Update Two Hundred and Thirty-Six: 29 September 2018
Among the Sleep
6.8 hours, 10 of 10 achievements
8/10
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
This was a 100% long time in coming; Among the Sleep is an old-y but good-y. Madison and I have had a hard time putting aside time for gaming together the past while, but we finally got it done!
Among the Sleep is a really interesting premise for a walking sim—you play as a toddler exploring your house, and things get weird. Alien geometries weird. My favorite kind of weird!
It works really well, balancing exploration and hiding from spooky monsters (Madison guessed this tweest right away, and it coming true is one of the weaker points of the game). I especially love the level design, taking what a toddler would focus on and magnify and twist it. The fourth level, the Closet, was my favorite. One bad point of the game: everything is SO DARK. I had to eventually turn the gamma all the way up because I just couldn’t see what the hell was happening. That’s not scary, just annoying.
Madison, is there anything you’d like to say?
“Yeah alright, I called it when this started! I knew what the monster was, but I didn’t realize like… why? It was an interesting game, an interesting experiment. Playing with perspective like this is super cool I think, and I like what it turned the game into. Understanding that this is in the mind of a little, little kid dealing with abusive parents is… is pretty neat. And the developer’s decisions are, I feel, pretty cool.
So yeah. Creepy, scary, fun game. Give it a look!”
She’s a peach.
Overall a worthwhile addition to the genre, updated since release with another level. Try it out!
Next up:
See you soon!
ugh I hated how dark the game was. I have a very dark computer so horror games are a pain for me already. Glad you both enjoyed it though! Not a perfect game but still interesting!
Awesome job to Madison for guessing it. I noticed towards the end with the symbols of alcohol and stuff throughout the level, but I thought maybe the dad was the alcoholic.I never see games cover moms in that light. I really liked that they did.
I knew what the monster was, but I didn’t realize like… why?
I’m not sure I understand? Why the monster was the parent or why the monster looked like it did?
She means she didn’t realize why the monster was your mom.
That’s a really interesting point you made re: not expecting it to be the mom, especially at the beginning she’s shown as really light and happy and put together. While I would have liked a little more obvious, slow shift - I thought the IT WAS UR MOM! thing was a little abrupt and out of left field - it does show the duality of abusive parents. They’re not 100% monster, they also can have important, positive impact on your life that you have to reconcile with.
I agree it’s not perfect, but I think more games like this would be fun to play!
Yeah I totally agree. It did feel out of the left field but there was little hints throughout the game that I thought was a nice touch. Like broken bottles all over the kids “worlds,” pictures of mom yelling at the dad, and others ones I don’t remember. My story is very close to the childs which is why I have a nice connection to the game. I do hope to see more games like this! Just less out of the blue plot twist like you mentioned :P
Also has there not been more games with the point of view of a baby/toddler? That just seems like a great idea that should have spawned more games. I’m a big wuss so I probably won’t play the really scary ones, but it’d be nice to see anyway xD
Hope you and Madison have fun with your next game!
Oh I feel ya. I lived through it, too, and spent a TON of time working through all of that biz. I’m in a mindset now where I want something different from that, something free of that, so I was a little :/ at having that come up again. Like I can’t escape it. It’s really interesting how different people with similar experiences, or even the same person at different times in their life, take different things away from a piece of media.
Right? I would think it would be a really cool avenue. Edith Finch had a couple of segments like this, but otherwise, no. I’m right in your boat - with madison and I being two wussies, together we make one brave person!
Thank you; we’re both excited for it
From 1 to Amnesia The Dark Descent how scary would you say the game was? And can the monsters/stuff actually kill you or it is just there to be scary? I have it and the game looks good and I almost started it a few times but I am worried I am too much of a pussy to play it alone :/
Hmmm…. I would say a four? The monsters can ‘kill’ you, but there are a lot of checkpoints and they are easy to escape from. We didn’t die once in our playthrough, and there’s no penalty (achievement wise) for dying. The monsters only show up occasionally, and I remember having to deal with the monster way more in Amnesia.
There were a couple of tense moments, but I still think that if you’re playing it by yourself you can play during the daytime and be okay (and watch out for your cats startling you instead).
No cats here so I think I will be fine :D Thank you so much for the info! I will give it a try when I get the time :)
OH GOOD because mine did during a TENSE MOMENT and there was a lot of frightened hooting going on.
So wuss wise this is an okay horror game :o noted you have my attention
Yes! Wussy Approved Horror Game!
What is this, you promised us NepNep! >:(
HA I need more time for NepNep! Though I don’t think it’ll take me super super long - I probably won’t 100% complete it.
I knew what the monster was, but I didn’t realize like… why?
Not sure on which level you consider this question. But I’ll try to give an opinion. For the toddler his mom (especially after the divorce) was his world like it often is. It was his mother who gave him food, warmth and love. His brain couldnt combine the two personas: the loving mom and the abusive mom after she drunk. As such his brain created the monster persona because in his world it could not be his mother, it was just impossible. Actually, you could even say three personas as he created the teddy alive as well. But it is probably as a reference for the loving part of his mother. I mean, the mother isnt drunk all the time. During the day she tried her best. But at night it seems she couldnt handle the situation anymore.
If you are ask why the mother “became” the monster or generally drank too much then you should play the DLC which is free (I think) and a prequel to the game. Time has passed a bit since I played so Im not sure what came first anymore. But his parents weren’t to happy with each other and as such they started fighting openly in front of the baby. It was at that time probably that the toddler created the monster in his mind (in the DLC both father and mother) and maybe also the time the mother started drinking.
Oh, Adelion, thanks! That was coming from when we were still in the earlier stages of the game, before the reveal - we got it by the end. Thank you, though, for laying it all out clearly. Seeing it laid out like this makes me appreciate the thought process of the developers more, even though I wish the game had gone in a different direction.
I also enjoyed Among the Sleep. Interesting take on how young children view their alcoholic and abusive parents.
Yeah! Part of me kind of wished that wasn’t what the game was about, but since it was, it was done pretty well!