Awkward Dimensions Redux

Awkward Dimensions Redux
N/A
Metacritic
80
Steam
77.398
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
free
Release date
21 October 2016
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
80 (2 933 votes)

They may be awkward dimensions, but they're my dreams...

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Awkward Dimensions Redux system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 7
  • Processor: 2 GHz
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 330 or higher with 1GB Memory
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 2 GB available space

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
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Old Couches
Old Couches

eighty-thousand pound tractor trailer

Tyrant Fashister
Tyrant Fashister

i love these type of games. i cant quite put a finger on the genre or label it would be, but i know one of them when i see them. this game is one of them. its very entertaining and interesting, but it is very short and has little to no replayability. its a free time waster though, so i would recommend.

hae42
hae42

I tried to play through the game, and got to the last level and for some stupid reason the last level for me was completely different than any walkthrough on youtube. The game was honestly pretty disappointing unfortunately... It did not impact me on an emotional level. Some of the graphics were nice though.

The Laissez Pharaoh
The Laissez Pharaoh

This is NOT A HORROR GAME! I wanted to put that sentence at the very top, not as a criticism, but just for anyone who might have been scrolling past this after having seen the bizarre "horror" tag attached to this game. That tag nearly put me off from playing to begin with, because I'm just not a horror fan. But I'm glad I did play, because only the second level is even remotely horror-related, and the rest of it is much more my kind of thing. Anyway, on with the review:

So first thing's first, when playing this you will find yourself very tempted to compare it to Davey Wreden's The Beginner's Guide. The overall "feel" of the game, as well as several of the individual levels, are reminiscent of The Beginner's Guide, and the developer's commentary name-checks Wreden twice. The game even borrows one piece from The Beginner's Guide's beautiful OST (the housecleaning song from TBG can be heard during the ladder-climbing sequence in this game.) There's even a "Beginner's Guide to..." book that can be seen on a shelf in the game.

However, despite the fact that this game practically begs to be compared to TBG, I reccommend you restrain yourself from doing so. While there are certain similarities, the two games are fundamentally different in what they're trying to do. TBG is a heavily narrative-driven game with a relatively more limited degree of abstractness, whose clearly defined surface-level story conceals deep layers of hidden meaning and symbolism. This game is pretty much the exact opposite of everything in that sentence. Not because it's an attempt to replicate TBG that failed, but because it's trying to do something else entirely. So let's judge it on its own terms.

If you fail to do so, you'll search for hidden meaning in every piece of abstract symbolism, and when you find none you'll be disappointed. You'll assume it's secretly trying to say much more than it's letting on, and you'll feel confused and underwhelmed when you can't find the deeper meaning. You'll expect it to build and crescendo into an emotionally devastating revalation at the end, and you'll be surprised when it actually ends in decidedly anti-climactic fashion. In other words, you'll judge this game far more harshly than you otherwise would if you simply accepted it for what it really is, and proceed from there.

Having played through the game twice and read the developer commentary, I am now reasonably confident that it actually is just a series of little mini-levels, strung together in no particular order, mostly inspired by dreams. The only thing that really consistently ties them together is the presence of a door in almost every level, and a more or less explicit autobiographical aspect to many of the levels.

However, this is essentially just a series of interesting little ideas, presented to you by a very young developer, and most of them are at least fairly enjoyable to look at or to think about. I particularly liked the fact that there was an unaknowledged hidden level, which (for me at least) could only be accessed by the level select screen, rather than being integrated into the flow of the main experience.

One legit weakness this game does have - aside from just "Boo hoo, it's not as good as The Beginner's Guide!" - is that the three levels which were, in my opinion at least, head and shoulders above the rest, and without which this review would probably be more of a "meh" than a "recommended" - namely the countdown/ladder level, the sabotage level, and the "Time to get over her" level - were also the three levels which seemed... err... "most heavily dependent on external inspiration" would be a kind way to say it. They're still great levels, with brilliant ambience and competent execution, but I was a little sad that the game's three peaks were also the three bits which most closely resembled ideas and symbols from Davey Wreden's games. However, perhaps that's just a comment on my own personal prefrences, and other people found the more original and inventive levels to be the highlights.

However, all in all I would recommend this game for an enjoyable, reasonably well made, fairly interesting, and somewhat emotionally impactful 1hr abstract walking simulator. It competently hits the target it's aiming at, and that makes it a good game, regardless of whether you think it's not the most interesting target it could have picked to begin with. I mainly enjoyed it because you can definitely see the seed of something interesting in there, and I can't wait to see how that seed grows and evolves in this developer's future works.

