Hypnospace Outlaw

One of the best puzzle games ever made, please just play it. R.I.P dreamsettler

Taking place in an alternate reality, this game is a time capsule of an internet that used to exist here in ours. Having grown up with this early internet, with Geocities and something awful and Neopets, I'm tempted to call my enthusiasm for this game a product of nostalgia. But this game is WAY more than just a nostalgia trip. It's an achingly beautiful reproduction of a world that used to exist, in its flaws, in its virtues, in all the deeply flawed and yet wonderful people that you found on the hobbyists internet. They're written with so much compassion, and there's so many little touches, it's simply a wonderful game. Kinda hard in places though, so be ready for that!

Incredible vibes, just a joy to play. If I had to relate it to anything, its sort of like The Return of the Obra Din in a way, you really feel like a detective. Nostalgic, beautifully executed, great game.

A one-of-a-kind alt history retro internet explore-a-thon. Shockingly well-realized, clunky and hard to use in all the right ways while remaining funny and charming and full of mysteries. Cannot be missed for detective game fans. A must-play.

I logged over 12 hours using the Game Pass edition, but because it's being removed soon I felt it was time to purchase it on Steam frfr. Playing through it for the 48324th time got me in my feelings again. I love a layered af story told in graphics ancient enough that I know exactly what they're referencing. I just [clenches fist] love

A one-of-a-kind game made by clearly passionate individuals. Hypnospace Outlaw starts off as a simple point-and-click parody of late '90s internet, filled with poorly constructed web pages, a staggering amount of custom music, and crudely made art. It quickly blossoms into a delicately woven story brimming with intricately connected characters that demands your full investment. Much of the enjoyment from the game comes from its brand of humor and specific references, so if you aren't from the era being represented, you may find that it falls flat or that the gameplay alone isn't enough to carry the experience. And while the puzzles are mostly tame, the lack of guidance can also cause confusion at times. But to those who for some reason want to recreate the feeling of infecting the family PC in exchange for a new mouse cursor, you won't play another game quite like this one. RIP Dreamsettler

The cancellation of the sequel makes me sad, as this game scratched an itch I didn't even know I had. I hope the developers know that I enjoyed the hell out of this game.

Fascinating piece of art. Captures and communicates what so many wish they could in a way unique to itself. I'm grateful I got to live a life that lead to experiencing this.

A supremely unique and stylistically sublime "internet simulator" with tons of kooky satire regarding online behavior. Its generally lighthearted premise and story is supported by a cast of online personality caricatures that keeps you giggling from start to finish; all the way from boomers to zoomers, edge lords to cringe lords, and people that are sorely out of touch, to try-hard trendsetters. It's a game about exploration and detective work, and it's a love letter to what the old internet was like. It's one of the few games that's stayed in memory, years after I've been done with it - and that may be just because it takes me back to what it was like being an 11 year old using MySpace. R.I.P. Dreamsettler

I do IT work for a loving. For a guy like me, this is heaven. Something I already love, with a nostalgic and fun twist.

this game is a really great take on both detective games while also capturing that old 1990's-2000's feel on computers (as well as the nostalgia) and maintains a very interactive and fun/interesting story all throughout, never making it boring. i could say more about the game, but i simply cant put it in words in how the game is a great game, so 10/10, would recommend. It saddens me that this game had a possible sequel in the works that is no more. i highly recommend buying the game regardless of price (if you feel like it) as it would greatly support the dev's financially.

I had to go on a rage walk after finishing this game (positive). You're playing an internet moderator of sorts for a sleeptime internet provider. You get assigned "cases" and handle them for in-site money, but the cases have consequences in the real world since you're dealing with people who have a life when they wake up. It's got the old internet aesthetic and the sites are curated and created really well, every character feels real and the websites look like something you might've found online 20 years ago. It threw me back in time so bad I was afraid of clicking something on accident and downloading a stupid virus --[spoiler]and I was right! you WILL download the most stupid viruses ever! T-T[/spoiler]--. They created a wonderful alternative internet history here, complete with the wacky themes and wackier music [spoiler]that has history and genealogy. who does that?[/spoiler]. If you like page hopping, old style, you'll enjoy this game. You have more or less free reign over the cases and what to do or when you do them, so you can explore as much as you like [spoiler]so that you can download all the stupid viruses, obviously[/spoiler]. There's some good satire here as well. The ending song got stuck in my head for a week now.

This is one of those games that I don't think I'll ever forget. So much to explore and such love letter to the early internet. I felt like I knew some of these characters back in the day. It's a weird one, but one of the most memorable games I've ever played. I think about it often!

Genuinely one of the most unique and heartfelt games I've ever experienced. Thank you Jay Tholen and the many other artists who's talent and passion helped make it a reality.

