Neverending Nightmares

Release Date: September 26, 2014

Adventure, horror, 2D, crowdfunding, indie games, experimental/artistic, singleplayer

7.1

OpenCritic

77%

Steam

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Original independent adventure game, maintained in the convention of psychological horror. Infinitap Games team is responsible for its creation and the story was inspired by real life experiences of the studio boss and his fight with severe depression. In the game, we play as Thomas, who can't break out of a nightmare dream and, trapped in his mind, moves from nightmare to nightmare, facing his fears and the monsters lurking around him.

Neverending Nightmares is an adventure game in the convention of psychological horror, developed by Matt Gilgenbach and his independent studio Infinitap Games. The plot of the game was inspired by the personal experience of the author, who after the financial fiasco of his previous production, Retro/Grade, fell into severe depression. The creation of the title was supported by a successful crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter website.

The game is a metaphorical story about the fight against depression and mental disorders. During the game we play the role of someone called Thomas, who is relieved to wake up from a nightmare only to realize that the dream is not over, and the nightmare that haunts him still lasts. Trapped in the trap of his own mind, the hero moves from nightmare to nightmare, confronting his own fears and the terrifying monsters lurking in his life.

The extensive plot of the game is non-linear and is divided into different threads, which are shaped depending on the player's actions. The natural consequence of this non-linearity is also three alternative endings. The atmosphere of the game is saturated with a heavy, even brutal atmosphere, dominated by black and white, lit only by the candle flame. Practically the only vivid color we see during the game is blood red, which is overflowing quite a lot throughout the story. The user interface has been reduced to a minimum in order to further increase the player's immersion in the presented world.

Gilgenbach's production is inspired by such cult titles as Amnesia or the Silent Hill series. The original Neverending Nightmares graphic design is worth emphasizing. The game consists entirely of two-dimensional hand-drawn scenes inspired by the work of the American writer and illustrator Edward Gorey. The atmosphere of horror is intensified by the atmospheric dark-ambient soundtrack by Skyler McGlothlin. The artistic value of the game was appreciated, among others, at the E3 2014 fair with a nomination for the title of the most interesting production of the event.

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Last updated on August 14, 2015

Videos and Screens

[1:22] Neverending Nightmares trailer

7.1

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 48% of Critics. There are 26 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

GameSpew: 8 / 10 by Emily Sowden

Regardless of its slow pacing, at 90 minutes long Neverending Nightmares is a game complete with abstract ideas and unabashed displays of psychological hardship that we as players can relate to in some way or another

Full Review

Kill Screen: 63 / 100 by Zack Kotzer

In short: I didn't need Drake for long. Actually I played about two chart-toppers before I no longer felt the need for his voice as a lighthouse through the darkness. I began to feel comfortable in a horror game, which is a problem. I slept soundly that night.

Full Review

GameSkinny: 7 / 10

Though eerily gorgeous and macabre, Neverending Nightmares tends to play it too close to conventions.

Full Review

77%