Perchance to Dream

I don’t believe in “soulmates” or “love at first sight.” 

But I do believe that sometimes meeting someone can change your life. 

Even if they’re just a pebble cast into a pond, sending ripples through everything you thought you knew…

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CONTENT WARNING: This game contains depictions of and/or allusions to... 

Abuse,  Anti-LGBT Sentiment, Anxiety, Death of Loved Ones, Depression, Grief, Major Character Death, Pandemic Outbreak, Police Brutality, Racism, Self-Harm, Suicide, Suicidal Ideation, Religious Extremism, Terminal Illness, Violence, and other similar topics. It also primarily features a hospital-like setting.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, it may not be appropriate to play this game.

For further assistance, HERE is a list of mental health resources (which can also be accessed in-game at any time under 'Take a Break' in the menu).

While I do my best to handle these sensitive topics with respect and care, please engage with caution according to your comfort and needs. ♥︎

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You are a failure.

You haven’t ever done a single thing of worth.

You have decided to die.

…but, of course, a failure like you couldn’t even achieve that.

At least, not until you saw the notice looking for test subjects for an experiment. One that promised to easily, painlessly, allow you to end your life while saving someone else’s. So you decided to apply and…against all odds…

You actually managed to luck out.

Now all you have to do is not fuck it up.

Thus it begins: Four men who want to live. One man who doesn't. And after five days, only one will be allowed to survive.

That choice is up to you.

Perchance to Dream is a near-future visual novel with surreal, philosophical, and darkly comedic elements featuring a bisexual main character and all-queer cast. It's a deep character study and relationship builder (like a dating sim) that is an examination of what makes some people want to die, and a hopeful look at what might make such a person decide instead to live.

Ultimately it's a story about finding solidarity in even the most unexpected of places, and whether or not that can be enough to save a life. 

And also AI waifus. And a plant cult.

▇||YOU WILL GET||・

PLEASE NOTE! The currently downloadable version, 1.0, is an early access demo meant to test the project and collect feedback! As such it is missing some key features which will added into future updates. For a more detailed breakdown you can read the 'Version Notes' from the game menu!

But it does include (almost) all of Day 1 of the story which totals...

꒰❀ 64,000 words equating to around 4-6 hours of gameplay! (And this is only due to the 'C' Route being temporarily disabled...once that is added in a few weeks the wordcount will be around  78,000!!)

꒰✿ 6 rich, fully-realized characters (currently only the main character 'Z' has posable sprites, but you can get a taste for the fluidity and range of emotiveness that will eventually be implemented for all!)

❀ Hundreds of beautiful and evocative backgrounds thanks to Creative Commons

꒰✿ Personalized music for each character, location, and route thanks to Creative Commons. (Because the protagonist is a concert pianist you will hear a fair amount of classical music , and we've even throw in some music history & theory lessons for free.99!!)

꒰✿ The game is currently planned to remain free or accessibly low-cost for all versions! 

▇||LEARN MORE||・

・||► Explore highly developed characters while navigating a larger sense of intrigue

Against his will 'Z' is dropped into a realm of cults, crime, and conspiracy. It’s not his job to solve the world’s problems, but when they turn up on his doorstep, can he really turn a blind eye?

・||► “Mix-and-Match” routes - You choose how you play

Players can choose to spend time with any character (or sometimes no characters) and can "switch routes" at any time! Chancing upon the right combination will lead to special scenarios and secret ends. Speaking of endings…

・||► Over 30 unique endings planned!

Admittedly this may be trimmed down (or expanded) over the course of development, but currently each character will have at least 5 specialized endings and there are several “secret” ones to discover as well. Some sad, some happy, some dark, some very dark, some romantic, some hopeful, and some completely random! (Yes, please forgive me, there are a few endings triggered entirely by RNG).

And, of course, in each ending most of the cast dies~

・||► Extra Features!

Currently you can enjoy in-game Achievements (which you can also choose to completely disable if that's not your speed!), a Character Gallery (which may or may hold hidden secrets~), a Music Room (so you can kick back and relax to any tune in the game), a Chapter Index (allowing you to easily skip between sections for easy replay),  and an obsessively-detailed Credits page, a monument of eternal gratitude for each and every one of the game's (unknowing) contributors! 

・||► Is this a romance?

While the structure is dating-sim adjacent and the game is "implicitly" romantic (with an emphasis on relationship building and having queer identity be an integral part of every route), only one route will have the option to become "explicitly" romantic. Otherwise it is up to the player's interpretation. 😊 Since the story takes place over just 5 days and the focus is on a mental health journey, this option felt the best to me. But I'd like to believe that those looking for romance won't be disappointed.

One of my main goals for this game was to create relationships which feel believable, earned, and rich. I spent a long time thinking about and developing each dynamic, so I hope they will be enjoyable to explore. 😉

∙||► Secret stats will influence your journey

There are 3 stats to keep in mind as you play: “Exposure" (how much time is spent with each character),” “Companionship" (how well the characters get along), and “Mental Health" (how Z is faring on his mental wellness journey). The way these stats interact will influence certain scenes and options.

Note: Originally I planned to have these stats be invisible, but I'm currently re-considering. If you have a preference, please let me know through the OFFICIAL FEEDBACK FORM !

∙||►A “unique” approach to CG gives a dreamlike cinematic effect…

In lieu of traditional CG and totally not because of budget, P2D utilizes breathtaking imagery provided by the CC photography community to give scenes a surreal sense of time and space:

∙||► Mental Health & Accessibility

My wish is for people to enjoy this game at their own pace and in as safe a way as possible! Thus it is being made following recommendations for reporting on suicide by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and has a list of helpful resources accessible at any time under 'Take a Break' in the menu.

It also includes several 'Accessibility' features, such as a variety of fonts, toggles, and sound effect captions. There are still plenty of kinks to be worked out for future installments so don't be afraid to suggest feedback.

The final release will also include an accompanying walkthrough with clearly labeled content warnings so you can see which route paths work best for your needs. This game gets heavy! It explores difficult, complex topics and aims to be at least a somewhat realistic portrayal of mental health struggles. 

Please keep this in mind before you play!

▇||MEET THE TEAM||・

Introducing...

꒰✿ Moribundt : Overall Director, Lead Writer, & Lead Programmer

꒰✿ Tea : Lead Character Designer & Original Sprite Artist

꒰✿ Artie : Promotional Artwork

꒰✿ B. Sperry : Logo Designer for THAROS

꒰✿ And finally... 

A very, very grateful thanks to countless contributors who have released their work Royalty Free or under Creative Commons, each of whom without which this game would not be possible, and, as such, are fully credited under the 'Extras' menu in-game. :) 

*PLEASE NOTE! I am currently recruiting a new sprite artist and a GUI designer! Feel free to reach out if interested. 😊

▇||FOR THE FUTURE||・

If you enjoy the game, the best way you can support it is by spreading the word! I also deeply appreciate any  follows, ratings, or comments right here on Itch.io! Right now I'm hoping to get the word out so every comment, like, share ect. helps a lot!!

You can follow the game's progress (and get a healthy helping of shitposts) on social media!

BLUESKY・DISCORD・INSTAGRAM・TUMBLR

There's also an OFFICIAL FEEDBACK FORM that I would be forever grateful if you could fill out! You don't have to finish the whole game to complete it and it will greatly help me set course for the future!

Finally, if you would like to financially support the game, you can do so here on Itch.io or  on

 KOFI・PATREON