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Developed by Flawberry Studio, Projected Dreams launched on Steam on May 29, 2025. Billed as a story-rich cozy puzzle game, and oozing with 90s nostalgia, Projected Dreams is a soothing experience about using what’s around you to build something brand new.
Projected Dreams Summary
Projected Dreams is a cozy puzzle game about arranging objects to cast shadows on a wall. Each puzzle will have a designated shape you are trying to build. Players will use items around the room—coffee mugs, children’s toys, retro handhelds, books, and more—to mirror the shadow shape they see on the wall.
For fans of games like Unpacking and A Little to the Left, Projected Dreams gently weaves the story of a family experiencing growth and change together across multiple chapters of subtle puzzle-based storytelling.
My Projected Dreams Experience
Hours played: 4 hrs
Rolled credits: Yes
Coziness rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Projected Dreams is a cozy, low difficulty puzzle game on Steam about using bedroom toys and knickknacks to cast shadows on the wall. You’ll start with a template: a vague shape you must recreate with shadows and light. Then, you are given a bedroom full of objects to explore. You can tinker with books, blocks, a mini skateboard, a Rubik’s Cube, a giant yellow crayon, a horse in a box, a toy boat, and many other wonderful discoveries. Opening drawers or lids may reveal additional hidden treasures.
Once you have taken stock of everything available to you in the room, you can get to work balancing and building your designated shadow shape. You can stack, lean, twist, turn, and arrange your collection of objects on a table in front of a phantom light source. The way you move the pieces will reflect the shapes of the shadows on the wall.
Projected Dreams allows you to progress the story even if you don’t match each solution “perfectly.” Each chapter holds 5-7 unique puzzle scenarios, which—when solved—unveil the story of a father and his daughters. The closer you get to a “perfect” solution, the higher star ranking you will receive (out of three). This makes it so that you can “Cs get degrees” your way through the levels or spend additional time polishing your shadow creations into an A++.
As the game progresses, you will unlock new puzzle mechanics. A ghost can turn items invisible and an octopus can make them sticky. You can then strategize with your newfound abilities to make even more complex shapes with the silhouettes on the wall. There is no rush, no timer, and a hint for each puzzle. This makes for a cozy experience that is more about imagination, play, and trial-and-error than pressure to succeed.
As you solve each puzzle, a family photograph is added to your album. A story without narration or dialogue. In it, you’ll be privy to a father and his daughters suffering an unimaginable loss. How they moved forward together, and how they coped with the absence. It’s the kind of subtle storytelling that mirrors the theme of the game: a light shadow of a plot with more going on behind-the-scenes than what meets the eye.
Projected Dreams’ story is about family in that strange, quiet way that everything is about family. It’s about love and loss. About growing up and growing apart. It’s about moving out and moving on. It’s about the small footholds of loveliness that are infused throughout the potholed highway of life. And most importantly, it’s about the power of memories to connect us—through space, time, and beyond.
Projected Dreams Final Thoughts
Projected Dreams is the kind of calming cozy game that there is no rush to finish. The mechanics are simple, so you can pick it up in pieces as you feel inspired. The ASMR-y sounds make designing your stacked toys utterly satisfying. And even when you don’t get the perfect match, you are rewarded for your time and effort. In Projected Dreams, cozy gamers can expect a thoughtful, playful experience, where creativity and experimentation rule.
Should You Play Projected Dreams?
- Projected Dreams would be great for people who like games like Unpacking and A Little to the Left
- Projected Dreams is perfect for those who like calming, low difficulty puzzles
- The game is not for people who like fast-paced or uber challenging puzzle mechanics
Stay cozy, gamers!
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