Dreamcore news & patch notes

Dreamcore has been officially reviewed and categorized as Steam Deck Verified by Valve.

The game meets all default requirements for handheld play without needing manual configuration:

-Input: Full native controller support and correct Deck button prompts.

-Display: UI text and menus are scaled for the 1280x800 display.

-Performance: Default graphics preset runs smoothly at target framerates.

-Cloud: Steam Cloud sync is fully supported between PC and handheld.

If you encounter any bugs or display issues on handheld devices, please report them in the Steam Community Discussions.

Hey! Just wanted to give a quick heads-up on why I’ve been inactive lately. This past month I’ve been taking a break, and to be honest, I’ll probably extend it through July. After working almost 12 hours a day for the last two years, I just hit a wall and needed to unplug for a bit.

Just wanted to drop a quick message to talk about the release of Dead Mall and how the game is doing overall. I’ve been reading ALL your feedback, and I know that for some of you, some parts didn't fully meet expectations or felt like they fell a bit short. I truly appreciate your honesty, and I take it to heart—just as much as I appreciate everyone who has been thoroughly enjoying it.

Developing the final stages of the game was a major challenge. Balancing deadlines, complex map designs, and technical hurdles meant we had to streamline certain areas and leave some ideas on the cutting room floor to ensure the launch. It’s a game I love and proudly stands complete, but I also know we can take it even further.

I don’t want to just leave it as it is. Now that the pressure of deadlines is finally off our shoulders, we are going to put a ton of polish into the game. We aren't just looking to hit 100%—now that we have the time and focus the project deserves, we want to push it to 150%. Over the next few months, I’m going to be working on bringing back the specific content we had to cut before the launch, shaping those missing pieces based on both your feedback and my own original vision.

There's still a journey ahead, but Dreamcore is far from over

Thank you so much for your patience and for sticking with me through this!

Valentín Iribarren

Dreamcore Game Director

On this special occasion, being part of the Backrooms Banquet, we show the five different worlds of Dreamcore. Enjoy!

Dead Mall launches today!

It’s been four years since I started the game in 2022. Everything began with a demo of half of Dreampools in 2023 that went viral on the very same day, without expecting anything in return. I remember when we were just 50 people on Discord, and now we are over 5,000!

Now, all five chapters are finally complete. I truly want to thank everyone so much for supporting this project and for the community that has formed around this game.

With the release of Dead Mall, many believe this is the end of Dreamcore. Far from it. The five chapters are now complete and my original vision is fully realized, but the story isn’t over yet… Stay tuned for updates.

Hi everyone!

We're glad to announce that the new Dreamcore level, Dead Mall, is releasing on May 21st.

For this new Dead Mall map, I decided to go in a pretty different direction compared to the previous ones. After going through a lot of your feedback, it was clear that many of you wanted a much more open exploration experience without so many hurdles, and that’s exactly what this update is about.

In this map, we're moving away from puzzles. There are no complicated riddles or mandatory objectives to break your flow. The idea is for you to fully soak in the atmosphere of the mall without any pressure. If you want to head straight for the elevator to move on, you can—assuming you can find it among all those corridors—but if you’d rather just wander around and explore every corner, the map is all yours.

Basically, the game is now giving you the space to decide how you want to experience it. I felt it was time to take the stabilizers off and let curiosity lead the way, so I hope you enjoy this total freedom.

This is also a good opportunity to remind everyone that when Dead Mall releases, the base price of Dreamcore will raise slightly, just like it did with Playrooms and Liminal Hotel Supporting the game early not only means a lot to us, it means you get the best value for a still growing experience!

I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. The final chapter, "Dead Mall," is already in development.

With this upcoming chapter, we want to return to the roots of the game and create large, expansive environments again, since that’s what made Dreamcore unique in the first place.

Shopping malls give us a great opportunity to do exactly that.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll also be sharing more news and updates about Dreamcore.

First, my sincere apologies for the delay. We have had some issues that delayed the update.

We've just updated Dreamcore with a massive overhaul for Liminal Hotel. We hope you like it!

