An overanalysis of the Awkward Dimensions Redux

As the title states, this is a overanalysis of the game Awkward Dimensions Redux. The creator says that he likes game desing, but I would like to make some (a lot) of critiques to the game.

Introduction

Why am I writing this? Well, this was going to be a Steam review, but it went over the word limit, so here we are.
I would like to point out 2 things: 1 - I didn't hate the game, if I did I wouldn't be writing this. 2 - I'm Brazilian, so if I did a typo ignore that.
Ok, the actual main reason I'm writing this is because, not only did I create expetations for game design (since he kinda hyped it), but also because I wanted to like the game. As someone who is doing CS right now and intend in going into game creation I really wanted to relate to the game.
Well, that's it for the introduction, now, into the overanalysis, chapter by chapter, of Awkward Dimensions Redux.

About the game and general points

Awkward Dimendion Redux is not a game, but a experience, a walking simulator with very little parkour (that is not bad on itself, but for someone that says that likes making games and likes game design this has mostly none of it). I will present my problems mostly on the order of how the game progresses.
First I would like to point some general problems and some extra comments, I will not comment on the gameplay/game design/narrative/story here, that will be the focus of the next part, on each chapter.
Some minor points, the graphics of the game ... meh. It looks mostly just default Unity textures, flat colors, etc; there was a level with a galery and the paints looked good, looks like it's not the dev's paints, but ok.
I would like to also point out that, in one of the developer notes he says something like "my games have a lot of typos and bugs ..." than why not make a game without typos and do something to have minimun bugs? Typos are unforgivable for a final product, just use any text editor that it will show you the erros, plus, this game doesn't have that much text, if you re readed the thing it would only take you a couple of minutes and you would catch most of the typos (this analysis may have typos because: 1 - I'm not a native english speaker. 2 - I'm already putting way more effort than I should've into this. 3 - My Steam is set to portuguese, so Im writing this seeing a bunch of red squiggles even in the correct words. And for bugs, I don't thing I need to argue why that is bad to not care to remove them.
The controls are terrible. This is not a big problem on itself, since there is almost no 'game', but still really annoying. Why realeasing any of the movement buttons keeps your character moving for almost half a second after you released the button? And no, it's not conservation of momentum, since in this game you have full air control and when in the air, if you release all the movement buttons and take into consideration the "lag" in the input, you fully stop on the air, so there is no conservation of momentum, hence, this was done on purpose (terrible choice, makes the "game" feel clunky and frustrating to do the plataforming sections, as I saw in other reviews) or, as I believe, the controls are terribly programmed. This is just annoying and frustrating and we are not even at the frustration level yet!
Also, why is the player so bouncy? If you fall from a great height you don't break your leg, get hurt, do a loud noise or just stop, no, you bounce. It's kinda funny, not gonna lie (It buffers the jump, *face pall*).
And last point, which I will talk more at the end of the guide, the music was great! But that's where I leave with good things to say, and the music wasn't even made by the dev... I will talk more about the music at the end because I believe this was something that made so many people give positive reviews and comment stuff like "I didnt undestand nothing, but I have drepression now.", one of the comments is literally "most confusing game i ever played. would recommend to others so i could watch them suffer too"
Well, now, let's analise chapter per chapter:

Legible

The dev says this not a horror game in the developers note; well, the Steam tags disagre and so do I (for a small part) [I would also like to point out how ironic it is, he puts explicitelly that this is not a horror game and most of the people, even in the reviews, disagre]. In the firts level [Legible] the chicken jumpscared me, not only because it comes out of nowhere, but because of how absurded clipped the audio is, also the music is way loudder than the speach, so you sum up that clipped audio with a loud music on top so you cant hear anything. There is also a place where you can jump over the fence and ignore part of the dialog with the chicken.
Would also like to point out that is kinda funny that you first need to walk for then a sign tell you how to walk, LMAO.

