Cavern of Dreams understands the aesthetic of retro 3D platformers better than most throwback attempts. The slow platforming can have uncharacteristic moments of speed, blurry textures get stretched across massive triangles, and the large levels often have collectables / puzzle hints stashed in weird nooks. However, because of those surface-level imperfections this game is able to do something that none of its contemporaries can emulate: It feels like a dream. Exploring this game's various worlds gave me a sense of unease, due in large part to how often the low-fidelity art style is used for both charming characters and foreboding vignettes. The narrative presentation compliments that unease, with most of the individual stories beings suggested but never completely unraveled. All that stuff will definitely scare off players who cannot tolerate early 3D platformer trappings, but the end result is uniquely captivating.

I really enjoyed this game and only wish there was more! It has a very dreamy vibe to it, which initially comes off as basic and childish but by the end of the game feels almost haunting and unsettling. It's a game that gets more interesting and involving the further you get into the game, which I always appreciate!

There are four worlds to explore, with a hub world and a few secret areas tucked away for good measure. The first world is pretty basic but the others are elaborate and rewarding for fans of the genre. Fynn has a very satisfying moveset to use that is almost a little too good for the game--you're going to find yourself wishing there were more opportunities to put the moveset into action!

There's a very interesting mythos in the background that the developers smartly explore very little. Forgotten races, mysterious statues, and weapons of war hint at a very dark past that the world has moved on from, but which remain afloat in the time capsule-esque Cavern of Dreams. The game gives you little hints of lore through collector cards and excellent environmental storytelling and it is just enough to make you wonder and hunger for more without bogging you down with lore dumps.

It is clear that the game takes heavy inspiration from Spyro the Dragon and Banjo-Kazooie in its level design and movement. However, tonally it is very different from those games. Cavern of Dreams surprisingly took me back to Glover, which I'm not sure was a coincidence--one of the main characters is very reminiscent of the wizard from Glover. Like Glover, it seems there is much bigger things at play in the world, but you are a simple resident just trying to get by and get your work done.

One weak spot for the game is its soundtrack. In a bubble, it is pretty good. There's a few tracks that are memorable, enhance the mood of the area, and stick with you after playing the game. It does what it needs to do. However, this is a genre full of bops and Cavern of Dreams has a theme and atmosphere that lends itself to really dark and captivating music (think of End of the World from Kingdom Hearts 1, Castle Oblivion from Chain of Memories, or The World that Never Was from Kingdom Hearts 2). So in that regard, it is a disappointment. I like the soundtrack of Cavern of Dreams but it isn't winning any awards.

I can't wait to see what these devs make next! Cavern of Dreams for me may be the standard that I judge future 3D platformers against. It's not the best of its genre but it is very solid and it really makes me appreciate how far indie developers and gaming in general have come.

This was a fun and cute, my only problem was that it was too short but thats what a second play through is for!

Cavern of Dreams is a pretty standard Nintendo64 style 3D platformer. You play a little dragon that try to save his siblings (which are eggs). The movement feels very nice and you unlock different abilities throughout the game by rescuing more and more siblings.

The game basically tries to emulate a classic N64 platformer and it does it pretty well, the different aeras are very colorfull and fun and the character design is overall very good (especially Sage i love their design).

Cavern of Dreams is a really small but very good 3D platformer. If you like exploring and searching through levels for little collectables you'de probably like it.

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Very cute game, I loved the vertex lighting and texture work a lot. Fun moveset and creative environments

Fun cute little platformer with great movement!

Characters are all very charming.

Massive difficulty spike on the last segment that took about 40 tries to complete somehow. The rest of the game wasn't like this so it was a bit jarring.

Highly recommend despite this if you want a cosy relaxing game to chill out and play!

Been playing more platformers lately and ended up 100% this one.

Entertainment: 35/40
+ It is oh so enchanting.

Design: 13/20
+ You can move so fast!
+ I haven't played many collectathons, but this one by far had the best level design.
+ Levels are densely packed with characters and collectables alike.
+ Has one of my favorite levels in any platformer in the form of the Prismatic Palace.
- Fynn (The player character) is purely momentum based, making him difficult to control.

Presentation: 19/20
+ This in one of the best looking games I have played in a long while. It's just so stylized and nostalgic.
+ A+ Character design. Everyone looks unique from not only each other, but characters from other games.

Story: 14/20
+ The inspiration for Fynn is that he is rescuing his unhatched siblings and that is simply adorable.
+ Probably my favorite character out of the bunch is Lady Opal.

Total: 81/100
Statement: A charming adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed the whole way through. P.S. I want plushies for this game so badly!

Really fun retro 3D platformer! I ran into quite a few visual and control bugs early on but things were solid after sorting them out. Achievements didn't unlock until after closing and launching the game again. The overall vibe felt really kid-friendly up until some of the end game levels which felt very eerie. I suppose that's authentic to how some of those 90's games felt lol.

Solid 3d puzzle platformer