Also dank memes, so 13/10!

em007jay
em007jay

Not sure what this game was all about. I was curious to find out, but the graphics and audio were so jarring I couldn't bring myself past the third or fourth level. I did not find this game to be entertaining, challenging, or anything. It was just odd.

Doomride
Doomride

A fascinating insightful journey into the subconscious mind of an independent game developer wich tends to break the fourth wall in a clever yet subtle way.
Reminds me of The Beginner's Guide.

matt
matt

Something about this game struck a chord with me. Perhaps it was the art style, music, sound, imagery, or perhaps just the overall feel. It made me familiar with the outright confusing.

I had originally thought this game would be just another "Unity Game." Slow paced, clunky, and poorly designed.
For the most part, I was very wrong.

Awkward Dimensions may not be for most, as it can be awkward and confusing at times. Perhaps even a bit too personal. But that's pretty much the point of the game, and it's executed quite well.

For me at least, everything fit together well. It was a refreshing break from the fast-paced, straightforward, tried and true methods of other genres. Awkward Dimensions comes off as a bit heavy handed, yet keeps a general rythm/atmosphere throughout.

Overall, an odd and wonderful mix of both sensation, and storytelling.
I'd highly recommend giving it a go. Take a break from your own head for a while, and enter the unfamiliar world of someone else's.

Meat_Popsicle
Meat_Popsicle

While visually intriguing and the puzzles can be fun (and a litle mysterious), there is still a little too much personalization for my taste. The interface and graphics are stylish and original, but I just couldn't get past the tortured artist and the breakup element (not to be confused by "lost love", which can be much more fun.) Definitlly would be a developer you might want to keep checking out though, and if nothing else, check out the scapes and such.

Flexibel Joch
Flexibel Joch

It gets weird sometimes, and you might get scared from time to time but this game is nonetheless worth playing.

Shirra
Shirra

Artistic and philisophical walkthrough game. It's a little over an hour long, depending on how much time you take to walk around each level. The metaphors and real life worries that a young adult goes through are depicted really well in each dream.

Sometimes I accidentally found the entrance to the next level too quickly, and a few levels I didn't understand the metaphor.

7/10 worth playing!

computerized wet dreams
computerized w…

this game is a great game and there are so many feels

37890
37890

The varied levels made the game fun to play through, and it was intriguing (albeit tedious at some times) to hear the developer's thoughts on his experiences.

estebanguerrero98
estebanguerrero98

I can't recommend this because is just not enjoyable to play. But it's free so try it

DerToro
DerToro

It SUCKS because it made me CRY. It's really good especially for someone of this age to have created it scared me, it made me happy, it made me cry, it was cute.

Kittenpox
Kittenpox

I can see why some people didn't like it, but I also went in with no expectations and played through the experience as it was. To quote 'Welcome to Night Vale': "No pet is perfect. It becomes perfect when you learn to accept it for what it is."
I think a lot of things in life are kinda like that.

If you've played through 'The Beginner's Guide' and found that you didn't like the game, then you could safely give this one a miss. (Awkward Dimensions Redux is about an hour long. Though it ain't exactly an uplifting and inspirational experience, and I'm still not sure whether the game glitched out or I reached the proper end.)

But, I enjoyed this game regardless. Maybe you will too. :-)

JeyZed
JeyZed

Can games evoke the same emotions as a short novel can? Can a game designer do what an author does? Where are games going as a medium?

Misha
Misha

Music (OST) is good!
Free also good!

But sorry bro, I don't understand what you want to say.
And 360 controller can't play it good, view move too slow.
Also you make me feel dizzy.

the Streff
the Streff

Don't bother with this one. I am not trying to critisize the the art style, because I loved it and wish there were more first person pshchadelic/exploration games like this. Some people say the graphics are lazy, but I was immersed in the beginning. The gameplay and mechanics just are not there. there. My suggestion to the creator: If you are going to make a game that requires platform jumping skills, just dont make the game. Leave this sort of thing to the big guys. The horrid mechanics killed the immersion toward the end.

Eddie
Eddie

Nice and interesting game, I enjoyed playing it. It took me less than an hour which I think was just the right amount of time and also it's free, so thumbs up!