Backstage at the Joe

The second level [Backstage at the Joe] is what really made me think this was going to be a horror game, but we will get there. In the developer note he says that the players would miss the only possible door in a enclosed enviroment if it wasn't for a very small red "Exit" sign, I myself would not have notice that sign if it wasn't for the developers notes and as I stated this was the only possible route (looks like he is trying to "brag"/show off his "game design" skill, but I would like to, not only I would like to know from where did he take the number "90% of the players would miss the door if it wasn't for the sign" , but also as something that is mostly not a game/walking simulator, this lacks A LOT of game design, and you can clearly see this in the next part). Well, remember when I said that it looks like a horror game, well, in this level you "need" to slam your head on doors that produce a VERY loud disturbing noise and ocasionally you face a dark mannequin(?) that produces a scarry noise, there is no purpose for none of that, the only thing you need to do is look at the projector in the middle of the room or let the time pass(?).

Relax in North Berwick

In the beach level [Relax in North Berwick] there are a bunch of bubbles that showes you picture. Im going to be honest and I'm not even joking, seriously, if I didn't replay it for the developers note I would have missed more than 90% of them, because I only saw 1 of them and that was on accident. All of these bubbles are super transparent and very easy to miss. There is also a thelephone cabin in the small island.

Noise

In [Noise] the main problem is what he did on purpose, you can skip most of the level jumpping into the void, and by doing that you not only skip one of the pictures in the level (the only one I saw at least), but you also completely ignore the "meaning" of the level, that all the paths leads to nowhere (developers note) (Writer here, I would like to point that I don't like when people, in any artistic medium, incentivese depresive views, he maybe down now, but this will change in the future. NEVER incentivese people to have a depressed view of the world, not in the same sense as something like Dark Souls where there is a depressed view, but you can over come the dificulties, because this feels like incentivising other people to give up and kill themselves, which is obviously not ok). This, that you can skip most of the level, only reinforces more to me that he doesn't know how game design works and Im saying that because he KNOWS you could jump into the void (developers note) and made so you would wrap/loop back at the level ON PORPUSE (even more when in the last level it teleports you back to the start, diferent from what he just did in this level).

When you break the level by falling in the void for a while, accelerating:

Repair

[Repair], just why? Developers note say that this was the same level as it was on something else but with better graphics?!?!?! How default textures are better graphics/textures?!?! And not only that, Im getting tired of saying that, but there seams to be no meaning to doing what you are doing? Like, the level has no meanning, developers note says nothing usefull other than what I just said, and you just need to bring a red_default_texture_250x250 box to a place that says get here? Again, saying "Get here" is NOT good game design (show not tell).

Frame

[Frame] was one of the only level where I can say good things, but very few to be honest. The paints look good, but looks like it wasn't the developer who made them. A good thing is the 'frame' mechanic, it was absurdly simple, he/you (if the dev is readding this) could have made so you needed to switch between the frame world and the "not frame(?)" world. Well, this was the most interresting one, but because everything else lacks game desing. Also, I didnt have a problem, but the terrible controls combined with the small parkour in this part is annoying.
Also, to read the only developer note I found you need to crouch for some reason.

Curfew

[Curfew] has literally no meanning? You walk on a path to a door and proced to the next level... is it really just it? Like, if you get a good rng you may not even see the white lights that walk around the level to be caught, and when they catch you you go back to the start (they also make a scarry loud noise, not a horror game, huh?). Looks like it's about a trip he was in ... but ... what about the trip? Like, did anything other than you walked to another contry (I also only know that because I revisited the level for the third time with developer notes on, because I missed this one on the firts (second) time I was with developer notes on. We didn't even get to hear the guy playing the pipe bag ... what was the porpuse of this level??? Not even the developers note present anything usefull!
Also, visual bugs:

