The Sandman

Note: This review was written during Spring Thing 2025, and originally posted in the intfiction forum on 24 April 2025.

"The world is ending. Will you be awake to see it?"

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play this. Things are bleak enough in the real world in many respects right now! But it’s called me in, so here goes.

First up I turned the sound off. it’s very atmospheric and brooding, but distracted me too much from reading the text. which is my core focus.

In the game you’re one of the last survivors of a virus, seeking sanctuary with your two children. And above all to survive you have to stay awake, and keep your children awake too. And then you meet the mysterious man.

It’s an episodic day by day adventure, where if you can keep going you can play for longer. I got to (Spoiler - click to show)day 11, and then had no viable option but to (Spoiler - click to show)go to sleep. But at least it felt like a satisfying ending.

However it’s a difficult game emotionally. And a lot of the more interesting discussions are uncovered by talking to the old man, which increases the risk of your children dying. Which left me really not knowing what to feel for much of the time.

Helplessness I suppose. It did not leave me in a happy place emotionally! Though that’s thanks to the quality and emotiveness of the writing. I did hang on at one point to the core idea and importance of (Spoiler - click to show)love though.

It’s definitely a game that deserves replaying, though like me you may get to the point where you can’t get further. I liked how it invited you to name your character and your children. And also how this was remembered when you replayed, if you wanted, so you didn’t need to reenter the details every time.

But it is extremely bleak, and will be too much for some players.