Onirism Review Overview
What is Onirism?
Onirism is a colorful action-adventure shooter with platforming elements set in the dreamlike world of Crearia. Players follow Carol, a young girl transported into this dimension after her beloved plush Bunbun is stolen. The game unfolds across chapters, each unlocking new areas to explore, filled with whimsical yet dangerous enemies.
Onirism features:
⚫︎ Action-Adventure Shooter with Platformer Blend
⚫︎ Lrage, Colorful Levels
⚫︎ Over 300 Gadgets
⚫︎ Massive Collection of Clothing
⚫︎ Different Vehicles
| Platform | Price |
|---|---|
 Steam |
$17.99 |
Onirism Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Vibrant World Design Solid Variety of Gameplay |
Audio Presentation is Inconsistent Story Momentum Has a Slow Pace |
Onirism Story - 7/10
The story is serviceable and provides a clear motivation—Carol’s quest to retrieve Bunbun—but it often takes a backseat to the gameplay. While the dreamlike world is imaginative, the narrative beats aren’t as fleshed out as they could be. It works well enough to give context and charm, but you won’t be playing Onirism primarily for the plot. When the story does pick up, it has its moments, but they’re more whimsical than deeply emotional.
Onirism Gameplay - 8/10
The gameplay is where Onirism shines, with a huge arsenal, hundreds of enemy types, and fast-paced combat that stays exciting. Movement feels smooth, gadgets add variety, and boss fights are genuinely memorable. Still, a few lingering bugs, reliance on check point saves, and occasional chaos holding back clarity keep it from perfection. It’s excellent fun, but not without the occasional frustration.
Onirism Visuals - 7/10
The art style is vibrant, colorful, and endlessly imaginative, making each new area feel distinct and alive. Character and enemy designs stand out thanks to their playful creativity, and the environments are packed with detail. On a technical level, though, it’s not always flawless—performance hiccups and occasional rough edges are present. It looks great overall, but it’s not pushing graphical boundaries.
Onirism Audio - 7/10
The soundtrack is energetic and perfectly complements the chaos of combat, often heightening tension in the right moments. That said, the soundtrack can start to blur together after long sessions, with a few tracks looping so frequently they lose their punch. It’s good, lively, and full of charm, but a little more variety could’ve elevated it further.
Onirism Value for Money - 8/10
At $17.99, the amount of content Onirism offers is staggering, with hundreds of weapons, enemies, bosses, and vehicles packed into one package. Replayability is strong thanks to the sheer variety of tools, encounters, and modes, and it’s the kind of game you’ll keep dipping back into. That said, the lack of polish in some areas slightly undercuts the value. Still, for the price, it’s hard to argue against what you’re getting.
Onirism Overall Score - 74/100
Onirism is bursting with charm, creativity, and content, delivering an experience unlike most indie shooters. The gameplay loop is fun and rewarding, and its whimsical world constantly surprises you. But the occasional frustration with bugs, and overwhelming chaos keep it from truly soaring. It’s a fantastic game worth recommending, just shy of masterpiece status.
Onirism Review: A Whimsical Mess
Chaotic Nightmare
I’ve had my fair share of shooters over the years. From the predictable firefights of Call of Duty and the tactical precision of Counter-Strike, to the offbeat absurdity of High on Life, I’ve dipped into just about every flavor the genre has to offer. So when I first stumbled into Onirism, I wasn’t expecting much. At first glance, it looks like a cozy little indie game, the kind of title you’d pick up for a weekend just to relax. Cute, colorful, playful—it practically dares you to underestimate it.
But here’s the thing, if there’s one lesson I’ve learned from games that wear their coziness like a disguise, it’s this—never let the charming visuals fool you. Onirism may look soft around the edges, but once I got my hands on it, I realized it has teeth. We got our hands on the 1.0 version ahead of its release, and while the core gameplay loop and feel are still pretty much the same, the scope has definitely grown.
A Dreamlike Setting
Onirism follows the story of Carol, a young girl who was just about to drift off to sleep when she suddenly finds herself jumping into another dimension. In this strange, dreamlike realm known as Crearia, her beloved plush companion Bunbun is stolen away. What follows is her surreal, action-packed journey to get Bunbun back and, hopefully, return to her bed in one piece.
