As If Dreaming When You’re Wide Awake is a 3D narrative game from StoryTale Studios. The game explores depression and schizophrenia through atmospheric visuals and emotional storytelling. Curious? Let’s dive in!
A Voice
Matthew, the main character in As If Dreaming When You’re Wide Awake, starts his life in a state that seems completely normal. Believing that a better future is waiting for him.
But from within that quiet life, a faint whisper suddenly appears. So subtle, yet strong enough to unsettle his thoughts. Over time, that whisper becomes a clearer voice, as if trying to shape new thoughts inside his mind.
Players will feel that gradual change as it creeps in. Something that once felt unimportant slowly becomes something unavoidable.
Every step Matthew takes begins to feel like a heavy journey through the inner workings of his own mind. The game pulls you into a world built from the thoughts of a person who is slowly cracking from the inside. And from there, the entire story starts flowing into something much darker and more sorrowful.
Hope Begins to Crack
He feels increasingly unworthy, less confident, and more convinced that the future he dreamed of is nothing but an illusion he will never reach. The world around him shifts along with his vulnerability, as if reality itself tries to align with his emotional state.
You’ll notice small details that once seemed unimportant now become meaningful parts of the story. And sometimes, the reverse also happens. This gives you a picture of how heavy Matthew’s inner struggle truly is, as someone living with schizophrenia.
Every conversation feels heavy, every room holds a feeling that’s hard to explain, and every moment seems to carry an invisible weight. The game doesn’t rely on lengthy explanations to describe the pain of depression. Instead, it lets you feel it yourself.
The line between objective reality and the shadows of Matthew’s thoughts slowly fades. You’ll find yourself truly sinking into the uncertainty he faces every single day.
Simple but Haunting
The game’s visuals are crafted with great care to create a world that feels deeply haunting. You’ll explore narrow hallways, quiet rooms, and places that should feel safe but instead carry an unexplainable tension.
The use of color, lighting, and character design is intentionally crafted to support the story, reflecting Matthew’s mental state. Some rooms appear distorted, objects begin to “speak”, and the people around him show no expression.
Everything connects back to Matthew’s emotional condition. The visuals overall feel like a nightmare slowly growing into reality.
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Depression and Schizophrenia
StoryTale Studios presents an experience that’s perhaps rarely offered by Indonesian games. A narrative that bravely touches on mental health with empathy and emotional depth.
Their goal isn’t just to make an entertaining game, but to create an experience that opens players’ eyes to human vulnerability. Through symbolic visuals, audio cues, and dialogue, they invite players to understand that mental health is real and incredibly important.
They want to show that someone can look perfectly fine on the outside while fighting a massive battle within themselves. This game helps players understand what their loved ones might be going through without ever putting it into words.
As If Dreaming When You’re Wide Awake isn’t just a story about someone feeling sad or lost. Matthew seems like someone living his life normally, without showing even a hint of sadness. But something begins to disturb his thinking, eroding his confidence, and making him question his own worth.
The game successfully portrays the complexity of mental illness without turning it into a spectacle or mere horror element. It shows invisible wounds. Ones that often hurt far more than anything seen on the surface.
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Feels Too Real
As If Dreaming When You’re Wide Awake isn’t a game you conquer or finish for the sake of achievements or medals. It’s an experience that invites you into the most fragile parts of a human soul.
The game is a reminder that mental health is not something to take lightly. That the voice inside a person’s head can be louder than anything the world outside could ever say.
If you enjoy heavy, emotional narratives, or perhaps, if this kind of story feels a bit relatable, this might be a game worth trying. When the full version releases, it has the potential to become a work that deepens our understanding of why listening to the people around us truly matters.
Give it a try!
