She complimented on its exceptional production value: "The artwork is astonishing. [...] Every scene had me marveling at how beautiful the illustration was. [...] The story is also interesting. [...] The dialogue and descriptive text reveal a sense of humor and a real interest in storytelling."
Awem Studio enjoyed the original Dream Chronicles, said: "The graphics are stunning, the locations are charming and you will want to see the upcoming levels and what the designers have created. The soundtrack is delicate and soothing, and Dream Chronicles brings you to the world of mystery and creates an appropriate atmosphere. [...] Dream Chronicles produce a great and deep impression. It is really enjoyable experience and a rewarding game. Dream Chronicles is a nice mixture of puzzles and adventure, artwork and music."
Despite the fact that the game was well-received by casual game critics, it was not approved by hardcore game ones. Adventure Gamers
gave the game 2.5 out of 5, praising artwork and variety of puzzles but criticizing interface, repetitive activities and storyline. The game's reception on the Xbox 360
has been negative, having an aggregate score of 37.20% on GameRankings and 34 on Metacritic
.
and Mortimer Beckett
, Dream Chronicles actually marked the start, rather the combination of hidden object game's portion and adventure game
's elements into a new merged genre called "Hidden Object & Adventure". Not only finding objects, but players also have to use the objects they have found to solve the puzzles featured in the game. Afterward, there were many "Hidden Object & Adventure" casual games with similar gameplays and concepts which were released to follow this footstep such as Escape the Museum, Natalie Brooks, Mushroom Age... and many more. In late 2007, Dream Chronicles was awarded for the "2nd Runner-Up Best Puzzle Game of 2007", and picked into the 2007 Customer Favorites list by Big Fish Games
. In early 2008, the game received five nominations at the Second Annual Casual Game "Zeeby" Awards held by Gamezebo, including four Craft Awards (Best Visual Art, Best Story, Best Innovative Game, and Best Audio Game of 2007) and one People's Choice Award (Best Hidden Object & Adventure Game of 2007). Dream Chronicles won the latter and lost the former to Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate
, Build-a-lot
, and Peggle
respectively in July 2008.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
, hidden object, and puzzle casual game
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
developed by KatGames
KatGames
KatGames is an independent video game developer based in Zaragoza, Spain. The Spain-based company was founded by Miguel A. Tartaj Casanova. KatGames develops fun easy games for the whole family. They are the designers and creators of popular games such as 5 Spots and Mortimer and the Enchanted Castle...
and published by PlayFirst
PlayFirst
PlayFirst is a San Francisco-based publisher of casual games. The company’s mission is to deliver delightful games for everybody, every day. PlayFirst was founded in 2004 by industry veterans...
. It is the first installment in the same name series
Dream Chronicles (series)
Dream Chronicles is an adventure, hidden object and puzzle casual game series created by KatGames and published by PlayFirst. It is also the name of the first game in the series...
, and also the opening part of the first trilogy called Faye's Journey. The game was pitched to PlayFirst at the first Casual Games Association event in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in February 2006, and became the very first adventure game to hit the mainstream casual game industry. The prototype was initially rejected by publishers, but after coming up with the premise of Dream Chronicles, KatGames was signed-up by PlayFirst and completed the title. It tells the story of a mortal woman
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
named Faye who is the only one being able to awaken from a powerful fairy
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
's dream spell. After that, she embarks on an adventure through a gorgeous dream world to find her fairy husband and save her hometown. To solve the mystery, players must complete challenging puzzles and search for subtle clues leading to the whereabouts of Faye's husband. But if not all of the clues are found, the spell may never be broken.
Dream Chronicles was first released as a digital download
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
on June 12, 2007. It quickly became a best-selling game topping seven major casual game charts, and peaking inside top ten on many other charts. The game proved to be one of the biggest and most innovative casual games of 2007, winning a Zeeby Award
Gamezebo
Gamezebo is a website that focuses on editorial coverage of the casual games industry, offering interviews, features, reviews, previews, strategy guides, news and podcasts....
