Shape of Dreams Review

Shape of Dreams is a roguelike game that changes the way we think about roguelikes. It doesn't lock you into certain character classes and predictable builds; instead, it gives you the ability to change how you play all the time. 

It isn't just about beating rooms of enemies or collecting loot; it's about how you craft your identity and experiment with combinations that shouldn't even work on paper, but they somehow all fit like pieces of a puzzle that you'll have to figure out how to solve. 

Shape of Dreams has already shaped itself as one of the best roguelike games on offer in the current market. This debut game from the Korean studio Lizard Smoothie comes in top fighting form, with an intricate action RPG architecture, movement inspired by MOBAs, and remarkably sharp player-first design elements. 

We've been lucky enough to try out the game from its very humble beginnings, back when it was in its demo phase. As a result, the quality of the game is no surprise. Even before the official launch, the game caught our attention, so it's only fair that we share our experience with you. 

From Early Access to the studio's V1.0 launch, it's felt complete all the way throughout, but mind you, it's still open to future updates. Shape of Dreams' narrative isn't any showstopper, but it's still robust enough to warrant our love for it. As a traveler, you'll embark on a journey through dreamscapes, called the Rapids, a realm that exists between the world of dreams and reality. 

Your task is to take down the First Dreamer, a deity at its core. To achieve this, you will traverse a sequence of shining node points in every biome, defeat bosses, and adjust your repertoire of potent spells known as Memories. Eight unlockable characters in all evoke well-known RPG classes, such as melee-focused tanks, ranged DPS, and support buffs. 

Each hero has a selection of upgradeable stat buffs as meta progression in addition to the key spells associated with them. This is done through a constellation system that encourages experimentation and even lets you have multiple loadout saves. 

What's more surprising is the fluidity of the game's structure in how it prioritizes multiplayer while remaining, by and large, a single-player experience. For an indie dev, that's a fine line to balance, but the nuanced difficulty scale and flow in Shape of Dreams is such that each run feels fun regardless of the player count. 

At its heart, Shape of Dreams plays as a top-down action roguelike. You move through procedurally generated dreamscapes, fighting off waves of enemies while collecting Memories. The most striking aspect is how fluid the combat feels. Movement, dodging, and chaining abilities together all carry a smooth responsiveness that makes Shape of Dreams so dreamy. The loop is simple yet gripping. 

There are a lot of spell choices, especially in co-op. Choosing a hero and dressing in any of their cosmetics is the first step. Next, you will equip a pre-slotted identity, ultimate, and starter memory. While standard starter memories and long cooldown ultimates can be freely replaced with anything you find in the field, identity memories are your daily driver primary attacks, such as a simple projectile or melee swing. There's a lot to discover here in-game.

You will be amazed by every reward as a result of the impactful decisions made from the 115 memories at launch. Go all-in on close-quarters options and shield spells, or build towards a feisty glass cannon who avoids the front lines. Make a new, lower-level memory work better with your build by melting an already-upgraded one into dream dust. 

The game is a lot more fun because you can try new things as you progress. You can equip, switch, and mix memory remnants while you're running. When you add the Essence system, which lets you turn gems into powers, the variety is even more remarkable. You will feel like you have too many choices at every vendor and memory font. 

One run, you might be a nimble swordswoman, and the next, a mage who self-destructs to wipe entire screens of enemies. The system encourages you to take risks. The ability to switch up your build whenever you want effectively helps the slow early game feel that you get in other roguelikes, even when you're playing alone.

Each of the eight characters has a different rhythm: Mist, the swordfighter, is all about speed and shields; Vesper, the hammer-wielding giant, and ranged and support characters like Aurena and Bismuth bring more traditional playstyles into the mix. It isn't just about button-mashing—it's about timing and making the right builds.

Shape of Dreams sets up this sense of agency with a skillfully designed challenge at normal difficulty and higher. Later biomes and optional mutators make for screens packed with enemies and particle effects. Speaking of enemy variety, Hunters in Shape of Dreams adds another layer to the tension. Hunters basically follow players around the map, destroying rewards and corrupting nodes. 

Hunters can cut off paths, frighten away vendors, and take treasures, but they only change nodes after players do. They can even be temporarily defeated, but once their threat level increases, it becomes impossible. However, in most cases, there is almost no reason to run into them if you plan your maps carefully. 

Shape of Dreams also has multiple difficulty levels. There's normal mode, hard mode, and nightmare mode, and even some hidden bosses for people who want a real challenge. The combat system is quick and layered with decision-making. 

The main practical drawbacks of Shape of Dreams are related to the core genres it riffs on and the eventual disclosure of all its spells. After discounting the character-specific loadout memories, you’re left with approximately 75 spells and 76 essence gems. The fact that some gems significantly change memories in practice (adding triggers, modifiers, bonus attacks, and other imaginative effects) makes that number even more astounding. 

Combat feels tight and fluid. It rewards creativity. The only potential drawback is that with so many possible builds, some combinations can feel unbalanced. Some unlucky runs might leave you underpowered, forcing a slog through tougher areas. That's the double-edged sword of randomness, but it's your typical roguelike unpredictability. 

Progression happens in two layers. During a run, you collect Dream Dust and Memory remnants to upgrade abilities and keep building your arsenal. Beat a boss, and you're rewarded with their soul, which lets you supercharge one of your abilities for free. Outside of runs, Stardust fuels a meta-progression system, unlocking permanent upgrades, new starting skills, and stronger character stats. It's a satisfying balance of short-term adventure and long-term growth. 

Visually, Shape of Dreams embraces its surreal premise with "dreamlike" backdrops and shifting environments that feel caught between reality and fantasy. The animations are smooth, particularly in combat, where dodges, slashes, and spell effects pop with clarity. It isn't a hyper-realistic art style, but it works perfectly for the tone, although it can be a little eerie sometimes. 

The audio design ties the whole experience together. From the sharp clang of Mist's sword to the booming thud of Vesper's hammer, every hit has weight. The soundtrack leans into atmospheric tones during exploration and ramps up to adrenaline-pumping beats during boss battles. It's not a soundtrack that overshadows the gameplay, but one that complements it. 

Shape of Dreams succeeds because it doesn't just copy what other roguelikes have done. The ability to constantly rewrite your character mid-run makes experimentation the heart of the game. With good fighting and a progression system that makes you feel good about yourself, this roguelike is great even when it's still warm from the oven. There is always a fresh way to explore the dreamy yet scary world, whether you are playing alone or with pals in four-player co-op.