Through the Nightmares
Release date: Jun 19, 2025
Developers: Sandman Team
Publishers: Sandman Team
Genres: Action, Indie
Categories: Single-player, Steam Achievements, Full controller support, Keyboard Only Option, Stereo Sound, Surround Sound, Family Sharing
Supported languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Polish, Simplified Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese - Portugal, Traditional Chinese, Catalan

Steam Deck About the Game Enter the dream in Through the Nightmares ! This is a challenge-driven platformer about a benevolent being who sets out to save children from a nightmare they cannot escape. You are Sandman , the spirit said to bring good dreams. To bring the children back to their families, Sandman must descend into the realm of Morpheus — a dream god who twists sleep into prison. Here, every fear ever buried comes alive. They’re waiting. But the dream already knows you’re here. And it will stop at nothing to ensure you never leave. BECOME THE DREAM MASTER Through the Nightmares is a game for people who love platforming challenges and secrets. Each of your (many) deaths will be a lesson, and instant respawns make you always ready to try again. The core gameplay of Through the Nightmares is designed around three Sandman abilities : Size-Shifting — Change your size to squeeze through tight spaces, physically manipulate traps, and boost your jump distance. Changing size affects your weight and speed, which changes how you interact with the environment. Mastering this ability is the key to surviving a dreamscape designed to destroy you. Downward Strike — Smash through walls and floors with a mid-air blow, uncovering new paths and activating mechanisms. Every change to the level persists, even after death. Checkpoint Flask — Find, pick up, and place this magical item anywhere in the level to create a checkpoint. Flask lets you resurrect three times before being sent back to the start. Death comes quickly, frustration doesn’t have to. You must combine all Sandman abilities to confront Morpheus and escape the nightmare. And if you find the game too easy, there are dozens of secrets waiting to be uncovered by the most daring players! EXIT LIGHT, ENTER NIGHT Explore 45 handcrafted levels across three chapters and six haunting locations . Each is shaped by a child’s fears and memories — from a night spent alone in dark woods to spider-infested suburbs, and a long-rotten castle. Every chapter is filled with hidden challenges that let you recover what the children have lost in their dreams. Return the lost items to the children’s rooms to uncover the source of their nightmares! FACE THE NIGHTMARE In the dream world, everything is out to get you. Ordinary objects twisted by Morpheus’ magic become brutal traps and monstrous foes.  Reactive Environment — Sandman’s abilities interact with the dream world, opening up new pathways. Shrink, grow, or strike to physically manipulate parts of the level. Timing Is Everything — Environmental threats sync to the beat of the soundtrack, demanding precision and rhythm in your every move. Towering Terrors — Enormous creatures lurk within the dream, hunting you down. Outrun their clutches… or face a swift end. To survive, you will need to decipher the logic behind every part of the nightmare. One wrong move, and it’s over — until you start again. DEFY THE DREAM GOD To free children from the endless nightmare, you must defeat Morpheus. His mind holds the truth about his descent into madness… But these are secrets Morpheus will not surrender willingly. Confront him. Break his hold. Bring the children back to their families — or watch them be consumed by the nightmare forever. Are you ready to face the Dream God? KEY FEATURES Size-Shifting Platforming. Change your size to squeeze through tight spaces, manipulate traps, and discover hidden shortcuts. Challenges For Everyone . Enjoy ruthless precision platforming with instant respawns and a unique checkpoint system that lets you control where you respawn. Six Unique Locations . Explore dozens of handcrafted levels across three chapters and six different locations based on Nordic folklore, modern-day suburbia, and medieval ruins. Reactive Dreamscapes. Manipulate the environment with Sandman’s abilities to open up new pathways, discover secrets, and solve tricky challenges. Dream Secrets. Collect personal items from each nightmare to learn more about the children’s past, reveal the deeper story, and piece together the truth of what happened to Morpheus. Immersive Visuals and Soundtrack. Nightmare dreamscapes are brought to life with striking low-poly art and a haunting original score. 

Press reviews: “No matter how you look at Through the Nightmares, everything works well, from the great size-shifting mechanics to the haunting visuals and dramatic soundtrack that keep you going.” The Xbox Hub “There’s enough variety to the levels, both visual and otherwise, to keep things interesting, and Sandman Team does a good job of iterating on concepts in interesting ways while ensuring they don’t overstay their welcome.” Shacknews “Through the Nightmares is a nightmarishly difficult, great labour of love, with the only thing stopping you from beating the game is your own skill and willpower. Just be willing to wait, use any knowledge you collect with each death, and don’t give up.” GameGrin