Dream Spectra is a surreal horror/romance visual novel developed in Ren’Py. It utilises 90s 3D aesthetics to create nightmarish dreamscapes with point ‘n’ click gameplay.

I developed Dream Spectra as a personal project, after creating CANIDAE as my first visual novel. I felt I could grow my Ren’py knowledge considerably and continue working on my narrative design skills.

I was heavily inspired by 3D renders using the software ‘Bryce3D’, and utilised it to create surreal worlds for the player to explore. Balancing the nightmare of the dream worlds with the cheesy romance of the waking one became the core contrast of the game, and it was compelling to try and balance them.

Technologies used:

• Ren’Py – Game Engine
• Python – Scripting Language
• Adobe Photoshop – UI, Backgrounds
• FLStudio – DAW
• Git – Version Control

I worked with a few artists to create the sprites, alongside the logo and some unique art in game. Otherwise, all the UI and background art was done by me.

I learned a lot about Python and Ren’Py during the process, and I now feel confident I could implement almost anything a narrative game could want in the engine. I also feel like a much more developed writer, as Dream Spectra is a much longer and more complex project than CANIDAE was.

I also gained experience in the commercial games sphere, showcasing the project in person at Brilliant Indie Treasures and going through the Steam process.