Neverending Nightmares

About Neverending Nightmares

Neverending Nightmares is a psychological horror game by Infinitap Games, released on Steam in September 2014 and later on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and iPhone and iPad. Its maker says it grew out of his own struggle with mental illness, and its nightmares are built from depression and obsessive-compulsive thoughts.

You play Thomas, who wakes from a terrible nightmare to find that he is still dreaming. Each time he wakes, he is somewhere deeper: an old house of long candlelit halls, a library, a hospital ward with tiled walls. You walk from side to side through these rooms, open doors, pick up a candle or look at what is left lying around, and choose which way to go.

The pictures carry most of the fear. Everything is drawn in black and white crosshatching in the style of an old illustrated book, and only a few things are coloured: a candle flame, an object you can use, and blood. Bloodied figures wait in rooms and corridors, and now and then a swollen monster or an apparition comes after Thomas. He has no way to fight, so you hide or run. The game shows graphic self-harm and suicide imagery, which Steam's content notice warns of.

It is slow and quiet more than it is full of chases, and players recommend headphones for its dark ambient score by Skyler McGlothlin. The story branches, and its makers say there are three completely different endings. It suits players who want horror about the mind rather than about fighting, and who are comfortable with its subject.

How to play Neverending Nightmares

1. Start a new game; Thomas wakes from a nightmare and finds he is still dreaming.
2. Walk left and right through the rooms and interact with doors and the objects drawn in colour.
3. When a monster or apparition appears, hide or run from it; you cannot fight.
4. Each time Thomas wakes, carry on into the next, deeper dream.
5. Choose which paths to follow; they lead to one of three endings.

Tips

• Play with headphones; the dark ambient score and sounds carry much of the mood.
• Objects drawn in colour stand out from the black and white world, so look for them in each room.
• Expect a slow pace: most of the game is exploring, with only occasional monsters to evade.
• Read Steam's content notice first: the game shows self-harm and suicide imagery.

Questions