Back to Bed

Striking dreams invite exploration, but precise placement and hurried execution undermine the puzzle concept.

Back to Bed makes an immediate impression through impossible architecture, surreal imagery and a sleepwalker who cannot simply stop to consider his surroundings. Moving apples ahead of Bob turns route planning into a question of timing as well as space. Finding the route and successfully executing it do not always connect comfortably, however. The identified Vita test describes demanding placement with buttons and sticks, with much of the pressure coming from keeping Subob ahead of the walker rather than discovering a new relationship between puzzle elements. Thirty main levels and an additional difficulty mode provide goals, but repeated attempts also magnify input friction. Players drawn strongly to the dreamlike art may accept that compromise. Those seeking precise controls and a clear connection between deduction and feedback may find the journey more irritating than its imaginative setting suggests.

Who it is for: Puzzle players willing to accept input limitations for distinctive surreal art.

Play notes: Independent judgment from official material and Matthew Pollesel’s September 2015 Vita test, not our own playtest. Exact date, model, patch and hours are unknown. Mobile complaints and grouped PS3/PS4 performance marketing are not Vita measurements.