I always find comfort in not knowing where I am or what’s happening. Going into a game blind is always exciting as you can be genuinely surprised and occasionally impressed. The House Dreams Along With Them is one such game. I’m a sucker for a good puzzler, and I love existential horror. The two don’t always go hand-in-hand, but there’s something special here. After playing the demo, I’ve got high hopes for Jeffrey Nordin’s first-person puzzle adventure and so should you.
Blue Prince. The Witness. Games where you end up using a pen and paper highlight how impressive puzzle structures are. The difference with The House Dreams Along With Them is the eeriness of the house you find yourself in. An empty house in the middle of the woods. No idea what is happening there. Each room requires you to solve a puzzle in a dream. Lie down, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Once asleep, you’re required to solve a puzzle in order to bring you one step closer to the answers in the mysterious house.
Some of the puzzles are longer than others. One room might be easier to solve than the others. Regardless of the challenge, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the layers in each one. If you’re planning to play the demo, I would spoil them all. However, one of the puzzles saw me in a room filled with cardboard boxes, multiple lamps, a locked door, and a computer. I had to find a way out. I needed the code to get out. The House Dreams Along With Them is about exploring for a breadcrumb. It’s about finding that thread that needs to be pulled.
One of the boxes had a notebook with four numbers, each with either a plus or minus beside it. On the desk, next to the computer, there sat a stationary pot. In the pot were markers, scissors, pens, and pencils. Every time you find something of note, you’ll gain knowledge. Once you find an answer, you’ll have solved a deduction. It’s not always easy, but finding the answer is incredibly satisfying. Everything can be important, and when I worked out that the number of markers or pencils was also integral, well, you can colour me impressed.
Items can be picked up, interacted with, or thrown. Holding in the left shoulder button highlights interactable objects. There’s plenty to see and find. The House Dreams Along With Them gives you freedom. Freedom to explore and try out new things. Logic is your ally. Occam’s Razor. If the easiest solution seems the right one, it’s likely correct. In one room, I struggled to work out what to do. However, it was as simple as jumping from one spot to the next and once solved, I felt like I should have just gone with my gut.
The House Dreams Along With Them is a promising puzzler. The rooms have varied puzzles to solve that requires deep thinking and a keen eye. It’s satisfying trying to work out how to progress and work things out. While I certainly struggled with some areas, I often found the solution through persistence. The mystery of the house was also something I was keen to uncover more of. The demo left me feeling confident with what the full game might offer, and I’d encourage you to give it a go for yourself.
The House Dreams Along With Them is coming to PC via Steam in 2026.