Nobody wins

[Nobody wins] He doesn't like bulls chases stuff ..... cool? I understand, however you dont present, almost, anything in this level, no argument to make it stop, no filosofical view, no conclusion. I can see a lot of people saying to me "You are nitpicking.", ok, imagine someone get's to you and says "I don't like bull chases." they turn around and leave, that is this level. Actually, if you look at it, this is more like you got to a presentation to listen to someone talk, they get on the podium and say "I don't like bull chases." and leaves, which is more like it is in the game. And the endding ... what was that? You just fall into a rectangular hole? What does that mean? Why end like that? "Every other" level you finish on a door (or watch something related to the level), why here you dont reach a door or something like that? Also, in the description of the game, you point out that doors are something important, why did you ignore that to do ... what you ... did here...
Extra note, I would also like to point out that, not only this is pointless, since it doesn't present any proper argument, but most importantly this is SO out of place, this was supposed to be a "game" about game design and about the developer strugles with life and his game dev/artistic carrier; why is he talking about bulls now? This doesn't even sound like something that would be on a dream!

Self destructive portrait

[Self destructive portrait] is ok? Why you remove the x on the ceilling? Why has to be a voice to say out loud and even scream at the user, not a horror game HUH, to look at the painting? Not good game desing. Also, looking at the developer notes, he says "people that dont take time to look at the painting will skip the level, if they can't lend me their time I will not give mine to them." something like that. I dont mind his point, but: 1 - How do you want me to apreciate the painting when the room is dark? 2 - How do you want me to apreciate the painting when it is small? 3 - What do you want me to apreciate in the painting when it has nothing to apreciate? It is a self portrait, little to no details, And the meanning I get from the painting is nothing to do with the rest of the game. It's a surrealistic distorted face. Do you see yourself as a distorted figure? Do you not recognize yourself? You see yourself as a distorted person? None of this is connected to the game that is about dreams, memories and frustration. (Also, I only got to know about the "Skip level" because of this level, I didn't skip it, but learned with the developers note.)
After that there is a few BIG problems. One of them is that, after you looked at the picture you get out of the room, see a big ladder and a video starts to play. The problem is that, not only I didn't really enjoy the video (like, it is supossed to be symbolic, but it just felt repetitive, way to long for the same thing to be happening and just looks like someone mad at pieces of paper that we don't know what are in them), but also, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WATCH THE DAMM VIDEO WHEN THERE IS LITERALLY A LADDER ON MY FACE. Also, I tought this was going to be something like Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, where, at the end of the ladder you proceed to the next level, but clearly there was no reason for the ladder to be there*, since I believe you can't get to the top before it teleports you to the next level (video ending). Other problem, and the asterisk*, was that, behind you, climbing the ladder, there are various prints of, what looks like, failed games from the dev and they have big red comments on top of them, which I will comment on the next topic. The problem with them it's mostly because or you look at the video or you look at these pictures and text, I myself almost missed them (ignoring developer note runs) on my first run. The only reason I was able to just get a peak at them when the video finished was just because I was trying to throw myself off the ladder for the memes, if it wasn't for that WHY WOULD I LOOK BEHIND MY BACK, on a game that is not supposed to be a horror game, WHEN I HAVE A LADDER AND A VIDEO IN FRONT OF ME?????????????????? You need to direct the attention of the player, there was no hint to look behind and how am I supposed to look at booth of these things at the same time? And two last things: 1 - The video and these reviews kinda seem to not have any connection? One is about frustration with his games (images) and the other one is about... I don't know(?). 2 - I saw a review on the Steam page that describes this part, and basically the entire game, perfectly: "... Game developer struggles to make meaningful game, gets comments on poorly made game/lack of vision at every turn, Game dev gets fed up with the comments about poor game making and fuels that into...making another poorly made game about his own poorly made games? ...", even if he says that he doesn't care, or that he is not annoyed at these comments, that he just wanted to show his own frustration with himself, sorry but that's a lie. That's not how it work's; when you are frustrated with yourself you judge yourself and critique yourself, you don't really care about what others said, you are the one who bullies yourself, and that is not what you see in this level. Here you see the frustration from the dev that he doesn't like that his games were poorly received and this looks like a way to cope with these reviews instead of accepting that they were right, even if a bit mean, and trying to fix the problems. I did get a bit mad at this (not as much as with Get over her) because of using copium instead of accepting the truth (as copium I mean making a game, in a artistic way, to say "Im sad!" and show that emontion to other people so they "feel" what he is feeling and now that a good amount of people feel what he feels it's ok for he to feel like that, the biggest problem with the game that I will talk again at the end), and the review I used as a citation answers why.