's "People’s Choice Award for the Best Hidden Object & Adventure Game of 2007" in July 2008. Dream Chronicles received positive receptions from casual game critics who described it as "a casual cousin to epic, hard-core adventures like Myst
Myst (series)
Myst is a franchise centered on a series of adventure video games. The first game in the series, Myst, was released in 1993 by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller and their video game company Cyan, Inc...
and Uru
Uru: Ages Beyond Myst
Uru: Ages Beyond Myst is an adventure video game developed by Cyan Worlds and published by Ubisoft. Released in 2003, the title is the fourth game in the Myst canon. Departing from previous games of the franchise, Uru takes place in the modern era and allows players to customize their onscreen...
", and they normally praised its creative yet approachable gameplay which is a well blending of adventure and hidden object games. Along with Azada
Azada (video game)
Azada is an adventure-puzzle casual game developed by Big Fish Studios Europe, and distributed by Big Fish Games. The studio previously developed Mystic Inn and Atlantis Sky Patrol.- Story :...
and Mortimer Beckett
Mortimer Beckett
Mortimer Beckett is a video game series that consists of four games so far. All the games are adventure games, or point 'n clicks.The main plot is always to find items to advance to higher chapters. Also, you can use items called "puzzle pieces" which...
, it marked the birth of a new merged "Hidden Object & Adventure" genre in casual game. Up to now, the original Dream Chronicles still has been the most successful game of the whole series, earning both critical and commercial success. As the first part of the first trilogy, Dream Chronicles spawned two direct sequels, Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze
Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze
Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze is a 2008 adventure, hidden object, and puzzle casual game developed by KatGames and published by PlayFirst...
and Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child
Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child
Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child is a 2009 adventure and puzzle casual game developed by KatGames and published by PlayFirst...
, which were released in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
Gameplay
The original Dream Chronicles is a seek-and-find adventure gameAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
with many mysterious puzzles in store for players to solve. It is not a simple or typical hidden object game, but is more similar to an adventure or quest game. The game resembles epic Myst series
Myst (series)
Myst is a franchise centered on a series of adventure video games. The first game in the series, Myst, was released in 1993 by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller and their video game company Cyan, Inc...
in a way which is much simpler.
When players enter a room or any location for the first time, Faye makes some entry statement to set players on the right track. Almost all the objects in the room can be described to players by Faye, players just need to click on them and they will have a statement with a probable hint. Clicking items place them in your inventory at the bottom of the screen. Once there, players can use them on other objects, and combine them to solve the various conundrums encountered. However, unlike most "hardcore" adventure games, players never lug around any unnecessary inventory items in the game. All the items players collect can be used only within the location players found them in, but not in future puzzles. Solve the poser at hand and players unlock the door to the next location. The game itself is separated into many segments, and there is a cut-scene between these ones. These cut-scenes are cinematic-like wide-screen briefs which tells the story through the main character Faye's point of view.
Dream Chronicles gameplay consists of a series of puzzles that the players as Faye must solve to reach the next chapter. Each scene incorporates one or more puzzles to be solved, with thorough investigation crucial to advancing. Most involve searching for and making use of hidden objects, while others are logic puzzles. The players are required to do is collect a lot of items from the scene, and put them back where they belonged. The whole game covers a wide range of game types, including adventure, role-playing
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, jigsaw puzzle
Jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces.Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture...
, seek-and-find, Simon games
Simon (game)
Simon is an electronic game of memory skill invented by Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison, with the software programming being done by Lenny Cope and manufactured and distributed by Milton Bradley. Simon was launched in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City and became an immediate success. It...
... Players are given hints as to how to proceed, and some brief instructions, but they need to work out what is actually required themselves. And if players leave the game having not solved all the puzzles within a scene, they will have to start the scene from the very beginning.
Throughout the game, players find various colored gems. These are Dream Pieces, gems that make up the Dream Jewels collection. They give lots of detailed information about some important fairies and their roles in the Fairy Realm which features in the series. Finding and completing Dream Jewels adds to the player's score at the end of the game. Unfortunately, players cannot revisit the scenes to pick up unnoticed gems. For every Dream Piece collected in the game, players earn 1,000 points. There are 115 Dream Pieces molding eight Dream Jewels to complete in Dream Chronicles. Dream Jewels collection is a creative element that differs the Dream Chronicles series from any other casual game
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
s in the market. Though often being credited for borrowing Myst series' concepts, Dream Chronicles is one of the earliest casual games combining the adventure game's elements with hidden object game's proportions (along with Azada
Azada (video game)
Azada is an adventure-puzzle casual game developed by Big Fish Studios Europe, and distributed by Big Fish Games. The studio previously developed Mystic Inn and Atlantis Sky Patrol.- Story :...
and Mortimer Beckett
Mortimer Beckett
Mortimer Beckett is a video game series that consists of four games so far. All the games are adventure games, or point 'n clicks.The main plot is always to find items to advance to higher chapters. Also, you can use items called "puzzle pieces" which...
