A Dream of Silence: Acts 1 and 2

I'm not familiar with Baldur's Gate 3, but I know that people like Astarion and playing the game made me understand why.

After a grueling battle at the camp, the player character searches for Astarion who is trapped in a never-ending nightmare. He's trapped in a tomb and he's losing his mind. You can only manifest as an incorporeal being and have to spend your precious ten energy points to learn Speech, Touch, and Spell to reassure Astarion that he's not going mad and that there's someone who still needs him. You can only tell him so much to make him remember that he's not alone in this tomb. Astarion is starving and dying of loneliness, so every interaction you have with him is important. I realized I was enjoying this game when I saw him lose his guard and reveal his vulnerability to me. It confirms that not only did I manage my resources well but that I was able to connect with him as a person in need of companionship. The feedback loop feels rewarding and I feel closer to Astarion as a character.

I appreciate how much Corfman is able to express how much she thinks Astarion is a compelling character, but what I find particularly cool is that she's able to show how lovable this asshole character is to non-BG3 players like me. It made me even more interested in the game (if only it weren't so expensive and data hog) because I really like characters like that.

Unfortunately, it was a shame that the game ended early. What we have so far is an early access game that shows the first act. I wanted to read and learn more about Astarion. He's the kind of character whose moody temperament is intoxicating and I can't imagine the volume of interactions one could have in future acts. I trust Corfman to flesh out the mechanics and put him and the player in interesting situations that challenge how I've handled resource management and his trust.

I didn't expect to like A Dream of Silence as much as I did. I was not the "right audience", but I think Corfman's approach to the character worked well with me. Her prose invited me into the world of Baldur's Gate 3 in a way that few reviews can because she focuses on a specific character she adores and is able to express what she finds so fascinating about him. It is a passionate and infectious love letter to the character and I can't wait to see the full version one day -- maybe after I finally get to Baldur's Gate 3.

This is a fangame for Baldur's Gate 3, the video game. It is fairly approachable, with detailed yet not overwhelming synopsis provided.

This is an incomplete game. There are 3 acts, with currently only Act 1 and Act 2 finished. What you are able to play is good; the mechanics and story elements are introduced, and you can interact with the plot and characters quite a bit, but if you play are expecting a full story, you will be disappointed.

This is also a very polished Twine game. It has a fully functional save menu, achievements/feats list, energy health bar, and sound effects. The writing is nicely manicured and the gameplay is free of bugs. Aesthetically well designed, the colors and backgrounds are elegantly black and gold.

Your perspective is also interesting. It's an escape the room, but instead of the prisoner, you are a disembodied ghost. You're trying to rescue the (depressed, uncooperative) prisoner, and how to escape is immediately obvious logically, but you're also hampered by your incorporeality. The game reminds you that this is all optional, and the general atmosphere is relaxed, which is very encouraging for trying again when you inevitably fail on the normal mode.

Though it's easy to fail, it's a short game, and it allows you to skip the intro section to jump right back into making choices. The general sense of not inconveniencing the player is quite high.

There are also a lot of hidden dialogues and choices: lots of replayability if you choose to focus on different skills, with at least three different levels of variation to the text for each skill, a detailed area to explore, and dialogue variation. It's a game that feels worthwhile to keep exploring, that has a lot of engaging clicking as well.

More characters are introduced in Act 2. There is a very 'Abigail Corfman' type character, an amoral monster who will smile and tell you exactly what how they're going to kill you, and even give you helpful advice on how to survive.

Honestly, I'd playing it again just for dark mode and sound effects. It's very smooth.

I'm giving this game a lower rating for now as it is unfinished.

This is a fangame for Baldur's Gate III with a very lovely UI. In it, a nightmare has plagued you and all your companions, and a horrible creature tries to feast on you.

One of your companions, Astarion, doesn't fare as well as the others, and your are plunged deep into his mindscape.

The game has two major goals: interacting with Astarion (who is much like a grumpy/shy cat) and building up your 3 major attributes: touch, speech, and sight.

There are several obvious goals in the game (like opening a door), and I was working towards those goals but kept dying (every day Astarion loses more health). I didn't realize until later that (Spoiler - click to show)interacting with Astarion makes him lose health more slowly. I had only just started making real progress when the game ended before I had reached any of those goals. I had thought the three 'acts' that have been laid out would all be in different areas, but I guess that at least two of them take place in the same room.

Overall, the mechanics were neat, and took a while for me to Understand. Astarion is pretty moody, but his terseness really does make sense when the goal of the game is to level up both his trust and your ability to converse.

Very fun overall.