Two steps

[Two steps] is one of the two only good levels in this game. It's good because it does what it is supposed to do, frustate you. In this level when you walk it rewinds the level making you go back what you walked. There are problems, this acomplishes what it wanted to acomplish, but doesn't tell a story, it's only annoying. Also, from a gameplay perspective, you didn't do nothing to get to the end, you either just keep holding forward and looping back till the game lets you go, or you just wait the rewinds to stop. This also tells the story that you didn't do anything to progress. Also lastly, why are there cars? What story they tell? When they hit you nothing happens? And I almost didnt get hit by them? So what is their purpose?

Sabotage

[Sabotage] Self torturing artist. I got the ideia of the level, and also (again, only because of developers note) that the building is a reference to a very especific picture he saw at a literature class (this is a problem on itself, not only in this game has bunch of very especific emotions that only relate or make sense to a very small amount of people {if you read the dev notes, I would like to make this clear, they only make sense if you read the developer notes}, but this one only makes sense to the developer, the only other way would be if someone else was on the same mindset as this guy and saw the exactly same image at this momment of life). This level is also another one that still is bad designed, sorry. Instead of telling a story with the game, there are multiple voices telling you how the guy was felling at that time. And also, why is there a machine in the center? Why do you need to break it with the shoe? Also, why a shoe? Normally in movies, or even in real life, rocks are the things that breaks these types of machinery, and considering that the ground has basically no texture/simple textures a rock would be easy to see.
The main problem here is still the meaning of the level, sorry to say, but as another comment said: "... Awkward Dimensions is more of a compilation of a random person's thoughts whom I don't really care about. This could work (and really well, I think) if the levels were more absurd and more subtle about the emotions and experiences they are trying to convey ...". Why am I pointing this? You know why in movies and games, etc; chacters have to be built up and be developed, spend time with the player/screen time? For us to care for that character, if not, when someone dies in a movie we don't really care or sometimes even laught at their death. If you didn't understand that I will use another example. Imagine if you are just sitting at a park and someone sits next to you to just trauma dump on top of you. It just feels forced, on all ways! It's dificult to care for the meaning when looks like you are saying "See, I'm depressed, feel sad for me!!!"