).
In the end, player earns a high score. The faster how players can complete the game, the more Dream Pieces they can find, the better score they will earn. When re-playing the game under the same name to beat the score, players will find some items have changed location.
Setting
There are eighteen main scenes and two large areas featuring in Dream Chronicles:- The Village of Wish: This is the tiny town of Wish, where Faye lives with her husband Fidget, her daughter Lyra and Fidget's parents, Tangle and Aeval. It’s an insular place, far from cities and civilization. The town is surrounded by tall walls, not to keep the residents inside, for they have no desire to leave the safety and warmth of their community. The walls are there to keep the outside world outside, and are secured with complex weighted locks first seen in Dream Chronicles. The streets are cobbled, lined with colorful dwellings and stores. Beyond the walls of Wish lie lush forests and winding roads that, eventually, lead to other larger towns. But the folk of Wish have little desire to visit those distant places. Their homes are secure in their beloved village where, they believe, no harm can come to them. Before Faye, no one had left this village in many years.
- Lilith's Mansion: This is Lilith's temporary home. In the original Dream Chronicles, she executed her plans to kidnap Fidget from this location.
Characters
First three people listed below are the main characters, while the others play the minor roles.- Faye is a mortal womanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
who is the main protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the original Dream Chronicles, and the Faye's Journey trilogy. Waking up from a strange dream, Faye realizes everyone in her Town of Wish falling into a magical sleep spell, and her husband Fidget has already vanished, which force Faye to embarks on a lonely dangerous quest to rescue him. On the journey, Faye soon explores many secrets about her in-law familyAffinity (law)In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity, as distinguished from consanguinity, is kinship by marriage. It is the relation which each party to a marriage bears to the kindred of the other. In English, affinity is usually signified by adding "-in-law" to the degree of kinship...
: their true identitiesPersonally identifiable informationPersonally Identifiable Information , as used in information security, is information that can be used to uniquely identify, contact, or locate a single person or can be used with other sources to uniquely identify a single individual...
, their fairy roots, and their lives in the Town of Wish. According to Fidget, Faye is "a strong and smart and persistent woman" who never gives up hopes, and always tries hard to get her family back to their old peaceful days. Faye does not appear in person because players play as her point of view.
- Lilith as Fairy QueenFairy QueenThe Fairy Queen was a figure from English folklore who was said to rule the fairies. Fairy Queen may also refer to:*The Faerie Queene, a poem by Edmund Spenser*Fairy Queen , an Indian steam locomotive...
of DreamsDreamDreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
is the main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the Faye's Journey trilogy. At the beginning of the game, she abducts a fairy named Fidget, as she believes marrying him will make her power become stronger. She also casts an enchanting sleep spell on everyone in the Town of Wish to make sure that her plans go smooth, and no one can disturb her marrying Fidget.
- Fidget is Faye's husband, Lyra's father, and a fairy raised in the mortal world by his fairy parents Aeval and Tangle. Having already being aware of Lilith's evil plans, Fidget tried to protect his family, but when things go wrong, he is abducted and brought to Lilith's mansion. He plays as Faye's guide in this game.
- Lyra is the daughter of Faye and Fidget. Lyra falls into Lilith's sleep spell like any other resident in the Town of Wish. Lyra only appears once in the third scene, and is rarely mentioned.
- Aeval and Tangle, as Fairy Queen of FloraFloraFlora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and Fairy King of KnowledgeKnowledgeKnowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
respectively, are Fidget's parents and Faye's parents-in-law. They once fell in love with each other, and decided to escape to the Mortal Realm together to make sure that their children will be bought up naturally and humanly. While Aeval can communicate with plants, and they can talk back to her, Tangle can spend hours reading books as it is his endless pursuit. They are both rarely mentioned in this game.