Shroomteller
Shroomteller

Awkward Dimensions is an intriguing game, as much an art gallery as something you can play, that operates on dream logic. As such, it is unpolished, personal, strange, at times moving, at other times offputting, and in general well executed. It contains a few clever mechanics, striking art styles, excellent music, and interesting images. While playing it, above all I felt the sensation of experiencing another person's dreams. It is pensive. You can and should take your time. Play with its weirdness.

josmus29
josmus29

even though its free there is nothing to this game except walking thats why I don't recommend it

Sippsipp
Sippsipp

If you wish to become personally attached through a person by means of a short, yet immensely inspiring game, you should play this. It is intruiging, creatively done, beautiful and it makes you feel odd, in a good way, after playing. The game constantly hints at an underlying storyline, especially the relationship mentioned in one level (the titles of the books shown in the character's room tell the player a lot)

All in all, a great game. Definitely reccomend.

chrissszy
chrissszy

Don't get this at all. Does this have a point?

PelvisGuy
PelvisGuy

I wish he hadn't said anything. I wish this was just a walking simulator going through his dream landscapes with music playing. No words, no awkward rants or raves. No 'this is so deep' moments.

The game's got potential, but it might end up disappointing you. Nonstop teenage-angst-fest.

CabeoC
CabeoC

This is probably the most weird game I have ever played! It's an interesting game. It's basically a ton of short levels where you travel through seemingly random "dimentions". Each level, or dimention, has some sort of puzzle, or simple parkor, or some you just walk through the strange enviroment. Some levels are annoying, others are creepy, and many are beautifuly designed. Each one is simple, yet you can tell there was a lot of creativity put on them, and they're each unique. What I'm wondering, though, is if these are actaully the dreams of the developer. I'm not sure, but either way, this is definatly a great game to try out, especially since it's free. Thanks!

Mad5cout
Mad5cout

This is what it looks like when someone tries to be really creative and fails miserably. I will give kudos for interesting scoring and sound but the game itself is utter garbage. Don't waste your time on this. If you want modern art, go to a museum.

Pachary
Pachary

This entire game is bits and peices of a kid that really fucking wants to make video games and won't let you forget it. Good try, please stop crying and make a good game, pussy. Sincerely, gamers.

Phat
Phat

This was one of he best indie games i've played. Very well done I would highly recomend you play it!

GoofLord
GoofLord

Really like it :) Beautifilul short game experience with a lot of feelings. It was actually the first time in my life a videogame touched my heart like that. Almost felt tears in my eyes at the end. :)

Evil Sage
Evil Sage

This game is so beautiful! I hope there will be a sequel!

Fruit
Fruit

Its fun, free, and doesnt take alot of time to beat. You dont have a reason to NOT play this game.

Shad0WmaN
Shad0WmaN

It has no meaning to play at all... mostly watch and jump between scenes.. these kind of games make me fall sleep.

Kotako
Kotako

One of the weirdest games I've ever played.

Really enjoyable if you've got nothing to do.

LandSquid
LandSquid

It's like the Beginner's Guide but not good. Part of the game is just video of shitty performance art.

GenkiB
GenkiB

Psychedelic adventure, time-shifting...

Foxstorm_rage
Foxstorm_rage

well i beat it or something i think

Cinta Leshan
Cinta Leshan

This game is fantastic, and very emotional, great style and gameplay

otzn
otzn

The games ideas are hit and miss, but it's 1) pretty interesting and 2) free.

Bowlcuthulhu
Bowlcuthulhu

This was just... Wow. Really delves into the mind of someone with a dream thats kicked continuously. I can relate. This truly is a wonderful game and I am so happy it came up as a recommended game in my queue. Just fantastic. I just finished playing and it's something I'll probably never forget and play again later.

Skekk
Skekk

Realy good little indie game. Worth installing and giving a play through. I have done so 3 times. I found it to be a surreal but relatable experience and suprisingly deep.

Edit: just played through the game again. Download this game and play it. Its not really a game, more a collection of diary entries. Sad but inspirational.

In this Behemoth Typhoon...
In this Behemo…

Its just... awesome
that end level tho...
that was something i did not expect.
i just love it

theonly1staring
theonly1staring

Very unique and keeps your interest. artistic all around and quite the trippy experience

NotMuchToSay
NotMuchToSay

Different. Wasn't sure what to expect and after playing it for about an hour, I still don't. The game play matches the music. The art matches the style of game. It's fun to walk around and see where it leads, or just enjoy the surroundings.

Debaser
Debaser

A hamfisted attempt at evoking emotion through bad level design (some are way too long, some are way too short) and constant narration about how deep/tortured/artistic the creator is.

Want to listen to the same narration three times because the goal isn't clear? it's here.