Get over her

[Get over her] Sorry, but this one legitimately got me mad. Before that, again, the narrative is bad, telling the story though text instead of gameplay, which, funnilly enough, is what it's doing at the start; you wake up from bed and the firts thing you notice is the computer with the text "Delete pictures of her" Me: "Oh, so this is a story about breakup now (since it changed topics more times than it fit's on my hand)." But when you get out of the house you have giant text telling you "But I need to stop felling sorry for myself..." and "Regret" and stuff like that, I was already forcing myself to like the game, as I said, I wanted to related to this game, but I couldn't, however, when I say these giant text on the horizon, I got sooooooo disapointed. Before we talk about the text and the meaning, I would like to point out that nothing you do in this level is important. Deleting the pictures is not important to finish the level; you have the option to open the drawers ... for nothing ...; and when you get out, following the wire you get to a red thing(?) that you just need to look for a few seconds. The first time I tought you had to click on the thing, no, you just need to look at the thing even from a distant. When you look at the red thing it shows you pictures of the red thing, I still dont understand why it is there, it doesn't seem to mean anything, but ok. About the text, it's meanning I will talk in the next part, but about the narrative ... it's only big text on the horizon surronding you ... that's it. Also, there is a chat text getting typed at the sky at an angle, looks like it's them talking, a normal talk, and that's about it. The only problem I have with that is that it is on the sky and there is nothing pointing at it (the oposite of the wires from the front door), I almost missed it entirelly on my first run, and only got to read it at the second time with developer note. Well, going back to why I was, and still, mad. READING DEVELOPER NOTES, AGAIN, you get to know that this is a normal break up ......... yeah, no cheating, no "You are just a nerd, I dont wanna be with you.", no "I cant be with you and my friends since they dont like you.", no, it's just "I dont like you anymore and I think we should break up.". Why am I mad? This guy, the developer, dedicated an entirer level to a NORMAL break up like it is a big deal. I never dated so it's kinda of unfair to say anything and also I wont be saying that you are a simp or that you should just move on, it's just that why did you make it into a game? It's a normal thing that happens in life and there is nothing poetic about it, what are you trying to tell to the player??? Remember when I said that this game already has a problem with problems that only make sense to the developer and only him? Well, this is another one of these times, it only makes sense to him. You could argue with me that "If you went through a breakup maybe you could understand.", but it was a normal breakup!!! I would say it's was better that she broke up with you instead of beeing with you without loving you or even worst abusing you. Yeah, it's sad, but not poetic neither something to be telling the world about, also, the way it is told sound like the guy doesn't WANT to get better and I always fear that it is incentivising people to also try to not get better. Maybe it was a temporary love, yeah, it sucks, but happened, nothing that sad and not poetic, expecially not something to be melancholy, not because of the break up, but because of how it happened. It was probably better for you that this happened instead of living a lie.

On the surface

[On the surface] It's just a lake with a slot machine that tells the same joke ... you can walk direclty to the door and ignore the level (I just found out you dont even need to walk to the door, looks like if the time passes you are forced into the next level). This one I can get the meanning. I already caught myself a lot of times just making jokes to get attention, my problems with the jokes are diferent from the developer, which mine are not fit to be talked here. So, what are my problems with this level, not much really; mostly just a bug. The meaning of this level is that there was one, and that is what I felt, only one, group of people in a class that he wasn't very close to, so to feel close to them he would make these jokes, one problem with the meaning is that it isn't that deep as it sounds (that applies to the game as a whole to be honest and where the music plays the most part). This is another one of these levels that only makes sense if you read the developer note, and even if you ignore that, the story is beeing told by a sign on top of the slot machine. I did enjoy the idea of a slot machine to crack jokes, but that's about it. Why is there a lake? What is this weird forest? And lastly, the slot machine has a bug that made me think I was going more crazy than I already am. The text that you get on the slot machine doesn't really mater, looks like it will always be the same as it was the one when you clicked to spin it and them it will change (magically) to what it is supposed to be and the guy will say it out loud as the joke.

Not good enough

[Not good enough] Would be a "cool" one if it wasn't for the only mechanic in this level, a really annoying one. This one is about wanting to get into a hard university or something of the type, and you basically keep telling yourself that you will neven be good enough to be there. As someone that didn't get into a university in the first try and isn't at one of the best ones I do get what he means. The problem here is that the meaning isn't that deep as it sounds; and the main mechanic, oh, yeah, the mechanic in this level. Well, the mechanic is that you need to hold your left mouse button (or 'e', but most players will probably use the mouse like myself and another person I readed on the reviews) for a good amount of time (around 2 minutes and 10 seconds, ouch), you know why a lot of games use, by default, toggle for aimming? Well, even if the middle finger is strongger then the "point finger" (english is not my main language) holding it for long periods of time will tire it out and start to cause pain; that's exactly what I felt at the end of this level, and even if it wasn't the idea, no, giving physical pain to the player as a way to "tell a story" is not good move, just wanna put that here in case someone wants to say that it was on porpuse, even if it clearly wasn't. Another problem would be that, AGAIN, the narrative is not a game, but only a guy telling you EXPLICITELLY what he is felling and what is the meanning. I should've used that sonner, where is the "Show don't tell"? Dont you do theater? Shouldn't you know to show not tell?