The game unfolds across chapters, each one unlocking a new slice of Crearia. These stages aren’t just simple backdrops—they’re whimsical, imaginative playgrounds brimming with comical enemies waiting to swarm you. Armed with a growing collection of guns and gadgets, you’ll blast through hordes of them in fast-paced encounters that feel far sharper than I initially expected. Movement is smooth and surprisingly stylish; Carol can dash, slide around corners, and fire off shots with a fluidity that feels almost at odds with the game’s cozy aesthetic. And just when I thought I’d seen all her tricks, she pulled out her trusty umbrella—not just a melee weapon to swat away foes, but also a tool that can slow her descent mid-jump. It’s the kind of little design choice that makes you grin and think, "Okay, this game is hiding more than it lets on."
So with the stage set, let’s talk about what Onirism really does once you dive deeper into its dreamscape.
The Arsenal of Dreams
Carol isn’t your typical protagonist who just picks up a pistol and calls it a day. Her combat style is playful but surprisingly deep—she slides, dodges, punches when cornered, and whips out gadgets that feel as strange as they are satisfying. Early on you’ll meet her signature pink umbrella, which doubles as both a melee weapon and a parachute of sorts, and then the laser hairdryer, a rechargeable blaster that makes mowing down dream phantoms more entertaining than it has any right to be. It’s silly, it’s stylish, and it works.
As the game opens up, so does her toybox of destruction. Before long, I was lobbing fruit bombs, spraying soapy water with a Hydra Gun, and firing fluffy clouds out of a blunderbuss. It’s the kind of arsenal that makes you grin the moment you swap weapons because you’re never quite sure if the next one will be brilliant, ridiculous, or both.
Modes and New Co-Op Options
Onirism gives players a few different ways to experience its colorful chaos. You can dive into Adventure Mode, which serves as the main campaign where the story of Carol and her quest to rescue Bunbun unfolds. But if you’re in the mood for something less narrative-heavy, there’s also Tales and Hunt, two arcade-style modes that focus more on pure action and replayability.
What’s great about the 1.0 update is that both Hunt and Tales can now be played solo or online with friends. Back in the Early Access build, these modes were limited to local co-op only, which made them harder to access for solo players or those without a couch partner. Now, you can jump into them anytime, experiment with your arsenal, and take on waves of enemies at your own pace—whether you’re testing weapons, chasing high scores, or just looking to blow off some steam between story missions.
Gadgets Galore and Tactical Play
Here’s the thing—Onirism doesn’t believe in limiting your imagination. Some are straightforward, like rocket launchers or rifles, while others are completely bizarre—like bubble guns that trap enemies mid-air. The thrill is in swapping things around mid-battle, seeing what sticks, and finding unexpected combos.
But it’s not just chaos for chaos’ sake. Gadgets come with cooldowns, and ammo is limited for the heavy hitters. That keeps the pacing tight as you’re constantly juggling between conserving resources, timing gadget use, and leaning on that trusty laser hairdryer when things get overwhelming. It’s a balancing act that keeps the combat loop snappy without ever feeling repetitive.
Enemies Full of Personality
Of course, what’s the point of a wild arsenal without equally wild enemies to test it on? Onirism throws distinct foes at you, each stranger than the last. One level might start with bouncing blobs that split after you shoot them, and then escalate to floating jellyfish that move unpredictably.
One that stuck with me was the doll-like creatures that came charging with explosives. They would launch themselves at me out of nowhere, and wouldn’t stop chasing me until they exploded. That’s the magic of Onirism, enemies aren’t just obstacles, they’re spectacles, and you never quite know what form of chaos you’ll be up against next.
The real highlights, though, are the boss fights. Each one feels like a set piece ripped out of a fever dream. I’ll never forget squaring off against a giant plant whose vines whipped across the arena, forcing me into a tense dance of dodges and counterattacks.
What I loved most is that these fights never felt unfair. They push you, yes—but always in a way that tests your reflexes and creativity. Beating them feels earned, like you cracked the code of the dreamscape one nightmare at a time.
Exploration That Rewards Curiosity
Combat isn’t the only thing Onirism gets right. Exploration is a constant delight. Every nook hides something—whether it’s a secret room tucked behind an illusionary wall, a quirky puzzle that rewards persistence, or an Easter egg that makes you chuckle. The game encourages you to slow down, to peek behind corners instead of sprinting to the exit.
