Horror games flood the market every year. Some push boundaries, others… reuse the same tired formula in hopes of a quick payout. Every once in a while, though, something genuinely different slips through the cracks. SLEEP AWAKE is one of the most unique horror experiences I’ve played in quite some time, an unexpected blend of emotional storytelling, surreal visuals, and industrial audio design that refuses to fit neatly into any box.
Gameplay and story
On the gameplay front, SLEEP AWAKE isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, and that’s fine. At its core, it’s a straightforward survival-horror loop with light puzzle-solving and short bursts of stealth. Serviceable, familiar, and functional.
Where the game truly shines is in its story.
You play as a survivor in a collapsing society haunted by a malevolent force known as the Hush, an entity that steals people in their sleep. Your character confronts trauma tied to the Hush head-on, and the narrative swings between touching, heartbreaking, and downright surreal. The entire journey feels like living through a psychedelic nightmare blended with a music video—bright visuals, warped perspectives, and emotional gut punches wrapped in a creative presentation that’s hard to forget.
I found myself grinning through entire sequences, not because they were lighthearted, but because the game was incredibly unique and enjoyable. It’s one of those stories that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Graphics and audio
SLEEP AWAKE’s audiovisual design is the star of the show. The visuals lean hard into psychedelic chaos, bending reality in ways that amplify both the emotional beats and the dreamlike terror. It’s weird, striking, and hypnotic.
The audio absolutely seals the package. The game being made by EYES OUT, Robin Finck surely knew what he was doing with this soundtrack. The soundtrack hits with industrial energy, atmospheric tension, and beautifully eerie distortion. The music and sound design create such a compelling mood that I genuinely couldn’t put the game down. It’s rare for a horror game to feel this musically driven, and SLEEP AWAKE uses that edge to full effect.
Feedback
If I had one critique, it’s that SLEEP AWAKE isn’t quite as scary as it could be. There are flashes—moments where the horror is sharp, immediate, and effective—but much of the experience leans more into psychedelic strangeness than traditional fear. The surreal tone works beautifully for the story, but it sometimes softens the tension when the game feels like it should be aiming for outright terror.
A little more true horror sprinkled throughout would’ve pushed this game from “unique” to “unforgettable.”
Final Verdict
SLEEP AWAKE is a refreshing standout in a genre oversaturated with copy-paste gimmicks. Its gameplay is solid but standard; its story, visuals, and soundtrack are where it truly shines. While it could benefit from a heavier dose of pure horror, the emotional narrative and the industrial-psychedelic presentation make this an experience absolutely worth playing.
If you want a horror game that dares to be weird, heartfelt, and visually hypnotic, SLEEP AWAKE is one of the boldest titles you can pick up this year.
Curious about play time? Here’s how long it’ll take you to finish SLEEP AWAKE.