Happy campers

[Happy campers] "What the dog doing?" "Making chocolate." Isn't chocolate toxic to dogs? Anyway, what is this about? Not even with developer note this makes sense. Dedicated to a girl that died at 14 years old, looks like. Ok, what are you dedicating? Reading a story about getting chocolate from a dog at the door, than sitting on a bench in front of weird campfire and them flying to the skys and that is it? ... I dont have anything to say because there is nothing in this level, not only a dedicatory that is very especific, but that also has nothing in it. Also, you can't just use the argument "It's a dedicatory, so you shouldn't complain." 1 - It's public on purpose, so you are putting yourself for judgement. 2 - Appelling to emotional is not an argument, you can't just say "It's important to me/I like it, so it's good/He dedicated it to someone else, so who are you to judge?" this is a artistic piece and artistic pieces CAN be judged, at least on the technical level, in which this one lacks a lot (in meaning, artistic, story telling and programming).
Again, visual bugs (inside the table):

Just make it quick

[Just make it quick] is the guy narrating what the level was supposed to be, not that bad of an idea and not really the problem of the level. I still don't understand what it is supposed to mean, it's the making off of a game, but also a reference to a game that he made for his physics honors project (I don't know what that means, maybe it is because it's not a brasilian thing). The making off it's ok, the reference, eh, I dont know that game and looks like it wasn't published by the way the developer note said so it's not like anyone will get the reference, sorry but useless. The gameplay is very mediocre, you have a grapling hook that I tought I would be able to, even in a jank way, be able to climb walls and do big weird jumps, in a janky way, but no, just click and climb. Climbing this was weird on itself, but let's ignore that. The dogs ... well, the funny thing is, on my first try, I tried to avoid the dogs, since a lot of stuff on this "game" catches you and forces you to try the level again (with a punishing loud scary noise), so I learned that I needed to evade everything; so I jumpped on top of a thing(?) to the left and proceded to the bridge. The dogs started to explode as the guy was talking so I didn't hear anything that he was saying at that part. This part could have been interesting if there was an explanation to why you can do "2 endings" in this level. One of them is: you stab the guy on the eye with the pencil and get the money, wait for a moment and level is finished (reference to the physics honors project); the other one is you walk inside the room with the red glow next to the guy and listen to the monologue of ... someone he met that makes games ... I think? I'm going to be honest that, again, as someone that talks a lot about game desing, what was THAT game design? Tell me, what would grab more your attention: A guy kneeling on ground without much contrast or THE BIG RED GLOWING ROOM WITH A BIG PICTURE THAT WAS IN THE PATH TO THE GUY KNEELING? I was more atracted to this room rather then what the main part of the level was supposed to be about. I still don't get what this room was about. The kids drawings on the galery were cute, nothing wrong there.

