Sleep Awake Reviews
Sleep Awake tells an unusual story with an original idea that grabs you… until you realize it's not entirely well executed. Even so, its atmosphere, sound, and psychedelic moments make it a unique experience if you're into experimental horror.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sleep Awake kicks off a bit groggy but then wakes up and delivers a memorable, unique, and bizarre experience. Katja’s plight might not mesh with many people, but it’s wholly unique and one of the heavier games I’ve played this year.
Sleep Awake is a narrative horror game that differs from the classics of the genre. The title from Blumhouse Games almost entirely abandons the jump scare system, leaving room for a psychedelic backdrop in which the paranoia of falling into a state of semi-consciousness creates a state of constant anxiety. A game that, despite being lacking in terms of gameplay in the strict sense, is enjoyable thanks to the atmosphere it conveys.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I’m in two minds about Sleep Awake. Half of me thoroughly enjoyed the psychological aspects and hints at what is behind the Hush. However, there is a lot left to be desired, with easy gameplay sections, less than top notch graphics, and low replayability. Whilst the soundtrack is fantastic, the narrative is your only thread to keeping your attention even in the light of the ambiguous ending. If you want a quick psychedelic trip with some interesting ideas then you might enjoy this, but you could probably squeeze in a nap or two first.
A hypnotic descent where sound, visuals, and story fuse into one unforgettable nightmare. Sleep Awake delivers a vivid, unsettling ride with striking visuals, oppressive sound, and a fragile narrative
Sleep Awake is an extremely intriguing title that draws strength from its creative and captivating worldbuilding, capable of capturing our attention from the very first minutes of gameplay. However, what prevents the game from really taking off are its gameplay issues, which end up making it far too linear. It is still a good product, though, and one that deserves a chance, especially if you are a fan of the genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Given this, and the fact that Sleep Awake is overall a very enjoyable and well crafted experience, with a few hitches in its story that can mostly be ignored due to the absolutely beautiful presentation of its world and characters, I would say it's worth the price tag, but not to expect a total game changer in the horror genre.
Overall, Sleep Awake is an ambitious horror game that swings big with its ideas, and even when it stumbles, it does so with intention. If you're looking for a bite-sized horror game you can finish in a day and still feel terrified, then I'd happily recommend Sleep Awake.
It may sound terribly cliché, but Sleep Awake is the kind of obscure, brain-prodding project you have to open yourself up to in order to appreciate its intent, bombarding you for four hours with cryptic clues and disorienting FMV dreamscapes whose confusing lore and rock-opera delirium seem designed to confront you with the hallucinatory effects of sleep deprivation—an experience not meant for everyone, but one that will gladly pull you under for a few digital hours if you dare.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Sleep Awake captivated us with its dreamlike atmosphere bordering on the surreal. Katja's wanderings in a world trying to resist sleep will take us to disturbing and horrific landscapes. However, our adventures will be very short-lived and, apart from a few stealth sessions and some simple puzzles, we won't have many opportunities to interact with the game world.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sleep Awake prioritizes mood and story over mechanical complexity. It chooses psychedelic weirdness over conventional scares. You'll either connect with that vision or bounce off completely.
Sleep Awake is a few hours long horror-themed walking simulator. For a horror game, it's not scary at all, and playing it is a frustrating and boring experience.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Sleep Awake is an experimental horror game that may feel confusing in many parts, yet it still manages to impress with top-notch visuals, well-contextualized events, and excellent narrative direction.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Sleep Awake isn’t a traditional horror game built around big scares or survival-based gameplay mechanics, but instead a haunting, unsettling, and memorable jaunt through a dark and disturbing world. It leans confidently into its strengths, offering a surreal and unsettling journey that consistently surprises with its striking visuals and eerie storytelling, and whilst the gameplay is a little bit bare-boned, the commitment to the haunting atmosphere makes it easy to get completely hooked into its strange, sleepless world. Sleep Awake stands out for how boldly it embraces the weird and how effectively it leaves a lasting impression, and for horror fans who value tone and immersion over action, it’s a must play.
While there are many ways in which it plays things safe and shows the limitations of its scope, Sleep Awake has the aesthetic strengths to impress in the increasingly crowded first-person horror genre.
SLEEP AWAKE is a game I saw in my email, having never heard of it. I redeemed the key on a whim, and dear lord, am I happy that I did. The four hours I spent in The Crawl as Katja were full of intrigue, some genuine scares, and a hell of a lot of enjoyment.