Mimpi Dreams is a charming puzzle platformer for everyone

Mimpi Dreams ($2.99) by Silicon Jelly s.r.o. is the follow-up to the original Mimpi game that was released back in 2013. There were also some spinoff games with Mimpi, such as Mimpi Hidden Objects and Mimpi Volleyball. If you love dogs and want a casual puzzle adventure, then Mimpi Dreams is one you will want to add to your growing Mimpi game collection.

Personally, I’m a big animal fan — I love cats, dogs, birds, pigs, and anything else you can consider a pet, as well as wildlife. Animals are great, especially dogs, as I’ve learned while spending a lot of time with my sister’s dogs in the past several months. They’re cute and fun to play with, and when you combine dogs with puzzles and platforming, it’s pretty much all of my loves coming together for something amazing. That’s Mimpi Dreams in a nutshell, and it is well worth checking out if you like dogs and puzzle platformers.

Visually, Mimpi Dreams is beautiful, just like the previous Mimpi games. The game has a flat aesthetic that has been made popular ever since the release of iOS 7, but the graphics are still fairly detailed for what it’s worth. The colors in the game are gorgeous, as the developers chose to go with soft pastels, hazy and melding gradients, and other bright and rich tones. All of the character models are rendered well, with bouncy animations that are bursting with personality. Overall, the animations are smooth and fluid, and the game’s soothing ambient soundtrack is a delight to listen to, so I recommend getting a pair of earbuds for the most immersive experience. Even though this is not coming from Crescent Moon Games like the other titles, Mimpi Dreams is a nice visual and audible package.

At the moment, Mimpi Dreams features five different worlds that Mimpi the dog can explore, all of which are part of his doggy dreams. These areas include a forest, a tesla landscape, seaside, and even fairytale and medieval castles. In each world, Mimpi will discover new friends and must help them as they are in trouble. Because you know, dogs dream of being heroes, after all. In order to help his friends, Mimpi needs your help to solve tricky little puzzles as he explores each area in search of his dog bed at the end. But don’t worry about the puzzles being too difficult, as the game was designed to be a casual one, so that anyone can pick it up and finish the game eventually.

Controls in Mimpi Dreams are simple and straightforward. In the bottom left will be buttons for having Mimpi move left and right. In the bottom right will be a button that allows Mimpi to jump — but since he is a dog, don’t expect him to jump very high. You will come across objects and other creatures that you can interact with through gestures like taps and swipes, and some switches and levers can be spun or pulled with your finger. Even if you get stuck, the game will subtly point out things that you can interact with (and are necessary to solve the puzzles), so the guidance is nice to have. If you have a MFi controller, then you can also use that to play the game as well.

Since the main goal of the game is to get Mimpi to his dog bed at the end of a stage, while helping friends along the way, the game is pretty straightforward. But if you want an extra challenge, there are bones scattered around every stage, and you can collect them all if you are a perfectionist. Sometimes getting to all of the bones is a puzzle in itself, so there is some thinking involved. There are also hint bulbs that you can collect and use if you need a clue as to what to do next. If you run out of hints, don’t fret — the game should not be that difficult, and you can find them in plentiful supply throughout the game. There are no in-app purchases for more hints if you run out, which I actually prefer.

The layout of Mimpi Dreams is a bit strange, since you don’t actually choose the levels that you want to play. It all feels like one large stage, with the occasional break at the end of a part because Mimpi goes into his bed and sleeps, then wakes up in an entirely new world. Because of this, the game feels streamlined, and there are plenty of checkpoints that can be found throughout the levels. If you need to take a break from the game, then you will just restart at the last checkpoint marker that you reached. The game has no lives to worry about, and there are no points to rack up — it’s all just a relaxing experience with a cute dog and moderately challenging puzzles. There is Game Center integration for achievements though, in case you want something to strive for at least.

I’ve been a big fan of the Mimpi games since they came out several years ago, so I was delighted to see that there was a full sequel to the original game, rather than just another spinoff. The visuals in Mimpi Dreams are gorgeous, the soundtrack is exquisitely composed, controls are simple and intuitive, and the puzzles are fun and challenging enough (not frustrating) for anyone to pick up. Plus, who can resist such a cute dog with wild dreams

I recommend getting Mimpi Dreams if you’re a fan of the previous Mimpi games, or just enjoy puzzle platformers and dogs in general. Mimpi Dreams is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV for just $2.99. There is even a companion Apple Watch app. There are no in-app purchases.