Awakening Remastered: The Dreamless Castle > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

68 of 87 found this review helpful

AWAKEN HOPA FANS!

PostedAugust 5, 2022

pennmom36

fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki

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Skill Level:Expert

Current Favorite:

The Tiny Bang Story

(175)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Completed Original Awakening Series & Remastered Version
33 Main Game Scene Locations +7 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced

If you are an Awakening fan I strongly suggest opting for the CE version which added Morphing Fairy Collectibles, Goblin Cards that unlock Goblinjong levels, a Strategy Guide, and a Bonus Chapter! Both versions have modernized the graphics and features including a Journal where all the clues are entered! Nothing about this game is cookie-cutter, nothing was removed and everything was improved so what could be better?

The Dreamless Castle was originally released on February 13, 2010, and it received a 4.6 average star rating with 96 Five Star reviews! The original game was never offered as a Collector's Edition, yet a simple Standard version still received 143/161 reviewers recommending this game. The original release made you think and had such an interesting storyline that you couldn't wait for the next game to continue the saga of the Human without Magic who awakened from a Dreamless sleep. The Awakening series was fantastic in 2010, and is even better in 2022!

We all need to keep in mind that HOPA games are costly to make, far more costly than casual games, and there is very little profit to be made. Because there is such a small profit margin on HOPA games, developers from yesteryear either threw in the towel or switched to the mobile market.
Some devs, such as BoomZap, re-entered the market with simple Hidden Object Games that weren't as costly to produce. When devs don't bother to introduce new features and the gameplay is pathetic, that's a different ballgame, but when a dev goes above & beyond to remaster a game that wasn't compatible on newer machines so everyone can enjoy the series again, that is something to be extremely grateful for!

GRAPHICS/AUDIO:
The graphics were amazing then and they are superiorly stunning now! The crystal clear graphics combined with a soothing array of audio soundtracks work together seamlessly to set the pace for this fantasy-themed adventure. It's the kind of game that makes you feel as if you are the Princess awakening from a Dreamless sleep feeling a bit confused and slightly disoriented, versus simply moving a character from scene to scene in a third-person "just watching" kind of scenario...the first sign that a developer did their job well by immersing the player into the game.

GADGETS/HELPERS:
Although you will have several Dwarves and Goblins that help you throughout the adventure, there are no "Helpers" There are no "Gadgets" either, however, there is a good old-fashioned Journal located on the bottom right. All important clues are automatically added to the journal and when a relevant clue is needed to solve a task or puzzle, you can open the journal and "Pin" the page as well as drag the page wherever you want to move it! I really miss the Journal that used to be a given in the older games, the less hand-holding the better!

COLLECTIBLES/MORPHING OBJECTS: (CE version)
I absolutely love the Morphing Fairies! The fairies are not only beautiful, they blend into the scenery just enough to make them challenging to spot. Not only do the fairies Morph at a perfect pace, but they also morph between a dragonfly or something similar so they never stick out like a sore thumb in either form!

There are Collectible Goblin Cards in every scene as well. The cards are used to unlock 24 multi-leveled Goblinjong mini-games. Goblinjong is basically a Goblin-themed Mahjong Game with the goal of uncovering and matching the two Key Cards or tiles. Each scene has 2 Morphing Fairies and 2 Goblin Cards and a Collectibles Crown Tab on the bottom left to keep track of the scene's collectibles

HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES:
Hidden Object Scenes are scant in this game but when they do roll around you will be pleasantly surprised with the unique styles. Some of the tasks require a little bit of thought, some items are only partially visible, some require an interaction or two, and several items are just plain ole blended into the scenery brilliantly! Even the HO scenes have at least one puzzle you'll have to solve in order to progress but the HO puzzles are usually pretty simplistic, such as rotating squares or swapping tiles to complete the image.

MINI-GAMES:
This game will definitely delight puzzle geeks, but they are all doable and I didn't find any of them to be frustrating. Although there are a ton of puzzles, most of them are really tasks versus a mini-game, such as posing ballerinas to open the box, or recreating pictures, designs, or sequences to open doors. They were designed like this in all older games back in the day...nowadays we don't have to solve tasks logically, they just slap up a sticky note with the code to a safe or combination, no brain required!!

BONUS CHAPTER: (CE version)
The original Awakening: The Dreamless Castle was only offered as a Standard Edition version so Awakening fans should be delighted to finally get a new Bonus Chapter story after all these years. This is an average-length chapter that takes place over 7 additional scene locations with 12 mini-games, 6 Hidden Object Scenes, and 4 puzzles within the HO scenes. Those amazing collectibles continue with 2 Morphing Fairies and 2 Goblin Cards per scene (14 Fairies & 14 Goblin Cards)

COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRA'S:
12 Wallpapers, 21 Dev Journal pictures (concept art), 24 multi-leveled Goblinjong Games, 22 Achievements, 66 Morphing Fairies, 66 Goblin Card Collectibles, 4 Main Chapters, Bonus Chapter, and a built-in Strategy Guide.

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I recommend this game!

