Balthazar’s Dream is a beautiful, heartwarming pixel art action platforming adventure in which you play a loyal little dog who enters his owners coma-induced dreamworld in an attempt to save him from death.
The premise of Balthazar’s Dream is explained via a heart wrenching little cutscene at the start of the game that’s a little reminiscent of Pixar’s Up. You and your owner have been best buddies since he was a young boy and you were just a pup, but one day he has a tragic car accident that puts him into a coma. Ever the loyal dog, you stay by his side day and night in a hope that he’ll wake up. While sleeping by your owners side you enter a strange canine-themed dream world, inhabited by two entities – one is your owner and one is a darkness that threatens to take him away. It’s up to you to make your way through this dream world and attempt to save your owner.
At its core Balthazar’s Dream is a beautifully animated action platformer in which you help your brave little dog conquer dangerous obstacles such as vacuum cleaners, baths and (worst of all) CATS! The way each type of obstacle is implemented is very clever, adding puzzle elements to the game (though vacuum cleaners can take a little time to work out). These hazards and other interactable objects also add a touch of humor to the beautiful dreamlike gameworld (such as the checkpoint system that requires you to pee on fire hydrants).
Balthazar’s Dream is still early in development, but it already impresses with its excellent pixel art animation, heartwarming/heartbreaking story, quirky sense of humor and game world that’s packed with lots of nice little touches that will make any dog owner smile. A charming and creative canine adventure that’s well worth taking for a walk.
Check Out a Balthazar’s Dream Gameplay Video Here
Check Out the Kickstarter and Download the Alpha Demo Here (Win & Mac)