This review contains spoilers!
Gameplay - 3/5: Serviceable
The game consists mostly of dialogue and puzzle solving, and has a nice assortment of generally straightforward puzzles. This is helpful because some of the instructions are a little strange, and sometimes the way to solve something... well, it takes on a very dream-like logic. It's also very easy to die in this game, and on some level maybe recommended as a quick way to reset puzzles. I will say that I like that the game gives you explanations on a lot of the puzzles beforehand, though for some of the longer ones it might be more helpful to have it somewhere the player could come back to, like a sign or even the little moon moth giving you hints if you ask for them.
I think for the larger puzzle areas, more places to save or more spaced out puzzles might make those sections easier as well. I came across one section that had two or three puzzles before you could save, but the first one took me a while to figure out. While messing up on the third one, it reloaded me at the start of the level and meant I had to redo all of the puzzles all over again. This can cut a lot of the momentum of the story for the player, or even lead to frustration when you have to repeat puzzles and cutscenes. Dying easily isn't a bad mechanic, and I think this game uses it in interesting ways, but I think in the future probably it's better to be cautious about when and how you use it. Another solution could be to use an autosave system, so players are reloaded to the start of the puzzle they failed rather than to the beginning of the section.
Presentation - 4/5: Good!
This game has a very strong style, with it's purple custom assets, it's almost Shakespeare-like language, and heavy use of guitars in the music. It has a very unique vibe!
I will say though that this game uses one soundtrack for the majority of it's scenes. It's not a bad song, but it's a little upbeat for the puzzle sections. Maybe switching to something a little calmer or more neutral might fit better for these sections?
Creativity - 5/5: Great!
The art design in very unique, kind of surrealist and dreamlike... fitting for this game, and very imaginative! I was actually disappointed I wasn't able to play further and see more of the art and story actually.
Horror - 3/5: Serviceable
(Rating this since this game is in a horror jam as well, will leave a similar rating there as here.)
As far as I got into this game, it has an interesting design and concept but I didn't really hit on too many horror elements, story-wise. The game does have a macabre feel, and definitely I think the backgrounds and art really help to sell a creepy, otherworldliness. However, (and it could be because I didn't get too far into the game) but the flowery language and guitar music made the game seem artful and intentional, but not necessarily horror. To be fair, a lot of it could just be the music - anything too upbeat tends to take me out of that "horror" feeling in general.
Story - 3/5: Serviceable
I'll repeat, I didn't get too far in the game so I obviously don't have a great grasp of the story. I think the use of Shakespearean language is cool, though it takes some getting used to. As of yet I'm still not sure what it's place is in this story, or if it's just a trait of this particular world. Traveling through the dreams of others in order to hypnotize them is also an interesting detail, though with how long it takes to traverse the dream of the first jailer I'm not sure how often you'd be able to use that ability in this game. I will admit though that I got really stuck on one puzzle, so the length could just be me.
Overall:
Like I mentioned, I wasn't really able to get past the third section of the first dream. For some reason, I could just never get past the puzzle where you have to move the balls around. That said, this does seem like an interesting game with a lot of thought and love put into it. I'm hoping to come back to it when I have time and try to finish it, and possibly I'll update my review when that happens.