DaRmaZat A stolen plushie. A glowing portal. A girl in pink pajamas with more energy and sass than you’d expect at bedtime. That’s how Onirism begins.
A Massive Adventure Beyond Bedtime
Carol is pulled from her sleep when a shadowy phantom steals her beloved stuffed bunny, Bunbun. She wastes no time diving through a spiraling vortex into Crearia — a fantastical, dreamlike dimension that feels part Alice in Wonderland, part Saturday morning cartoon. With her pink umbrella in hand, she floats Mary Poppins–style into a landscape of towering mushrooms, enchanted forests, and strange phantoms. This might look like a bedtime story, but don’t be fooled: Onirism wastes no time showing it’s an action-packed adventure.
Onirism‘s scope is anything but small. Ten chapters wait to be explored, packed with secrets, puzzles, and bizarre creatures. Alongside over twenty boss fights in the full release, Onirism also keeps traversal fresh with a growing lineup of vehicles — from planes and hovercrafts to full-blown mechs. You’ll platform through candy-colored woods, climb pyramids, and even blast enemies on a mysterious moon base. The worlds themselves also brim with discovery. Warp portals act as shortcuts and checkpoints, treasure chests hide rewarding loot, and hidden paths tempt you off the beaten track. Between swaying flowers, waterfalls, and flittering butterflies, Crearia is built to feel alive — a wonderland that never stops rewarding curiosity.
The game’s Story Mode can be played solo or in co-op, while Arcade Mode focuses on quick challenges. Beyond the solo campaign, Onirism also offers both local and online multiplayer. So if that’s what you’re after, you can team up to take down bosses — or just blast each other to bits. Want a twist? An experimental mode even flips the game from third-person into full first-person shooter perspective.
Combat That’s Whimsical and Fierce
Carol may look sweet, but she packs a surprising punch — literally. Her combat style is far from static: she can slide and dodge with stamina-based movement, throw punches in a pinch, and fire off gadgets with satisfying accuracy. Her starter weapons include a pink umbrella and a laser hairdryer (yes, really), which doubles as a rechargeable blaster for mowing down blue phantoms. Soon, the arsenal expands with stranger toys: a Blunderbuss that fires poofy projectiles, a Hydra Gun that sprays enemies with soapy water, and fruit bombs for flashy AoE attacks.
Ammo is limited on the stronger weapons, while the default laser hairdryer quickly recharges, keeping the flow snappy. Up to two gadgets can be equipped at once, each with cooldowns that double as combat tricks and progression tools. Enemies aren’t pushovers either — some charge in kamikaze-style with explosives on their heads, while others attack the moment you’re spotted. Quick reflexes are essential, especially when twenty or more rush you at once. Currently, the game offers five difficulty modes with a Nightmare mode waiting to be unlocked, proving Onirism doesn’t just trade in whimsy — it’s genuinely challenging.
Your progress is tied to save stations and warp portals scattered through levels. Die, and you’ll replay a section — but at least your weapon loadout remains intact. A simple map helps track your location and save points, though don’t expect detailed layouts. The game also encourages experimentation and backtracking, since certain items are required to unlock progress.
Technical Hiccups in Dreamland
Onirism‘s presentation matches the whimsy. Hand-drawn cutscenes sketch Carol’s adventure with flair, while her bubbly personality keeps everything light. She giggles after a win or blurts out “No I’m not sorry!” after apologizing mid-battle. Voice acting includes a mix of French (all accompanied by English subtitles, though) and English lines, featuring talent like K-pop star AleXa, Anna Lauzeray-Gishi, Bob Lennon, and more. Not all sound effects land — the jump noises in particular feel cheap — but overall the audio design still supports the chaotic dream vibe, shifting between upbeat, danceable tunes and fairy-tale themes, making Crearia a place that feels good just to inhabit.
Despite its charm, Onirism still isn’t flawless. During my playthrough, I noticed some visual bugs. Stacked crates float if the bottom one is destroyed, Carol’s legs occasionally vanish when walking over stairs, and keyboard layouts (like AZERTY) aren’t fully recognized. The default aim/look sensitivity for controllers is also set absurdly high — only after manually lowering both sliders to 0.1, it did feel playable.
Performance, on the other hand, has improved significantly since earlier builds. Thanks to Unity engine updates, major framerate issues from previous builds have been resolved. By default, heavier settings like global illumination and real-time reflections are turned off, but stronger rigs can push visuals further without taking too much of an FPS hit.
Preliminary Thoughts
Onirism is a vibrant, challenging, and charming action-platformer that thrives on blending whimsy with intensity. From blasting with hairdryers to dodging swarms of dream-monsters, it’s a surreal ride that rarely takes itself seriously but always keeps you on your toes. With polish on its technical rough edges, Onirism’s full release, after spending more than six years in Early Access, could transform it from a cult favorite into a breakout success.
Additional Information
Release Date: Oct 2, 2025
Reviewed On: PC. Download code provided by the publisher and PR agency.
Developer: Crimson Tales
Publisher: Shoreline Games
Website: Onirism
Relevant links: Onirism on Steam
