Just A Bad Dream

Key Features

• Recursive loop system with progressive environmental changes
• Adaptive entity AI that learns from player behavior
• Multi-layered puzzles spanning different loop iterations
• Collectible memory fragments revealing the true story
• Multiple endings based on puzzle completion and choices
• Sanity system affecting visual and audio distortions

What Makes This Special

Just A Bad Dream's innovation lies in making the loop mechanic integral to both horror and puzzle-solving rather than a simple respawn system. Players must deliberately trigger certain deaths to progress, subverting gaming instincts. The entity isn't just a threat but a puzzle component - its attack patterns provide clues about hidden items or passage locations. Environmental storytelling excels through diary entries that change between loops, suggesting parallel realities or degrading memories. The map tracks seemingly minor actions across loops, creating butterfly effects where moving a book in loop one opens a door in loop five. This creates a metagame where players maintain mental notes about cause-and-effect relationships across realities.

Pro Tips

• Keep notes about changes between loops - patterns matter
• Some puzzles require actions across multiple loops to solve
• The entity's behavior provides hints about hidden areas
• Audio cues often precede important events - play with sound