Ludography
64/100
Players43 ratings
67/100
Critics3 reviews
More scores
Metacritic21 critic reviews
68/100
Metacritic usersuser score
68/100
GameFAQsEasy
2.87/5
Player reviews
77% positive2,122 reviews
Steam Deck
Verified
Runs on
Windows, Mac, Linux
Price
US$3.74

Where to get it

Neverending Nightmares cover

2014 · Infinitap Games · Action-adventure · Adventure

Neverending Nightmares

Timed PlayStation exclusive

Neverending Nightmares is a psychological horror game inspired by the developer's actual battle with mental illness. In the game, you take on the role of Thomas who awakens from a terrible nightmare only to find that he is still dreaming. As he descends deeper through the layers of hellish dreamscapes, he must hide from horrifying apparitions and outrun his inner demons. He must discover which of the horrors he encounters are a manifestation of his own psychological state and figure out what reality will be when he finally wakes up.

Released
26 September 2014
Platforms
AndroidLinuxNintendo SwitchOuyaPlayStation 4PlayStation VitaWindowsmacOS
Genres
Action-adventureAdventureIndiePsychological horror
Developers
Infinitap Games
Publishers
Infinitap Games
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Side view
Themes
ActionHorror
Country
United States
Age ratings
PEGI 16ESRB MCERO D
Languages
Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil) and 5 more
Time to beat
1.5hmain story3hcompletionist

About

Neverending Nightmares is a video game developed by Infinitap Games. It is a horror game drawing inspiration from the lead designer Matt Gilgenbach's personal struggles with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression; in an interview, he stated that he was "trying to create that feeling [of bleakness and hopelessness] in Neverending Nightmares".

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The player takes the role of Thomas, a man who "wakes up" from one nightmare and into another. As the player navigates Thomas throughout the game, the nightmares become progressively worse, including the horrifying monsters that lurk within them. Each time Thomas dies in a nightmare, comes across some serious cause of depression, or commits self-harm, he will "wake up" again in either the same nightmare as before, or into a different one. This acts as the game's checkpoint and save system. The game contains a total of three different endings, all influenced by the player's choices or paths that they take.

The game features a 2D hand-drawn line art style heavily influenced by the works of Edward Gorey. It uses a minimalist user interface, forgoing onscreen prompts and loading screens during play in order to increase immersion.

Story

Neverending Nightmares revolves around Thomas Smith, a young man who is suffering from a seemingly-endless string of nightmares (hence the title). Another character, Gabby, is introduced as Thomas' little sister, and frequently appears in his nightmares, occasionally changing roles. At turning points in the game, Thomas finds Gabby dead in various situations; Thomas himself also dies in his nightmares, sometimes by his own hand, though this only leads him to wake up in yet another nightmare.

Throughout the game, which is implied to be set in the late 1800s, Thomas must explore various locations in his nightmares. These include a mansion, a cemetery, an insane asylum, a forest, and a hospital.

Development

In September 2013, a Kickstarter campaign for the game's development was successfully funded, raising $106,722 of its original $99,000 goal. The game was released for Linux, OS X, and Windows via Steam and as well as Android via Ouya on September 26, 2014. Ports for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita were released on May 3, 2016. Mobile versions for iOS and Android were released on November 29, 2017. The game was made available for Nintendo Switch on July 22, 2020.

Reception

Neverending Nightmares received largely positive buzz during the course of its development. Adam Sessler said it was "very, very interesting" after playing an early build at the Penny Arcade Expo. He compared it to Gone Home in how it told a story personally relevant to its creator. IGN included it on a list of its most anticipated horror games for 2014, emphasizing its "wonderfully-distinct, pen-and-ink style." It was nominated by The Escapist as one of the best games of E3 2014.

The game received a score of 68/100 at Metacritic indicating "mixed or average reviews". Smangaliso Simelane praised the game's "spooky soundtrack composed of twinkling piano notes and ominous synthetic whines." Giant Bomb nominated it for Best-Looking Game and Best Horror Game of 2014. In a positive review, GameRevolution praised the story and atmosphere, recommending, "Whether or not you find it scary, you’ll definitely be disturbed and intrigued."

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Windows26 September 2014North America · Worldwide 26 September 2014
Ouya26 September 2014Worldwide
macOS26 September 2014Worldwide
Linux26 September 2014Worldwide
PlayStation 43 May 2016Worldwide · North America 3 May 2016
PlayStation Vita3 May 2016Worldwide
Nintendo Switch21 July 2020Europe · North America 22 July 2020

Title IDsone per regional release, with its latest update

PlatformTitle IDRegionLatest update
Nintendo Switch0100F79012600000——
PlayStation 4CUSA04310Europe—
CUSA04813Japan—
CUSA04137North America—
PlayStation VitaPCSB00940Europe—
PCSG00874Japan—
PCSE00847North America—

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Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.