Sailor’s Dream, developed by Simogo, is an iOS game that invites players to explore mysterious islands through interactive storytelling. The game’s target audience is honestly anyone who enjoys a good story and has an interest in mystery, making it a game that is accessible to casual gamers as well as more experienced players. Players interact with the game elements by touching and swiping certain objects that often make music. The game is single player with players swiping through individual islands to uncover the story.
The visuals in Sailor’s Dream are beautiful and haunting, setting a mood that is both creepy and alluring. The music is a key aspect of the game’s design and plays a huge role in creating the game’s atmosphere. Because of the visuals and music, the narrative becomes more intriguing but can definitely be confusing at first. In addition, I wanted to note that the swiping aspect is only possible on an iPad or iPhone so that being the core “walking” mechanism for the game was really interesting. This “walking” mechanism of swiping between points on the islands as well as between the islands is the primary way in which we uncover the unique story. By touching different objects, players can unfold the story and reveal hidden parts of the game’s plot. I haven’t finished the game, but each “surface” in the game seems to have a song attached to it, and unveiling each location feels like recovering a lost memory.
The game has a unique approach to storytelling in that the story can be uncovered in any order, making it a bit confusing. Everything is jumbled, and each portion of the story can be found in no particular order. Because of this, the game’s story is a bit too confusing for some players, but it remains an interesting aspect of the game and is like a puzzle that needs to be pieced together. I think the biggest area of improvement remains the confusing storyline: while some players may be intrigued by the utterly confusing “memories” that vaguely reference each other, I personally was a bit put off by it and didn’t really want to continue. Perhaps, a bit more clarity and connection between the uncovered memories might help with the game’s flow. In addition, even as a walking simulator, I felt that the game’s mechanics were too limited. Touching objects rarely did anything, except make an occasional sound or two, and the idea of only using swiping to navigate quickly got old for me. It may be due to the fact that I personally like more engaging games, but I did feel that it was a bit lacking.
Interestingly, after doing some more research, it seems that Sailor’s Dream has an aspect of time where players can unlock an ending of the story by waiting and checking each day. This creates a sense of anticipation and adds another layer of intrigue to the game’s story. It encourages players to check back each day and see what new elements have been added to the story.
Overall, Sailor’s Dream is a overall compelling game that offers a unique but confusing approach to storytelling that is worth exploring for anyone who enjoys a good story and a sense of adventure.