+49points

68of 87voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

30 of 40 found this review helpful

It's A Great Remaster

PostedAugust 5, 2022

HeavenBound7729

fromOcala, Florida

Key Contributor
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Skill Level:Expert

Current Favorite:

Nick Chase: A Detective Story ™

(22)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I love Boomzap and I love this game! It is even more beautiful this time around with improved graphics and color, better features, everything is stellar. I own the entire series and every game is special with its beautiful characters and on-going story! There's nothing about The Dreamless Castle to dislike, imo.

In 2010 it was my first game that wasn't a Match 3 and it got me hooked on HOPAs. ...Show more

In 2010 it was my first game that wasn't a Match 3 and it got me hooked on HOPAs. If more games were of this high quality we'd see gold stars all over the place. The original game was an SE and it was a fantastic hit. I bought the remaster for the upgrades and also because I always prefer CEs for the strategy guide and the bonus chapter.

There aren't many HOPs in the game but if you love puzzles this is a dream come true. They are fun, fun. This lovely game will bring your brain cells out of their cookie-cutter coma! If you go for the SE, you absolutely will have no regrets. Everyone gets their money's worth with this one! Show less

I recommend this game!

+20points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

11 of 15 found this review helpful

Wonderful game!

PostedAugust 6, 2022

Howatch

fromCoarsegold, CA

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Match 3, Time Management

Current Favorite:

Nancy Drew: Secret of Shadow Ranch

(69)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I played the original Awakening: The Dreamless Castle game when it was first released years ago and have played it a couple of times since then. This is a beautiful game, one that is utterly charming, and I am thrilled to see it in its remastered iteration. For those who enjoy gentle puzzling without having their hand held every step of the way, this will prove to be a dream come true. I am so happy to see a Boomzap HOPA released again, and am so hopeful that this will just be the first of many more to come. If you want to see a resurgence of HOPAs that are like the great beauties of yesteryear (and this being one of them), please purchase this game. I am loving every minute of it. Happy gaming! :-) Show less

I recommend this game!

+7points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

7 of 9 found this review helpful

Worth The Remaster

PostedAugust 12, 2022

timothya

fromSandpoint, Idaho

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

What a beautiful game to remaster! The original was the premier of the Awakened series of some twelve years ago. We play as Princess Sofia, who has awakened and must exit her castle. Simple, right? Only who she is and what she means to the various inhabitants of this fantasy world must be discovered first, and it turns out that's no simple matter at all. We have goblins, for example. Lots of them, ...Show more

Pros: Gorgeous graphics, my gracious the art was lovely, detailed and colorful interiors, each scene unique and not blending into the others. Great game length, chock-full of mini-games and HO scenes, dialogue printed but honestly, it doesn't lose a thing for all that. The mini-games integrate well into the game flow and it doesn't seem as if they're forced on us, (in spite of the fact that the goblins are doing exactly that). Player POV has found that sweet spot where we are comfortable playing as Sofia even if we're grumpy old guys; I loved it. At several points I backtracked through the various scenes finding the collectibles but in fact just to revisit the beautiful art.

Cons: Slow start, when we wonder if this is just another silly Magical Princess game intended for the very young. That phase doesn't last very long, though, maybe two scenes, enough time for a tutorial, and then we're into the good stuff.

Bonus Game: Sofia has escaped the castle at last, only to find that Magical Princesses who aren't actually magical have a credibility problem amongst goblins and faeries quite accustomed to magic. So, off to the surrounding area to prove herself once more. No mini-game or HO replays as CE bonuses, alas.

Overall, a rich, lengthy, puzzle-filled game that never once lost my fascination. I didn't play the original but this remastering is a wonderful reminder of what the genre used to be and perhaps - fingers crossed - can be again. Immersive world, great length, plenty of mini-games, more of this, please! Show less

I recommend this game!

+5points

7of 9voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

2 / 5

2 of 4 found this review helpful

Im stuck

PostedOctober 2, 2022

BTolrud

Some objects are very hard to find within regular game play. The spear is in the dining hall near the ceiling. I don't know what do with the bird seed? I'm trying to place it on the window sill with the bird, but it doesn't work. There's a hanger on the other window, but what do I hang?

I don't recommend this game.

0points

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Overall rating

2 / 5

3 of 7 found this review helpful

stuck on first bit

PostedAugust 25, 2022

Sandyinuk

fromUnited Kingdom

Skill Level:Intermediate

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Storyline

1 / 5

I have just got this game and I can not go any further then the bedroom and outside, there is nothing left far as can see to collect or to do, says take the letter to someone waiting near the pond! how! Can not even find a pond. What a waste money

I don't recommend this game.

-1point

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Overall rating

2 / 5

Stuck!

PostedJune 24, 2024

Yanie1020

fromIowa, USA

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Strategy

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

1 / 5

Can't go any further. There's no axe for the last armored soldier. Stuck after having a good time with the first part of the game. Very frustrating!

I don't recommend this game.

0points

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Overall rating

1 / 5

7 of 15 found this review helpful

GLITCH

PostedAugust 15, 2022

Misty_eyed1

fromMedicine Hat, AB Canada

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Match 3

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

NON CE.
No spear for Goblin in Great Hall so "thou shalt go no further"

I don't recommend this game.

-1point

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