Horror visual novels Short horror Horror Psychological horror Anime horror

Sweet Dreams

Rate it

A sleepy train ride, a friendly stranger, and a drink you should not have taken.

Platforms: PC, Mac
Stores: itch.io
Price: Pay what you want
Rated: 4.8 out of 5 from 414 ratings on itch.io
Length: about 20 to 30 minutes
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse or Enter to advance text, click to choose
Made by: C2PHOS

What frightens Growing drowsy on a night train, you talk with a too-friendly stranger whose kindness turns possessive; the game includes blood, mild gore and a drugging, then closes itself and greets you differently when you start again.
Content: blood, mild gore, depiction of drugging, mentions of trauma and death, the game closes itself.

Sweet Dreams is a short horror visual novel by C2PHOS, the first part of the Dear Dere series. You are falling asleep on a train when Lee, a smiling stranger, starts a conversation. Whether he becomes a friend or something worse depends on what you say, and the game has a few tricks of its own once it closes on you.

About Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams is a free-to-try (pay what you want) visual novel by the solo artist and writer C2PHOS, made in Ren'Py for Windows and macOS. It is the first part of the Dear Dere series, and its maker says the whole thing takes around 20 to 30 minutes.

You are on a train late at night, and you are starting to feel sleepy. A young man in a white cap, Lee, sits down and talks to you. He is warm and attentive, his red eyes hold yours a little too long, and he makes you a promise. The game asks the question on its own page: will you find friendship, or trouble?

It is drawn in rough greyscale sketches with only the red of eyes and blood in colour, which makes the turns hit harder. The maker lists blood, mild gore, mentions of trauma and death, a depiction of drugging and a yandere among its contents. There are two endings reached through your choices and a secret third one.

Part of the horror is the game itself. At one point it closes on you, and the maker asks you to start a new game afterwards because something is waiting. Players in the comments write that it used the name on their computer, and that the secret ending disturbed them. It suits readers who liked Doki Doki Literature Club or Online Obsession and want something they can finish in one sitting.

How to play Sweet Dreams

Download the Windows or macOS build from C2PHOS's itch.io page, naming your own price.
Unzip it and run Sweet Dreams.
Read the conversation on the train and choose what to say to Lee.
When the game closes itself, open it again and start a new game, as the maker asks.
Play again with other choices to see the second ending.

Screenshots

Sweet Dreams itch.io cover: a greyscale sketch of a smiling young man with one red spiral eye and blood on his mouth and hand

Sweet Dreams screenshot: a close-up of Lee with one wide red eye and a blushing face, saying 'Promise'

Sweet Dreams screenshot: the drowsy player character leans on a train window, fighting to keep their eyes open

Sweet Dreams screenshot: Lee sits opposite on the train and stares, the text saying his intense eye contact is making you uncomfortable

Tips

Do not touch the game's files until the game itself brings them up, or you can lock yourself out of the other routes.
The GAME MANUAL file on the itch.io page explains the secret ending step by step if you get stuck.