Want to hear a guy complain about his sixth grade girlfriend and brag about his earliest bff? This is the game for you.

The positive I found was the music. really beautiful and well done, adding a different feel to each level and how you experienced it. Some levels were colorful and interesting, although there is nothing interactive to keep you interested past what you initially see. Fleshed out, there could be more to it.

Other than that, the movement is clumsy and doesn't feel normal, playing with a gamepad means you hold the left joystick down while moving, which sucks, and it's hard to tell where you'll land every time you jump, as the creator requires jumping to complete different portions. The bad game design overcomes the positives here.

I'm glad it ended when it did, because my patience was also at its end.

TheGeneAndTonic
TheGeneAndTonic

I would love to say that this game was very "artistic" and "deep", but that wouldn't do it justice. To say its artistic, would be like taking every famous painting in the world, and then having Jackson Pollock do his thing all over them. Sure its all wondderful art, but its been ruined because there is to much all at once. The game hs some interestig points, but there is no reason i should have to climb a ladder for 10 minutes reading about some dramatic breakup. Anyways, I guess its still better than bad rats.

madhatterteatime
madhatterteatime

this game was amazing in mmy mind, it was pretty awesome on how it can suck you in to playing for an hour or two. props to the Dev. 15/10

Wolfarix
Wolfarix

I can't even put into words what I just went through but it was awsome!

Garon
Garon

I want whatever this dude was on

WhammyCammy
WhammyCammy

This game... will make you go, "wut"
Highly Reccomended

gajbooks
gajbooks

There is no focus, nothing is interesting, and it all has bad Unity filters on it. It's like Modern Art: The Video Game.

Why is everything set in some sort of wasteland? Do I want to see these FMV sections that look like they were recorded on a phone from the late 90s? Mirror's Edge called, they want their level back. Is it just me, or is the life of the developer just not very interesting? The "two steps forward" level made me want to Alt-F4. Does there really need to be a scene where you have to hold down the left mouse button and listen to someone whine?

Heavy pop-in on sections. I have to hold left click to drop the ceiling panel.

Jegant Drago TTV
Jegant Drago TTV

No deeper story, just a person's individuality recording and sharing his dreams to the world. Weird, yes like all dreams are. Not for everyone, but more than 50% of the levels are not too bad especially the "self improvement" i think is the name where you wakeup in the creator's bed room. just relatable. yet it cant be relatable for everyone. plus its freee. there are worse games charging money here.

mdv
mdv

i played it, it has no gameplay...trust me

MegaGaygis
MegaGaygis

This game deserves far more attention than it has gained so far. To all of the people that do not recommend this game, it is not for everybody, but everybody should play it through at least once. I downloaded it thinking it was just another free game on steam, it looked kind of surreal and abstract (not especially my type but i stayed open). I didnt play it for 2 months and it just sat in my library, but tonight I thought I needed to at least try it. Some levels really show the impact that dreams had on the creator of this game, and others show the impact the author's life had on his dreams and the game.

tldr: great music, great levels, great emotion
mastapeece 10/10

P.S. I dont know why you included a nazi torture level (Two Steps) in the game, it was genuinely worse than Fred Durst.

KILLER 9639
KILLER 9639

Not enough bitchy whining 10/10

minionpilled_69
minionpilled_69

I enjoyed this, a cool little exploratory experience. The trailers are a misleading because they make it seem like for of a game experience than it is, but I liked it either way.

The angsty teen mood was a little corny at times, but over all it was fun and interesting.

GandalfTheGay
GandalfTheGay

I didn't know what to do an entire game. But I enjoyed it. It made me think.

israelsetroxV.2
israelsetroxV.2

i say its goood i got lost and skipped like one level its really interesting an takes time to complete

flamish
flamish

the is the wierdest but interesting game i have played in years i dont even know what to think about it XD

xbox panda nation!
xbox panda nation!

One of the most mesmerizing games out there.

I found this game randomly in the Free to Play section. Once I loaded it up, I didn't think it would be that good (hence the Unity Personal Edition logo) but then, once I played it, I felt like I was in an entirely different world. The last level, Find The Way Out, really spoke to me. When I was younger I was trying to find the way out. There was a time where I was basically trapped.

It might eat up disk space, but it's amazing.

Xilonen
Xilonen

The second stage with so many doors are too scary so I skipped it, then I found that perhaps these travels are pointless. After all they are just dreams. Controls are a bit sluggish.

I like the main menu though.

Maybe continue it someday.