There’s also a touch of light platforming sprinkled throughout, just enough to keep exploration dynamic without turning it into a precision platformer. You’ll hop across platforms, bounce on platforms that make you jump higher, and glide down slopes using Carol’s umbrella to reach hidden areas or collectibles. It’s playful rather than punishing, serving as a nice breather between firefights. These short bursts of platforming capture that dreamlike energy perfectly—half challenge, half curiosity, and all charm.
And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the game throws in vehicles. These aren’t lazy gimmicks either. There’s a plane that lets you dive into exhilarating aerial skirmishes, a hovercraft turns traversal into a breezy glide, and stomping around in mechs is every bit as satisfying as it sounds. They break up the rhythm of the campaign in all the right ways, keeping the dream alive and the pacing fresh.
That’s the kind of gameplay loop that kept me hooked—creative, varied, and always one step ahead of my expectations.
A World That’s Easy to Get Lost In
Onirism includes a functional map and quest markers that automatically update once you start a mission, making it easy to track your objectives and see where you’ve already been. And that helps, since the 1.0 version adds ten new adventure levels on top of the already expansive world, giving players even more to explore without the confusion that used to come with it.
That said, the save system still runs on the same lampshade checkpoints. While they’re conveniently placed before major battle areas, exploration in the overworld can still feel risky. Lampshades are few and far between outside those main encounters, so losing progress after a lengthy trek or an unexpected defeat still stings. It’s whimsical in concept, but in practice, it occasionally tests your patience more than your skill.
A Bit Too Much of a Good Thing
An improvement worth noting is the dialogue. In earlier versions, the voice acting could feel inconsistent—cutscenes were fully voiced in French, while gameplay abruptly switched to English, making it sound like two different versions of the same dream. In the 1.0 release, that’s been smoothed out. You can now choose to have everything in either English or French, keeping the presentation consistent and far less jarring than before.
However, combat itself is still a bit overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong—I love the chaos of Onirism, but sometimes it’s a little TOO chaotic. When twenty enemies, a dozen projectiles, and half a room’s worth of hazards all explode into motion, it can be hard to parse what’s actually happening. Add in the sheer avalanche of weapons, gadgets, and costumes the game throws your way, and you occasionally end up overwhelmed by abundance.
Also, after being in development for six years, it’s a little surprising that bugs are still fairly persistent. My old save file from the Early Access build, for instance, refused to load after I accessed a new area—I had no choice but to start a new game. Sometimes, animations also bug out, causing Carol to shoot even when I’m not holding a gun. Another thing I really wish they added was an "unstuck" option, because there are moments when Carol—or even vehicles—can get caught on geometry, leaving you with no option but to restart from the last checkpoint.
But really, what sells me most about Onirism is how easily it blurs the line between a game you’d buy "for the kids" and a game you’ll secretly lose hours to yourself. On the surface, it looks like the perfect gift for a younger sibling or even your own children—the kind of colorful, safe-looking adventure parents won’t bat an eye at. But give it a little time, pick up the controller, and you’ll realize this isn’t just a game for them. It’s for you, too.
Is Onirism Worth It?
Whimsical, Weird, and Wild
After spending hours diving through Carol’s dreamscape, I can confidently say that Onirism is a game that earns its spot in your library. For $17.99, you’re not just getting another quirky indie shooter—you’re getting a full-blown adventure packed with imagination, creativity, and enough content to keep you busy for weeks.
Yes, Onirism still isn’t without its rough edges. Even after six years in development, a few bugs and glitches persist—occasional animation hiccups, stuck moments that force a restart, or save files that don’t always behave as they should. The checkpoint system can also test your patience at times, especially when lampshades are spaced a little too far apart during exploration. But none of these drawbacks erase what the game does best: delivering a chaotic, creative, and constantly surprising experience that few shooters dare to attempt.
| Platform | Price |
|---|---|
| Steam |
$17.99 |
Onirism FAQ
When Is Onirism 1.0 Coming Out?
Onirism was supposed to fully release on September 25, 2025, but was rescheduled to October 2nd instead. However, the devs pushed the release again, and the game is now scheduled to launch in full on October 23, 2025.
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Onirism Product Information
 |
|
| Title | ONIRISM |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Early Access April 26, 2019 Full Release October 23, 2025 |
| Developer | Crimson Tales |
| Publisher | Shoreline Games |
| Supported Platforms | PC |
| Genre | Action-Adventure, Shooter, Platformer |
| Number of Players | 1-2 |
| ESRB Rating | N/A |
| Official Website | Onirism Website |