Story
A mortal womanHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
named Faye had a dream in which the Fairy Queen
Fairy Queen
The Fairy Queen was a figure from English folklore who was said to rule the fairies. Fairy Queen may also refer to:*The Faerie Queene, a poem by Edmund Spenser*Fairy Queen , an Indian steam locomotive...
of Dreams
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
, Lilith, was casting a dream spell upon her Town of Wish, and making every resident fell into a magically deep sleep. Strangely, Faye could hear her husband Fidget trying hopelessly to awaken her somehow. Waking up from this dream, Faye cannot believe that those things having occurred in her dreams are happening in reality as well: Lilith has already abducted Fidget. However before being abducted, Fidget used his remaining power, removed the sleep spell from Faye, and left a path for her to follow in his precious diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
. Faye decides to check her little daughter Lyra. Unfortunately, Lyra is falling into the sleep spell like any other resident in this town. Faye compulsorily starts the journey in hope of searching Fidget, which is constantly prevented by Lilith's magical obstacles. It is not too long until Faye discovers a big secret that the in-law family
Affinity (law)
In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity, as distinguished from consanguinity, is kinship by marriage. It is the relation which each party to a marriage bears to the kindred of the other. In English, affinity is usually signified by adding "-in-law" to the degree of kinship...
has tried to keep from her so long: Fidget and his parents are ALL fairies. Faye soon learns more about the in-law family's fairy heritage
Kinship
Kinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin, through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. And descent groups, lineages, etc. are treated in their own subsections....
and their secret past. She acknowledges that all marriages are arranged in the Fairy Realm, and the concept of love was unknown until Fidget's parents, Aeval and Tangle, fell in love. Fidget was to marry Lilith, but his parents chose to raise a fairy like him in the mortal world, so he could marry a mortal for love too. Lilith believed that her marriage to Fidget would strengthen her powers as the Fairy Queen of Dreams. She already had the power to watch and monitor the dreams, daydreams, and imaginings of mortals, but she wanted the power to control their dreams. Since Fidget married Faye, Lilith has hatched an evil plan to make sure that Fidget will become hers. Fidget reveals these secrets to Faye through his diary, which makes Faye feels so confused and frustrated. She soon accepts the truth when she discovers a human-talking, carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
named Herbert which, according to Fidget, is his mother's best friend
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
. After leaving the comfort of in-law family, Faye crosses the streets and tries to open the main gate of the Town of Wish. She ventures outside but quickly gets lost in the forest when the moon rises. Luckily, a sign found in the dark shows Faye directly to Lilith's mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
where she thinks that Lilith is keeping her husband. Faye has finally found Fidget, and is able to reunite with him momentarily. Lilith soon appears, separates the couple again, takes Fidget with her, and casts another sleep spell upon Faye. She falls into another deep sleep, and hopelessly sees Lilith taking Fidget in front of her.
Development
Before releasing Dream Chronicles, KatGames had developed eight games but none of them earned success because of their poorly low-budget appearances. Having being aware of this, when starting developing the ninth game (now known as Dream Chronicles), KatGames moonlighted on it during other projects in hoping of the game would one day get the funding and attention it deserved.In 2005, CEO and lead game designer of KatGames, Miguel Tartaj shared the game idea with two potential partners but according to him "it didn't go anywhere". Tartaj wanted to find a publisher who could provide his team with the creative input and non-development support. He also needed a partner whom his team trusted, and had a track record of successfully navigating the casual games market. Tartaj first met PlayFirst
PlayFirst
PlayFirst is a San Francisco-based publisher of casual games. The company’s mission is to deliver delightful games for everybody, every day. PlayFirst was founded in 2004 by industry veterans...
's creative director
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
Kenny Dinkin and director of publishing Craig Bocks at Casual Connect Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 2006. He was impressed by their dedication to creativity and innovation, and could immediately sense that they shared his vision to make this unique game a reality. KatGames eventually signed an agreement to PlayFirst on what came to be known in June 2007 as Dream Chronicles.
