Don't Wake Me Up

Don't Wake Me Up is a story-driven adventure simulation game where players are trapped in virtual reality. To return to the real world, they'll embark on a perilous journey, encountering diverse characters and venturing through virtual worlds together. After enduring numerous trials and tribulations, will they finally be able to return to reality? The game incorporates numerous pop culture elements, and every choice made by the player profoundly impacts the subsequent plot, creating a stronger sense of immersion.

Story:

You’re trapped in a malfunctioning virtual reality with no memories. No memories, except of every video game you’ve ever played. Jack into a wild night in a virtual world you’ll never remember.

Armed with puns, pop culture, and a sharp dose of sarcasm, can you muddle your way through levels of satirical video game pastiches, back to reality?

Adventure through virtual worlds alongside a delusional gamer, an actual emo vampire (who really wishes he wasn’t an emo vampire), a poet from outer space, and a dashing princess in shining armor, among others! And perhaps, just perhaps, learn a bit too much about the kind of person you are when the real world isn’t watching.

A satire of the trapped-in-a-video-game genre, and a tragicomedy on the theme of dating sims.

"Don’t Wake Me Up" is a 400,000-word interactive novel about love in video games, where your choices control the story. Entirely text-based, and driven by your imagination. It is written by Baudelaire Welch, a professional game screenwriter currently working as a companion character designer for RPGs.

Features:

Play as nonbinary, male, female, straight or queer.

Travel through 6 worlds inspired by different video game genres

Wield a weaponised top hat

Rack your brains in a spaceship escape level inspired by old-school adventure games

Compete in a classical music-themed monster truck rally

Lose yourself in a cyberpunk casino

Date the Ultimate Video Game Fanservice Vampire

Or, date the Ultimate Video Game ‘Best Girl’ Waifu

A period piece honed in early 2010s internet cringe

Bifurcates entirely halfway through the game based on your love interest.

Reviews:

As others have said, this story breaks the conventions set with other Hosted Games and Choice of Games titles. No matter any of your other decisions, the game ends early and you can only reach bad endings if you choose one of the two love interests- While I understand the narrative decisions for this, it really ends up going against the "be your own protagonist" style of other games in this vein, and for this reason I can't recommend this for someone looking for a read like other titles marketed similarly like the Wayhaven Chronicles. I do still think it is an interesting story with good writing but I think there shouldn't even be a choice between love interests if one of them is clearly intended by the author to be the "wrong" one.

I've read so many of these IFs, this one hit very close for personal reasons. Maybe it's not for you reading this, or maybe it is. All I now is this story was very hard hitting, but of course fun. I think I relate to the author in many ways, more than I think. Anyways, my mental stuff aside -Wonderful read. Great fun. Give it a go, support the author. Enjoy the story, the characters. The experience.I know this one will stick with me for a long time.

 Tremendous spirit as a game production.The kind of communal callbacks in every conceivable encounter (where it is relevant, I suppose) posed throughout the game, but not without the merit of some inherently uplifting philosophy, that lets you know this game was produced by someone with a sincere gratitude for the company provided in gaming, and games in general; wherein, most cases, being within reach of the term 'isolated' or just nominally without the kinds of friends we imagine most young people have; ought to have; or that are desperately wished for in the midst of a disillusioned adult-hood; "Don't Wake Me Up" immerses you in a flood of unearned nostalgia just as much is earned and established in the early heyday of lonelier, more youthful years.Obviously, some references will fly by the player, but those who know will know. This game screams comfort, even though it really perhaps does not intend such. Loved every inch and scale; demo and final product.Very proud to have interacted with the narrative and characters. Bravo.