Dreaming Sarah

The adventure inspired by Yume Nikki and with gameplay similar to Dizzy, Dreaming Sarah, is currently available for free, for Windows – 100% free to keep – during a limited-time Indiegala’s giveaway that ends tomorrow! Take advantage of the offer, as Dreaming Sarah normally costs US$5.99!

Dreaming Sarah is a 2D indie adventure and platformer inspired by the horror game Yume Nikki, featuring gameplay reminiscent of the Dizzy series. It takes place in the dream world of a girl in a coma. The game was developed by Asteristic Game Studio and released on Christmas Day in 2013.

The protagonist, Sarah, explores surreal places like a room full of eyes, a haunted mansion, or an imaginary desert. Progress typically involves finding various items and using them (or giving them to the right people) to unlock new areas — like a parasol used to glide or a compass that helps locate a road.

Originally published by Ratalaika Games (now self-published by Asteristic Game Studio), Dreaming Sarah is available for Windows, Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. While the game received mixed reviews from critics, it holds thousands of very positive ratings on Steam — at least at the time of this post. Dreaming Sarah also kicked off a series, followed by Spooky Station (2019), Wishing Sarah (2020), and Awakening Sarah (2025), also as of this writing.

You can get the game here!

Teaser

Gameplay

Dreaming Sarah is a 2D platformer with non-linear progression, inspired by titles like Yume Nikki and gameplay similar to the Dizzy series. You control Sarah, a girl in a coma, as she explores a surreal dream world full of symbolism. The goal is to help her wake up by solving puzzles and collecting special items along the way.

The game supports controllers, and movement is done using the directional pad or analog stick. Sarah can walk, jump, and interact with characters and objects in a 2D side-scrolling view, with pixel art visuals. Items collected during the journey grant new abilities, such as gliding with a parasol, shrinking with a magnifying lens, or swimming by turning into a fish.

Exploration is open-ended, and progression depends on finding items that unlock new areas or significantly change the environment. For example, giving certain objects to specific characters can result in permanent changes to the scenery, reflecting the consequences of your actions.

The puzzles require careful attention to environmental details, visual cues, and experimentation. At times, the game introduces changes in weather and ambient sound to emphasize the emotional tone of the narrative, which shifts between whimsical and dark.

In addition to exploration and logic challenges, the game features two different endings, depending on the player’s actions and the items found throughout the adventure. This provides solid replay value and encourages multiple playthroughs to uncover all the story’s possibilities and nuances.

Although not a horror game, Dreaming Sarah includes moments of psychological tension and scenes that touch on themes like loneliness, trauma, and introspection. The soundtrack reinforces this atmosphere, alternating between melancholic tunes and moments of complete silence or minimalist sound effects.

The average completion time is around 2 to 3 hours, depending on the player’s pace. Revisiting previously explored areas is common, as new elements may appear as progress is made.

Story

In Dreaming Sarah, players follow Sarah, a young girl who is in a coma after a tragic accident. Trapped in a surreal dream world, your task is to guide her through symbolic settings and situations that reflect her memories, fears, and traumas.

As the player explores, various characters and events suggest fragments of Sarah’s story — such as a fallen doppelgänger near a car with a cracked windshield, raising questions about the nature and circumstances of the accident. Other elements found in the dream world, like a revolver bullet, a one-way bridge, and characters with strange or melancholic behavior, deepen the mystery surrounding Sarah’s mental state and the true reason for her coma.

The story is presented subjectively and open to interpretation, with few direct dialogues and many narrative elements implied through scenery and interactions. Over time, the game’s atmosphere evolves from an almost childlike tone to something darker and more emotional, reflecting the protagonist’s inner complexity.

The player can reach two different endings, depending on the actions taken and the items collected during the journey.

About the game

Dreaming Sarah is an adventure game where you play as Sarah, a girl who is in a coma. Explore the world around her and help her wake up!

Inspired by the horror game Yume Nikki, Dreaming Sarah is a surreal platformer with puzzle elements, an immersive setting, and an incredibly diverse cast of characters — and of course, a young girl named Sarah.

Sarah was in an accident and is now in a coma. It’s up to you to help her wake up by exploring her dream world, collecting items, talking to strange beings, and venturing through the environments around her!

Features

Explore different areas like a forest, a haunted mansion, and even the moon.
Collect items that change the gameplay, like an umbrella that lets Sarah glide, a magnifying glass that changes her size, and a necklace that turns her into a fish.
Solve puzzles by paying attention to every scene, taking notes, and thoroughly exploring the world around you.
Reach up to two different endings depending on what you find or do.
Revisit old areas to find new items that appear as you progress through the game.