Miguel Tartaj shared his thought when KatGames became a PlayFirst's partner: "We knew that an adventure game like Dream Chronicles was going to be unique for our team and unique for the casual games industry. [...] The iterative nature of a story-based game like Dream Chronicles was going to require a much higher degree of flexibility throughout the game's design and development process. Each new scene involved unique graphics, puzzles, and story elements, so we knew that it wouldn't all be 'figured out' up front. I prefer to work more iteratively and put pieces together to try things out as we go along. PlayFirst's willingness to accept this fact was something that I appreciated in terms of my work style. Not only being able to work this way, but to also be supported in doing it was a great advantage for my team. We truly were able to 'dream' as we went along."
Release and post-release
Dream Chronicles was first released as a download on June 12, 2007 by PlayFirst and promoted: "Dream Chronicles unique combination of strategy, adventure and hidden object-style gameplay is brought to life by KatGamesKatGames
KatGames is an independent video game developer based in Zaragoza, Spain. The Spain-based company was founded by Miguel A. Tartaj Casanova. KatGames develops fun easy games for the whole family. They are the designers and creators of popular games such as 5 Spots and Mortimer and the Enchanted Castle...
' luminous Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
images, a mesmerizing musical score and a gripping storyline. It immerses players in a spell-binding quest through an elegantly designed, lyrical dreamscape." The game was thought to be another underground casual game
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
, but it surprisingly peaked at number-one on PlayFirst
PlayFirst
PlayFirst is a San Francisco-based publisher of casual games. The company’s mission is to deliver delightful games for everybody, every day. PlayFirst was founded in 2004 by industry veterans...
, Logler Global, RealArcade, GameHouse
GameHouse
GameHouse is a casual game developer, publisher, digital video game distributor, and portal, based in Seattle, Washington, United States-History:...
, Shockwave
Shockwave (Game portal)
Shockwave.com or shockwave is an online and offline video games distributor and portal, based in San Francisco, California, United States. Shockwave has three main tabs on its website, namely , , and my shockwave. It hosted over 400 games and ranging in genres, such as puzzle, action, strategy,...
, MSN Games
MSN Games
MSN Games is an online games site devoted primarily to casual games, both stand-alone and multi-player online games. Games are available in free on-line versions, trial versions, and full feature pay-to-play versions...
and Zylom
Zylom
Zylom is a distributor, developer and publisher of PC-based casual games. Based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Zylom delivers the casual games throughout 12 countries in Europe...
; number-two on iWin.com, Arcade Town, Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games is a provider of Internet media delivery software and game services based in Seattle, Washington. The company was founded in 2002 by Paul Thelen , and currently employs more than 400 people...
and Yahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games is the section of the Yahoo! website in which Yahoo! users can play games either with other users or by themselves. The games on the website are typically Java applets or quick Flash games, but there are others which require a download. Many of the games that require a download...
; number-three on Reflexive Arcade and Oberon Games. It peaked inside top ten on Pogo.com
Pogo.com
Pogo.com is a gaming website that offers a variety of free casual games, from card and board games to puzzle, sports, and word games. It is owned by Electronic Arts....
, SpinTop Games, Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and other major casual game charts.
Reception
Since the first release, Dream Chronicles has garnered normally positive reviews from casual game critics who often praised its creative concept, beautiful 2.5D2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
-inspired artworks, and ethereally smooth soundtrack. They also sometimes considered the original Dream Chronicles as the most intriguing game of the whole series.
Its first critical acclaim came from the popular casual game review site Gamezebo
Gamezebo
Gamezebo is a website that focuses on editorial coverage of the casual games industry, offering interviews, features, reviews, previews, strategy guides, news and podcasts....
when their editor, Chuck Miller, rated the original game the rare 5.0/5.0 stars. Miller stated: "Dream Chronicles has all the necessary ingredients of an exceptional game, one that lives up to its marketing hype. Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
graphics are beautifully rendered, an ethereal soundtrack helps bring the world to life, its engaging narrative draws you into the story and diverse puzzles of varying difficulty keep play interesting and challenging. [...] In short, solving Dream Chronicless mysteries is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Place it at the top of your list of must-play games for 2007." On the other side, Miller cited the biggest weak spot of the game is its short length, though this weakness did not impact on his opinions overall. In late 2007, the original Dream Chronicles was honored as one of the best casual games of 2007 in annual Top Games list by Gamezebo's editors.
