RM game review - Labyrinthine Dreams

Developers: Artbane and Volrath

Labyrinthine Dreams is a short RM puzzle game about a girl named Beth who’s in a state of coma, all in a meantime internally reflecting on various tragic events of her past and attempting to find reason to stay alive. The struggles she goes through on a subconscious level are manifested in a form of various mazes and other puzzles, in which she must find a way out.

I don’t usually tend to play many games of this style, but after having seen the trailer, I’ve been really curious to give it a try, and it didn’t disappoint at all. There is a rich variety of intriguing puzzles presented, ranging from forest mazes, to invisible paths in the skies, and many others, most of which you’ll have to think about carefully in order to solve.

There is also a recurring puzzle that comes up several times in the game, in which Beth must outsmart what to me looks like a physical manifestation of death itself. For every one step that she makes, the monster can move two, each time coming closer and closer. The goal is to mislead the monster into dead ends, whilst at the same time to reach a way out of the maze. These are probably the hardest puzzles in the game, in particular the few near the end. They can be a little frustrating at times, but very often the solution is simpler than it may seem at first.

Throughout the entire game there is a heavy melancholy atmosphere, which in my opinion has been executed really well, making us care for the main character and the events surrounding her within first few minutes of the game. It’s an interesting combination to have a sad backstory of a character together with challenging puzzles, because I think as we play the game, we aren’t just solving puzzles and passing time, but actually sort of guiding the main character through their thoughts like some kind of guardian angel.

The game might seem quite short and should only take about a couple of hours to get through, but after having played through it, I think the length is very appropriate and there’s quite a lot packed into it. So to conclude, I’m glad I’ve checked out this game, because the story has been well-written and the puzzles have been well-designed and very stimulating.

For more info on Labyrinthine Dreams and a download link check HERE.