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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

"Dream Machine" is a poignant and immersive video game that explores the bond between a father and son in a post-apocalyptic world. After surviving a cataclysmic event, they find refuge in an underground bunker, their sanctuary and prison. To combat the stifling monotony of their existence and to educate his son about the world before the disaster, the father invents a remarkable machine that allows the control of dreams.

The son, who was too young to remember the world before, is given the opportunity to live out diverse adventures each night, learning vital skills for survival. Unbeknownst to him, these nightly escapades are a labor of love from his father, who stays awake to operate and troubleshoot the machine, sacrificing his own rest.

As the game progresses, the father's health deteriorates due to sleep deprivation, adding a layer of urgency and tension to the narrative. Upon completion of all dream levels, the father passes away, leaving behind instructions for the son to escape the bunker.

Emerging into the world, the son is confronted with the reality of their situation. "Dream Machine" is not just a game, but a journey of love, sacrifice, and survival, offering players a unique blend of adventure and emotional storytelling.

CONCEPT ART & NOTES

During the day, the player can navigate the bunker, accessing a limited set of actions. Levels are triggered by entering the dream machine.

The game alternates between the perspectives of the son and the father; the latter mostly handles bunker maintenance. After completing the final dream level, the player, as the father, encounters a startling scene fighting zombies in the bunker's ducts—an event revealed to be illusory. This intense encounter leads to the father's injury and his slow withdrawal from the dream machine, transitioning control back to the son. At night, playing as the father unlocks different actions that are not available to the son.

The player earns a skill point with each dream level completed. These points can be spent on a variety of options once the player is able to leave the bunker.

Experience a 3rd Person Survival RPG where maintaining your basic needs is crucial. Players must manage their hunger, thirst, sleep, and sanity while scavenging for essential resources. These include weapons, ammo, armor, crafting materials such as poison antidotes, safe homes, and various consumables like food, drinks, luxury items, and fuel. The game features a variety of dangers, each requiring different strategies to defeat, adding depth and challenge to the survival experience.

The player is eventually called back to the bunker, where upon returning, he awakens from what seems to have been yet another dream, and shockingly, his father is still alive. This moment underscores the confusion wrought by the machine, blurring the lines between reality and illusion for the son. As the son recounts his experiences, he discovers that the reality is far grimmer than his dream had suggested. Recognizing that his son is ready to face harsh truths, the father reveals the actual event involving spiders. Now, tasked with a vital mission, the player must leave the bunker genuinely for the first time to gather supplies to sustain his ailing father, who is too weak to leave. The survival of his father now hinges on the player's ability to continuously provide supplies, with the grim alternative of returning to find his father deceased.