It's manic and babbling, full of sudden scares, serene vistas, silly little guys, and ominous poetry. It's dream-logic at its finest with an elaborate and cleverly implemented system of hidden values and un-communicated mechanics keeping players from deciphering any patterns unless they dive in full force.

The game does have a rhythm based on what you encounter and what colors flash on screen, if it's on odd or even numbered day...only look into it if you're hunting for something specific or have already gone in quite a bit blind. But this game definitely capitalizes on the unique limitations of the PSX to make an experience that's timeless. There's a reason people fixate on it to such an extent.

One of my Resolutions for 2023 was to play LSD Dream Emulator per day, considering that the game takes place in a span of 365 days.

While I wasn't able to play through the game every day due to being busy, procrastinating, and more; I finally made up for it by reaching the end of the game and exploring the many dreams I was able to experience. This was one of the draining Resolutions of Last Year because I take advantage of logging my games with notes, and LSD is a great example of me going overboard noting the many changes on this chart that change each day you play into the game. Either being highlighted at a new or old spot and describing either an FMV or text-based dialogue. Some of the days would last either within 4-5 minutes, and would often last to the maximum of 10 minutes -- the longest time you can spend via a dream per day.

To describe my experience, it was a strange journey as I kept playing. What's unique about LSD is that it's different for every player due to how we explore many areas but with the slightest tweaks, and the chart being an indicator of the many dreams we'll explore in terms of its balancing. As I kept playing, I found my playthrough of LSD to slowly turn horrific due to how I was curious about the darker aspects of these dreams and why are we experiencing them -- only to be swayed off by disbelief of how it's about a person's Dream Journal adapted into a video game leading so many questions.

Despite not being able to finish it last year, I at least made up for it by finishing LSD Dream Emulator and seeing the end of it (which felt redeeming).

Photo compilation of my journey through LSD Dream Emulator, along with the chart that progressed until Day 365.

I honestly don't remember which taught me about video games as an art form first, LSD: Dream Emulator or Shadow of The Colossus... But anyway, I'll always appreciate this game for that, even if I didn't quite understand it at first (I remember a childhood friend in primary school talking about this game and I thought it was dumb hippie stuff, lol).

Coincidentally, I've just played a few dream logic games before this, and they didn't quite grab me. I think what LSD excels at is creating those dynamic unique moments, be it scary, bizarre, or beautiful. I guess those previous game felt a lot more linear... like there's a trail to follow, but at least to me, that's not really how it works in dreams. I mean, just a few days ago I had a dream where I was in Asgard(?), a golden city full of people, then the dream turned into a horror scene where I was being chased by a dark figure in a tunnel, which that figure turned out to be Orlando Bloom in a monster(?) suit. After, I remember an image of a car getting out of control, and I woke up hysterically laughing from that image. Pure nonsense, just like this game. Perfect.

Every one in a while I boot up this game just for a bit of nostalgia for the early youtube let's play circa 2008-2009 about this game. Played it myself back then and even if there isn't much to do, just running around and finding the cool hidden stuff brings me way back. It's always funny showing this game to friends and they start looking at you weird when you start explaining there is a world map and all the area are interconnected so you can freely explore every zone in the game.

It's fascinating how this silly game can bring so much joy to me for no reasons other than I associates a lot of random events in the game with childhood memories

I think my problem with LSD Dream Emulator is that it feels too much like a novel attack on the senses, with a heavy emphasis on psychedelia. That's the impression its music gave me anyway, along with a plentiful array of sound effects and the loudest footsteps imaginable. The irrationality of the subconscious is there and I appreciate that it functions as a dream would; with bumping into objects having a transportive effect and falls ending the cycle. Not to mention the dream chart, which classifies your dream placement, still remains cryptic to this day. But what connection these experiences have to a conscious mind can only be understood by its creator, or the dream diary's I should say. I don't know about you, but when I'm in a dream, it feels real to me in the moment and tends to involve people I know, as well as situations I'm consciously aware of or desire. I don't think there's much to piece together here, it's more of an atmospheric art gallery and a repetitive one at that. In other words, just watch ENA - Temptation Stairway.

Trippy novelty game that is more like an art experience than an actual game.
It somehow manages to evoke emotion out of you sometimes. For example, the dark street section always felt eerie to me and I was expecting to get jumpscared or run into something horrific everytime I found myself there. Another time I got freaked out was when I entered some kind of room with a strange device in the middle that was INCREDIBLY SIMILAR TO SOMETHING I ACTUALLY HAD A DREAM ABOUT.
I think it's a bit silly that the game expects you to play it everyday but eh, it's whatevz.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone just for the novelty of it, it's a neat experience.

We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;—
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.