Here are the complete patch notes!:

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- Fixed some missing walls (Thanks @BigCGaming).

- Fixed a song loop problem on Dreampools (thanks @fatpound).

- Fixed a void in basement (Thanks @blåhaj).

- Fixed a missing rail.

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- Fixed some wrong location models in Neighborhood (Thanks @BigCGaming).

- Fixed a void in Guest House (Thanks @BigCGaming).

- Fixed a break lens bug in the opening cinematic.

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- Removed color-coded keys in Pastel Room and replaced them with a pink generator to power the garage door, matching the rest of the sections.

- Adjusted Maze Room layout to slightly reduce difficulty.

- Added lights in dark areas from Maze Room (Thanks @BigCGaming).

- Fixed a problem with the light on the final section.

- Fixed missing texture on fences in Toys_Room. (Thanks @AndraxDev).

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- Overall map updated by 35% with major layout adjustments.

- Floors 3 and 2 were completely rebuilt.

- Updated elevator floor signage with a new visual design.

- Added 2 new floors and renumbered all existing ones. (now there's 8 total).

- Added reverb of footsteps on big section.

- Added new soundtrack.

- Adjusted elevators pair spacing to bring both units closer together.

- Blocked several paths to increase navigation difficulty.

- Fixed a problem with Fren balloon achievement.

- Fixed a problem with the achievement of the 4th floor.

- Fixed a problem with some lights that disappeared.

- Fixed some models with missing textures (Thanks @AndraxDev and @therealgeox).

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- Updated final map slot to display a preview image.

- Added main menu background selector (map-based or last played).

- Added brightness option.

- Added Greek and Dutch languages.

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- Reduced VHS blur intensity.

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- Added Ambient Occlusion.

- Increased a 5% the sound of the VHS.

- Fixed some texture doors.

Message from the developer — Dreamcore 1 Year Anniversary

Today marks one year since Dreamcore launched.

I originally planned to release a new update to celebrate this milestone. It won’t be ready in time — but instead of rushing it, I decided to give it the time it needs.

This upcoming update focuses on the Liminal Hotel expansion, along with several new features and improvements across the game. It’s currently planned to release in mid February.

Even beyond this update, I just want to say how grateful I am for everything that has formed around Dreamcore during this first year: the feedback, the discussions, the theories, the screenshots, and the community that slowly built itself around this strange project.

Once the Liminal Hotel expansion is out, development will move fully into the final Dreamcore map, which will mark the last major chapter of the game.

There’s still a lot ahead, and I’m genuinely excited about what’s coming next.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Valentín Iribarren Dreamcore Game Director

Streaming Playrooms at the Latin American Games Showcase

As Dreamcore keeps growing, one of the things I’m most grateful for is how many of you notice the small visual details—those odd color palettes, the uncomfortable symmetry, the lighting that feels both familiar and wrong, and the way each map tries to look like a memory you’re not sure you ever had.

Dreamcore isn’t a game with big effects or explosions. Everything relies on atmosphere: light, space, architecture, and those quiet visuals that slowly get under your skin. So if you believe Dreamcore deserves a place in the Best Visual Style category this year, it would mean a lot.

I never expected this project to reach so many people, especially considering how unusual its visual identity is. But seeing players recognize and connect with it makes all the late-night experiments with colors, fog, post-processing and architecture feel worthwhile.

Thank you so much!!

Over the past few days, I’ve been reading many comments and reviews, and I genuinely appreciate that you take the time to play, analyze, and share your thoughts so sincerely. I’m truly grateful to have such a dedicated community.

Regarding what many of you mentioned: yes, the map ended up being short. After Playrooms, a lot of players asked for something more compact, and I tried to follow that idea… but I ended up shortening it more than I should have. It doesn’t hurt the core experience, but it definitely leaves room for improvement, and I’m glad you pointed that out.

Before moving on to the fifth and final map, I’m going to focus on an update dedicated exclusively to the Liminal Hotel, which will include:

• A general expansion of the level, with more areas and additional space to explore.

