Through the Nightmares

Through the Nightmares takes the familiar idea of childhood fears and transforms it into a challenging precision platformer built around timing, experimentation, and repeated attempts. Developed and published by Sandman Team, the game follows Sandman, a spirit associated with peaceful dreams, as he travels into nightmares where children have become trapped. Morpheus, a once-benevolent god of dreams, stands at the center of the conflict, and his influence has turned ordinary fears and familiar environments into dangerous worlds filled with traps and hostile creatures. The premise provides an appropriate foundation for a game where almost every location feels deliberately designed to make the player uncomfortable while testing their ability to remain precise under pressure. The central platforming mechanics are straightforward enough to understand but become increasingly complicated when combined. Sandman can run, jump, and perform a downward strike, yet his most distinctive ability is changing his physical size. Becoming larger or smaller does much more than alter his appearance. Size affects factors such as movement, weight, jumping behavior, and interactions with environmental objects. Certain passages require a smaller form, while other obstacles are easier to overcome by taking advantage of the properties associated with a different size. This gives many stages a puzzle-like quality because discovering how to cross an obstacle can be just as important as possessing the reflexes needed to execute the solution. The downward strike expands this environmental interaction by allowing Sandman to break particular surfaces, trigger mechanisms, and discover alternative routes. One of the more thoughtful design choices is that some changes made to a level remain after death. Considering how frequently failure can occur, this persistence reduces unnecessary repetition and makes unsuccessful attempts feel less wasteful. Instead of constantly resetting every element, the game allows the player to gradually establish a path through particularly difficult areas. This complements the overall philosophy of treating death as part of the learning process rather than simply as punishment. Another important feature is the Checkpoint Flask, which gives players some influence over where they will return after dying. Rather than relying exclusively on checkpoints chosen by the designers, the flask can be carried through a stage and positioned strategically. Its limited resurrection capacity prevents players from abusing the system, so deciding where to leave it becomes a meaningful part of navigating harder sections. Placing it too early provides immediate safety but may result in repeating a difficult later sequence. Carrying it farther creates the possibility of a more advantageous checkpoint but also means risking everything required to reach that location. It is an inventive mechanic that adds strategy to what could otherwise have been a purely reflex-driven platformer. Frequent death is clearly expected, and instant respawning helps keep frustration under control. Difficult sections can therefore be attempted repeatedly without lengthy interruptions. Hazards require players to recognize patterns and develop reliable timing, while certain environmental elements interact closely with the musical rhythm. The result can become almost hypnotic once a complicated sequence has been memorized. However, the demanding nature of the experience should not be underestimated. Players who dislike repeating a short section many times may find its philosophy exhausting. The satisfaction comes from recognizing mistakes, adjusting an approach, and eventually completing a sequence that initially appeared nearly impossible. The adventure contains 45 handcrafted levels distributed across three chapters and six different locations. Its nightmares draw inspiration from several sources, including Nordic folklore, medieval imagery, dark forests, suburban environments, ruined castles, and spaces overwhelmed by unsettling creatures such as giant spiders. Familiar objects are frequently transformed into dangerous obstacles, strengthening the sensation of moving through dreams where ordinary rules have been distorted. Larger creatures and pursuit situations further break up the conventional obstacle courses by introducing moments where rapid decision-making becomes more important than cautious observation. Its low-poly presentation works effectively with the dreamlike concept. The stylized environments do not depend on photorealism to create atmosphere and instead use exaggerated proportions, threatening silhouettes, unusual spaces, and dramatic scenery to make each nightmare distinctive. The soundtrack contributes substantially to the mood and occasionally becomes directly relevant to the timing of hazards. Visual and audio elements therefore support the gameplay rather than functioning merely as decoration, creating a cohesive identity that distinguishes the experience from platformers built entirely around mechanical difficulty. Exploration also has a meaningful role. Hidden challenges and personal possessions belonging to the trapped children encourage players to investigate stages beyond the most obvious route. Recovering these objects provides additional insight into the children, their fears, and the larger mystery surrounding Morpheus. This gives collectibles narrative relevance rather than making them simple completion statistics. Players interested primarily in reaching the end can concentrate on the main path, while completionists have stronger reasons to revisit difficult environments and master sections they might otherwise ignore. The story wisely remains secondary to the platforming without becoming irrelevant. Sandman's objective of rescuing children gives purpose to his journey through increasingly hostile dreams, while the mystery surrounding Morpheus creates continuity between otherwise very different locations. The combination of personal childhood fears and a larger supernatural conflict provides enough narrative motivation to make progression feel like more than a sequence of disconnected challenges. Through the Nightmares is ultimately at its strongest when size-changing, environmental manipulation, portable checkpoints, rhythmic hazards, and precision movement are working together. It demands patience and will inevitably frustrate players who prefer forgiving platformers, but its quick recovery from failure encourages experimentation instead of making mistakes unnecessarily tedious. Sandman Team has created a mechanically distinctive platformer where learning is inseparable from dying, and overcoming a particularly difficult sequence can provide considerable satisfaction. Its atmospheric nightmare setting, carefully constructed stages, optional discoveries, and clever manipulation of character size give the adventure enough personality to stand apart within a crowded genre. Rating: 8/10

Enjoyed it!

Класний український платформер зі своєю атмосферою, ідеально підходить під гру на джойстику. Рекомендую.

Cool atmosphere, cute story about Sandman saving children from the nightmares, fluid controls, neatly designed levels - compact, yet intricate enough to test your reflexes and puzzle-solving skills. Which is exactly what a good precision platformer needs. It's a perfect side-course to whatever you're playing as it can be easily consumed in bite-sized chunks to stretch the muscles. It's not very difficult (apart from some sections with secrets), but still capable to scratch that particular itch of every fan of the genre.

Sandman is not saved :(

Приємний цікавий платформер

It's pretty easy to suck at this game...