Much like last year's Machinarium, The Dream Machine is a pretty straightforward point-and-click adventure game that's elevated by a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere and subtly ominous sound design. This is a game world made of cardboard, clay, and other real-world materials. It's a stop-motion video game and one the most beautiful experiences of the past 12 months. It also explores issues of dreams and what they really mean. It's slow and plodding at times, but it's a game that's hard to turn away from.

Victor and Alicia have just moved into a new apartment. It's a time of change. They're expecting a child and have given up their old life to settle down in the quiet, unassuming building. Their neighbors are mostly older, though Alicia isn't so sure about the landlord. She thinks there's something up with him. And maybe she's right.

The Dream Machine starts out pretty slowly. Not much happens during the first chapter—the game is divided into five parts, of which two are currently available to play—which makes those revelations that do occur all that much more powerful. The game likes to subvert your expectations in some ways, providing unexpected results with even more unexpected implications. But things really get interesting when you reach chapter two and discover the titular dream machine. With it, you can view a vivid dreamscape and explore the subconscious of other people.

The Dream Machine pc*, mac, linux Release Date: now

now MSRP: $18 season/$5 chapter Official site * = platform reviewed

But this isn't Inception in clay. The dream world isn't a neat and tidy place with lots of rules and limitations. Instead, it feels much looser. A place where strange and unnerving things can happen. Where people never really die. It also seems to have its own unique logic—things make sense, but in a weird way. This makes it a scary, yet compelling place to inhabit.

What really sets the mood is the visual design. The stop motion, clay-and-cardboard look adds an additional layer of surreality, which really bolsters the dream-like atmosphere. There's no attempt at realism here. The characters look strange and the entire world has a well-worn appearance. There's also a nice contrast between the brown and dull real world and the more expressive dream world. It's much more interesting to walk across the clouds exploring a world of long forgotten statues than to walk around an old, dingy apartment building.

But as wonderful as the game looks and feels, it's as standard a point-and-click adventure as you're likely to find. There's lots of dialogue, item collection, and light puzzle solving. It's all pretty straightforward with few overly frustrating sequences, but there are times when it's hard to know exactly what you need to be doing. You don't always have clear directions and because the game world is, in many places, so dark, it's easy to miss items you need to collect or interact with. This of course inevitably leads to pixel hunting, which is never fun.

Like many modern adventure games, The Dream Machine is being released in an episodic structure. The first two chapters are available now—with chapter one being free, essentially serving as a demo—with the third due "soon." You can either buy the complete game as a bundle, or purchase individual chapters. It should also be noted that the game is actually played in-browser and you'll need to be online to play it.

But if the first two chapters are anything to go on, adventure fans should just go ahead and grab the whole package. Because what The Dream Machine lacks in new or creative gameplay, it more than makes up for with great storytelling and a chilling atmosphere.

Verdict: Buy