• A complete reconstruction of floors 1 and 2, which were the most talked-about sections.

• Adjustments to pacing, atmosphere, and overall exploration.

I always aim for each map to have its own identity and explore something different. Sometimes that means trying new ideas, and other times it means refining what’s already there—but always with the intention of keeping the game growing and feeling cohesive from start to finish. In that process, your feedback helps a lot.

I’ll also take this opportunity to make a few small adjustments to other maps, especially Playrooms, to keep everything aligned in quality.

Thank you for playing, for commenting, and for being so present. Valentin Iribarren, Dreamcore Game Director.

Welcome to Liminal Hotel!

A brand new nightmarescape is now available on Dreamcore.

Endless hallways, repeating rooms, confusing elevators and more await for you in this new level. Descend into madness, floor by floor as you try to escape from this accursed building. Inspired by real architecture, Liminal Hotel creates a sense of claustrophobia everywhere you go, no matter how open the space may be. As you explore it further, you may find some familiar vistas but never feel at home, no matter the luxurious comfort Liminal Hotel tries to offer.

Enjoy your stay... it may be permanent.

Enjoy a brief glimpse of what this level has to offer below and remember, if you don't have a copy of Dreamcore yet, there are 3 other levels awaiting you, each more unsettling than the others.

Hi everyone!

We're glad to announce that the new Dreamcore level, Liminal Hotel, is releasing on November 14th. Just 10 days away!

Liminal Hotel is a place out of time. Or beyond time, if you will. Each floor's aesthetic changes as you go down, from minimal and modern to lavish and antique, a downward spiral of winding hallways and deceitful elevators. Hotels can be luxurious and comfortable but they're never home and this level amplifies that feeling intensely, as well as playing with the sensation of claustrophobia in such an open space. We'd like to tell you more but that would ruin the many surprises this fine establishment has in store for you. We hope you enjoy your stay, because you may never leave...

We're still putting the finishing touches and testing but the level is shaping up really nice, you can check out some sneak peek screenshots on our previous posts and a brand new trailer right now!

This is also a good opportunity to remind everyone that when Liminal Hotel releases, the base price of Dreamcore will raise slightly, just like it did with Playrooms Supporting the game early not only means a lot to us, it means you get the best value for a still growing experience! Right now Dreamcore has a 20% OFF discount so it would be the perfect time to get your hands on a copy if you haven't. Thanks for reading and see you all at the check-in for Liminal Hotel!

Hello everyone! We're hard at work here at Dreamcore HQ and we thought that we'd show you a little preview of the new map:

Liminal Hotel. Liminal Hotel presents the definitive version of level 188, offering a wide variety of styles within the rooms. Through elevators, you will traverse the hotel floor to floor and as you go down, you'll see how the hotel's atmosphere becomes more antique, like going back in time. Liminal Hotel marks a before and after in the way maps are created in Dreamcore, introducing deep changes and new directions the community has been clamoring all this time.

Are you ready for your check-in?

We cannot wait for you to play the new map! In the mean time check out these screenshots taken straight from Liminal Hotel.

Of course, we're also working hard on improving the already released maps of the game. Here is the patch list of everything introduced in this new update!

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-Optimized and increased performance

-Added some lights in dark areas (Thanks BigCGaming!)

-Added soundtrack

-Added some drawings to guide the player

-Fixed some issues in Maze Room section

-Fixed some missing walls in Pastel Room section

-Fixed some pop-in on Castle Room section

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-Fixed a problem with VSM (virtual shadow maps)

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-Updated coming soon image on selector map screen

-Added warning pop-up when VHS filter is turned OFF

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-Updated Dreamcore to Unreal Engine 5.6 version

Thanks for reading and see you all at Liminal Hotel.

Welcome to the Playrooms stream!

Playrooms releases today so enjoy this brief glimpse of Dreamcore's new level.

• A spectrum of distinct visual styles
• Bold, unexpected colour palettes
• Zones crafted to spark very different moods