"Off-Planet Dreams is a clever platformer for Playdate filled with invisible puzzles."

Off-Planet Dreams offers all the necessary elements to succeed, as long as there is a genuine desire to do so. Assistance is just a few clicks away almost at all times, making it particularly accessible for what it represents: an “invisible puzzle platformer” that will repeatedly try to disorient you until you’ve learned enough from your mistakes to move forward. Depending on how you choose to approach the game, it can turn into an experience dominated by trial and error, a more relaxed platforming adventure, or something in between. In my first playthrough, I died 274 times, which gives an idea of the challenge it can pose.

In Off-Planet Dreams, you embody a kind of blob and find yourself facing a grid with floating doors, receiving the simple instruction to “now find your exit.” Although there are platforms forming a path to each door, all of them are invisible. This is where the game’s philosophy becomes evident: “difficulty depends on how you approach it.” You can choose to leap into the void each time with the hope of landing on a platform, memorizing your mistakes to know what not to do next time, or use one of the three available tools to get some help. “Peek” gives you a quick glimpse of nearby platforms, “Paint” highlights the ones you’ve already stepped on, and “Show” reveals all the platforms in the room.

Determined to progress without assistance, I found myself in a bind in Level 2-5, which has multiple sub-levels that will take you back to the start if you choose the wrong doors. At that point, I gave in and activated “Show” to give my mind the necessary space to solve the puzzle without having to permanently remember the platforms. When I finally figured it out, it turned out to be simpler than I had imagined. From there, I alternated between progressing without help and using “Paint” as a small relief.

Halfway through, the game introduces a new mechanic that requires the use of a crank, which I found really clever once I got past the initial frustration of not understanding what was happening. Later on, Off-Planet Dreams stylistically transforms into something completely different from what it was at the beginning. The developers mentioned in the description that the game is “more than just a grid of dots,” and they were not exaggerating. I had a lot of fun with this experience. It is currently available for purchase in the Playdate Catalog for $6.