Last input

[Last input] I just noticed that I never saw this level, only readed this title on the "select level" window and when I was going to write for some reason I didn't remember anything about that level, and I played the game at least 3 (a lot more, lol) times to write this thing. Is this supossed to be secret for people that look out for the "Select level part", because, funnilly enough even in the developer note it doesn't appear. Well, this is also a "decent" level. I has a more gameplay story telling part, but, AGAIN, text telling the story more than the game. This one is about not having many friends. Starts with, for some reason, showing you one of his games, you go outside, read text, do as the text says on a more literal way than it's writen. When it gets "good" is when you need to undestand that you need to go back, symbolizing that you need to go back/lower your standarts for friends. This is ruinned by the parkour section because of how terrible the controls are. You have full control on air, but when you remove your hand from the keyboard, as stated at the start, you keep waking at the direction for a little bit more and that little bit more can make you miss the jump, not that big of a deal, still frustrating for the bad controls and a non parkour game. Also, the meaning itself, I think it's funny if not contradictory. Having few friends is not bad, not only this means, probably, that they are real friends, but also maneging diferent friend groups can get really hard. Also, I may have someone that I don't really want to talk because I dont find the person interesting, but he/she wants to talk to me, so I just try to pass the time with that person, but I never heard of the opposite, lowering your standarts to have friends. Were you arrogant? If you don't really have a interest in these people why do you "need to lower your standarts for friends" to be friends with them?

Find the way out

[Find the way out] Mirror's Edge, but worst, a loooooot worst. Developer note says that this was inspired in Mirror's Edge, however the only similarities I see are the color patters and that we are on top of buildings; I understood the idea of a fake wallrun on the blue area, but if it wasn't implemented then there is no wallrun. The meaning of this level. AGAIN, at least for the last time, this DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IF YOU DONT READ DEVELOPER NOTE ON THE DEVELOPER NOTE MODE. Looks like it's about finding your style, in his own words: "... To learn what makes you original, your "style", find what you can't copy right and work with it." At the start I tought, that is kinda beatiful and then I tought for another 2 seconds and came to the conclusion that this is more of a skill issue than what makes your style. Well, I going to be honest I'm starts to make more jokes right now because it's 2:30 right now and I just played this game because it was free, but here we are... I'm not going to disaprove his point interelly, however I can't say that is what make's it your's. You learn to copy other peoples styles to learn the technique, and when you learn the technical part you apply your creative part to the project, and that is your style (very generalised and simplified, but I already spent way too much time writing this, I'm not going to write another 50 page PDF explainning what makes your style). Well, that is it on the "meaning" of the level (it's not a meaning, it's a message on the developer note, there is no meaning in this level), still, what are my other problems on this level? I don't know how to reproduce, however you can fall from the buildings in some place and not get teported back;


there are two exits, but only one of them is reachable, and also there is basically only a single way of reaching it even though it makes it look like two. If it alone wasn't fun already this is supposed to be a parkour level, but there is no parkour mechanic, only a "blue hole" on the wall to simulate the wallrun, as stated.

End

[End] There is one thing I like in the ending that I only got to see because I replayed it so many times, is that it starts as a guy on the bed having dificulty sleeping and ends with him waking up; that means that the middle, what we were playing, were his dreams :O!!! He didn't had to tell this to the player!!!

Final thoughts

tl;dr: It's a music album, not a game, that wasn't even made by the developer. It has no meaning, its just a bunch of "sad" things together. It's a buggy crap, bad story telling, mostly just childish whining at life and instead of fixing the problems and getting better, studying, practing, he just whines that he is not naturally good and that people don't like his bad made games.

