Let me start from the end.
Dreamout was born during Ludum Dare 48 - a tiny jam game with barely any mechanics, clumsy controls, and a rather boring gameplay loop.
And yet, even in that rough little prototype, there was already something - a mix of awkward charm, warmth, and a dreamy melancholy that would later become the heart of the project.
That’s what it looked like back then.
I used to take part in many jams, but right before Ludum Dare 47 I met an artist - not only talented, but someone I could work with almost wordlessly.
We instantly clicked, made our first jam project together, and realized: we want to make games together - not just for jams, but for real.
Here’s what that first project looked like.
When Ludum Dare 48 came around, we already had some experience and knew what to expect.
That’s how Dreamout came to life - a story about a drunk but adorable alpaca wandering through a surreal world where everything feels just a little off.
The game turned out simple and a bit strange - but that was its charm.
It felt like one of those dreams that seem meaningless at first, but when you wake up, you can’t shake the feeling that you understood something about yourself.
We were happy with the result and decided not to stop there.
We wanted to expand the idea, give it meaning, music, atmosphere - make it whole.
That’s how the long road toward a full release began.
Development started in 2020 and moved at a glacial pace.
We both had our own things going on - the artist had a full-time job, and I was busy with other projects.
During that time, Dreamout was like a plant in hibernation - alive, but not really growing.
Every now and then, the artist sent me new backgrounds, characters, and sketches.
I added them to the build, tested some level ideas, and thought:
"Someday we’ll finish this. Just… not yet."
Then came the turning point - the artist decided to quit his job and become a full-time indie developer.
That’s when Dreamout truly began to take shape.
In January 2024, I finished one of my previous projects and finally switched to Dreamout full-time.
From that moment, everything started to move fast - almost too fast.
In just one year, we:
- finished all the remaining art,
- wrote the story,
- assembled the levels,
- implemented every core mechanic
And most importantly, finally understood what this game is really about.
It’s probably an odd path - spending three years making 20% of the game, and then the remaining 80% in just one.But that’s our story.
And honestly, I think it helped. Those three “quiet” years gave me time to grow, learn, and return to the project with a clearer vision.
If we had finished Dreamout back in 2020, it wouldn’t have been the same game.
Now it’s something we truly believe in - a small, strange adventure that we hope will make you smile, maybe think, and definitely dream a little.