Meanwhile, Ms. 45, an editor from Jay Is Games
Jay Is Games
Jay Is Games is a game review website that features daily updates and links to casual games, browser games and flash games of wide interest to casual gamers...
described the game as "a sensual delight, an intellectual challenge, and a very engaging twist on adventure, seek-and-find and puzzle games." She complimented on its exceptional production value: "The artwork is astonishing. [...] Every scene had me marveling at how beautiful the illustration was. [...] The story is also interesting. [...] The dialogue and descriptive text reveal a sense of humor and a real interest in storytelling."
Awem Studio enjoyed the original Dream Chronicles, said: "The graphics are stunning, the locations are charming and you will want to see the upcoming levels and what the designers have created. The soundtrack is delicate and soothing, and Dream Chronicles brings you to the world of mystery and creates an appropriate atmosphere. [...] Dream Chronicles produce a great and deep impression. It is really enjoyable experience and a rewarding game. Dream Chronicles is a nice mixture of puzzles and adventure, artwork and music."
Despite the fact that the game was well-received by casual game critics, it was not approved by hardcore game ones. Adventure Gamers
Adventure Gamers
Adventure Gamers is a computer game website created in 1998 dedicated to the genre of adventure games. It publishes reviews and previews of adventure games, as well as opinion articles and interviews with game designers....
gave the game 2.5 out of 5, praising artwork and variety of puzzles but criticizing interface, repetitive activities and storyline. The game's reception on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
has been negative, having an aggregate score of 37.20% on GameRankings and 34 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Impact
Prior to Dream Chronicles release, hidden object games in casual game market primarily featured finding lists of random objects. Since the first release in June 2007, along with AzadaAzada (video game)
Azada is an adventure-puzzle casual game developed by Big Fish Studios Europe, and distributed by Big Fish Games. The studio previously developed Mystic Inn and Atlantis Sky Patrol.- Story :...
and Mortimer Beckett
Mortimer Beckett
Mortimer Beckett is a video game series that consists of four games so far. All the games are adventure games, or point 'n clicks.The main plot is always to find items to advance to higher chapters. Also, you can use items called "puzzle pieces" which...
, Dream Chronicles actually marked the start, rather the combination of hidden object game's portion and adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
's elements into a new merged genre called "Hidden Object & Adventure". Not only finding objects, but players also have to use the objects they have found to solve the puzzles featured in the game. Afterward, there were many "Hidden Object & Adventure" casual games with similar gameplays and concepts which were released to follow this footstep such as Escape the Museum, Natalie Brooks, Mushroom Age... and many more. In late 2007, Dream Chronicles was awarded for the "2nd Runner-Up Best Puzzle Game of 2007", and picked into the 2007 Customer Favorites list by Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games is a provider of Internet media delivery software and game services based in Seattle, Washington. The company was founded in 2002 by Paul Thelen , and currently employs more than 400 people...
. In early 2008, the game received five nominations at the Second Annual Casual Game "Zeeby" Awards held by Gamezebo, including four Craft Awards (Best Visual Art, Best Story, Best Innovative Game, and Best Audio Game of 2007) and one People's Choice Award (Best Hidden Object & Adventure Game of 2007). Dream Chronicles won the latter and lost the former to Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate
Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate
Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate is an adventure-puzzle casual game developed by Big Fish Studios, and distributed by Big Fish Games. It is the fourth installment in the Mystery Case Files series. The game is available exclusively at Big Fish Games website...
, Build-a-lot
Build-a-lot
Build-a-lot is a 2007 casual video game for Microsoft Windows. The object of the game is to construct, upgrade and sell houses for profits. They can flip houses for quick cash or collect rent to make funds go up. Players help mayors from eight different areas and through 35 different levels to...
, and Peggle
Peggle
Peggle is a casual puzzle video game developed by Sukhbir Sidhu and Brian Rothstein of PopCap Games. Initially released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X systems in 2007, it has since had versions released for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, the Nintendo DS , Windows Mobile, the iPod, the...
respectively in July 2008.
External links
- Dream Chronicles on PlayFirst
- Dream Chronicles Home on PlayFirst
- Dream Chronicles Page on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...