Well, this game ... I'm not going to say I didn't like it, but this feels like something that I want to like it more than it is worth. And that's where I wanna talk about the music and how I believe it molded the game (without it I don't think it would get that many positive reviews).
This clearly tries to send a message, it, kinda of, has a message, mostly frustration. But neither I, nor anyone in the reviews, could understand what the game means, because it is too much On the surface :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD, did you get it!!! Ok, I will stop. It is way too simple and not well presented, so how did even I that is writing a negative ABSURDLY LONG analysis of the game almost felt something? Music. The music was good and that's why. Music can, very easilly, manipulate how people feel and that's what I understood after thinking for a few minutes: The game is not emotional, it's poorly presented, the meaning is too bland and shallow, the "game" is not a game, it's a experience that has no experience, but because of the music, and because it does try to put a little meaning at the game, I almost felt something; actually, because of the music, I tried to feel something, even though there was nothing to feel, or at least too superficial to try to delve deeper. I bet, if someone tried to play this game for the firts time without music, they would not feel nothing nowhere close to what I and all the other players felt. But that also means that the game is bad, that is not a game, neither a good narrated story, just a music album, that wasn't even made by the developer.
The narrative is poorly made, show not tell, almost all the game is tell and basically no show. The player doesn't need to think or try to understand basically the entire thing, since it is telling the player what is happening. That doesn't make a interesting story and I don't need to prove that, since every good story/movie/game/theater piece is based on making the viewer/player trying to piece together the story instead of telling to them on their face, part of what makes art art.
The meaning of the game is also kinda convoluted, it has so many things, but doesn't explore none of them. It's about Frustration (Noise, Self destructive portrait, Two steps, Sabotage, Not good enough, Just make it quick [the red glowing room at least]), about Random Things (Relax in North Berwick, Frame, Curfew, Nobody wins, Happy campers, Just make it quick[normal ending]) [in which I don't understand the reasoning for the presence of these levels for the narrative as a whole, they just seem like a waste of time of the player. And if you tell me "It's because they are my dreams." that doesn't make a interesting game, I may have things that I dream, feel or think that I may want to tell to other people, but they do not make a intresting game, or as an art form], Break up (Get over her), Social Problems (On the surface, Last input) and useless ones (Repair, Find the way out).
And also some levels that help build the feeling/context/theme of the main story (Legible, Backstage at the Joe ... I think?).

Actual final considerations. This is a game that is not a game, it's a music album that was not even made by the developer; "Game developer struggles to make meaningful game, gets comments on poorly made game/lack of vision at every turn, Game dev gets fed up with the comments about poor game making and fuels that into...making another poorly made game about his own poorly made games?"; he is frustrated with how his games turn out to be and instead of improving he makes a buggy game with poor narrative, meaning and story telling. Uses and abuses of music to manipulate the player into feeling something, "... Awkward Dimensions is more of a compilation of a random person's thoughts whom I don't really care about ...", "... Awkward Dimensions Redux just felt like a mashup of ideas with little to no point or theme except to be weird ..." and lastly; instead of admitting his mistakes, that his games were bad, etc... he just uses the clichê of self torturring artist for pitty. Specially that last part, instead of seeing the truth he prefers to live a lie that makes people feel pitty for him and feel pitty for himself (notable on 'Sabotage', 'Get over her' and 'Not good enough'). This game just looks very childish, "I dont like that people dislike my game, I don't like when people say that my game is buggy and has bad story telling, I don't like that she broke up with me, I don't like that I can't enter easilly on the univesity I want (can I get a free pass, pls!!!1!1ONE?)". I would also like to point out that, if you readed this analysis you can clearlly see how much reading developer's note was importante, I not even joking, I almost laught everytime I reread this and see AGAIN ANOTHER "developer's note", "dev's note", the game can't hold it by itself, it needs the developer to break the forth wall and tell you what is going on.
And that is it, childish mindset, use of music to manipulate feelings, and asking for pity instead of Reach(ing) Out To The Truth (play Persona 4 Golden, lol) and making better games.
My recomendation? Instead of beeing a "self torturing artist" try to get better at all the technical aspects of the game, since this lacks in basically everything: Visuals, audio, game design, narration (not in the voice aspect, but on how to convey information), story telling and programming. Instead of felling sorry, study, practice, and get better.

Well, that is my analysis, of the whole game, all it's problems and why it is more music than game.
Thank you for reading it.

[EnderMega]

Cool.

[Lakon1a]

i aint reading allat

[EnderMega]

Added some of the easter eggs in the game.

[EnderMega]

Added a tl;dr to summarized the conclusion.

[EnderMega]

I know the conclusion was big, but there are so many problems and some of these problems can't just be summarised to a single word, so that's why we are left with a big conclusion.

[EnderMega]

Also, why is this game almost 2 gb, lol!