Granny Cream's Hot Butter Ice Cream We take the hot butter Mix it with the ice cream Freeze it up cool, you can see it on your screen Put it in your microwave, make it real hot Like a soup or a dip We call it Heat 'N' Sip Very tasty and healthy too Granny Cream's Hot Butter Ice Cream

this one is reminding me that Steam needs like an "Other" or "Neutral" rating or something... pastiche is really difficult to do well and Hypnospace Outlaw succeeds at being great pastiche of both Y2K-era internet aesthetics and a wide range of musical genres and sub-genres. it's pretty funny and the story is like a 3-star episode of Black Mirror. but I would also say that Hypnospace Outlaw feels more like an art project than a proper game. or more generously, it's more like a really complex narrative game. do not expect gameplay in the traditional sense I'm happy I experienced it but would be disappointed if I bought it expecting to play a game rather than poke through a visual novel

Full of little details and content to read, if you like to scroll through silly 1999-style pages and read about the lives of people that don't exist, this game is 4 u

This game is a truly unique experience and does a wonderful job of giving the player the right amount of agency and freedom. The amount of work and love put into sculpting this alternate late 90's internet landscape is mindblowing. The whole feel, attitude, and denizens of Hypnospace are a scarily accurate (if a bit over the top for emphasis) reproduction of what you would find on places like Geocities in the 1990's. Might not hit as hard or be as funny to people who have never experienced that era of internet, but a solid experience all around.

This game was really nostalgic and fun. You play as a mod on Hypnospace, an online community accessed while sleeping and using a special headband. The game starts with you doing typical mod duty; tracking down copyright infringement, harassment, illegal selling, etc., and what's neat is you see the changes you're making in the game occur. Report a bunch of images off a page? Later that person makes a status update complaining their content got taken down, etc. But as time goes by, things start to get a bit sus, and it's up to you to gumshoe your way to figuring out what went wrong after a global catastrophe. I had a lot of fun and the aesthetics for 90s geocities internet were on point; however, I felt like sometimes the game was a little too challenging and had to look up how to solve a few things. Some, I'm still not sure how I was supposed to come to that conclusion. That, and the ending was very abrupt and I kept faking myself out, thinking it ended where it didn't. But overall, glad I played it and I hear there's a sequel coming; I'd play that, too. For what it's worth, too, I finished this game in January and still think about it all the time. Ending spoiler: [spoiler]The villain is Myspace Tom[/spoiler], which I find hilarious.

Really good 8/10 game, can't wait for sequel with a little more gameplay. Love the overall story and message but the little parts aren't as engaging.

So fun from start to end! I love old 90s computer aesthetic games, and this was no exception. Highly recommend checking it out. There is so much to see and do. Plus there is music by Hot Dad. What more could you ask for?

A wonderful game! On the face it's a puzzle game where you have to explore early internet pages to find content violations, but that's just a ploy to get you to engage with the internet! Soon you'll be going down random rabbit holes, downloading weird software and headbanging to the (enormous) soundtrack. Highly recommended!

a short game where you're technically a forum moderator in the early 90s-2000s internet. honestly a really fun detective style game. and very nostalgic if you were an internet user pre 2010

"Napoleon Dynamite meets Myspace?" is what I arrived at, when I tried to come up with a brief description of this game. I am not able to decide how much my enjoyment of Hypnospace Outlaw was affected by nostalgia, however one thing that I am certain of is that it's an uniquely amazing game. The world the developers have created is rich, vibrant and strangely familiar. Cannot recommend this enough.

What a masterpiece this game was. I dare not even try to describe anything that occurs in the story for the sheer fact that it unravels into an amazing mystery that takes a lot of wit and exploration to uncover. Easily one of the best experiences I've ever had interacting with a story like this.

really good game, cant wait for dreamsettler

A must-play for music nerds and computer geeks.

I thought it was cool. I've never played a game like this before. The story was really good too. bwl

The internet really was like this in the Nineties. I know, I have been online since 1995. Don't call me a boomer, call me Gen X. I code Python and JavaScript at work. I love the surreal retrocyberpunk style. I love this game. It is just perfect.

I don't know, if you read this Jay, but don't go on too hard on yourself about the circumstances of Dreamsettler, all I want to say is that I really appreciate your honesty, and having the strength to make a decision so hard that many other developers just can't do, causing further damage in the long run. Enjoy the summer, and good luck! I am looking forward to whatever you cook up next, all I know is that it's going to be great

This was a quite unique experience! One of the best and most unique puzzle games I ever played!

look, i think it's a well loved game for a reason. the "vibes" are built very well and most of my fun came from getting to read small pieces of stranger's lives. unfortunately, the gameplay isn't conductive to that at all. i was left scrambling from page to page unable to find a solution to whatever cybercriminal i had to find. a lot of the answers felt annoying or like a drag even when i had to look up the answers. if you're better at puzzles than me, go for it. but i just didn't have fun doing the main story. i beat the entire game and i hope now i can just have fun looking at pages.

This game does an interesting job doing an over-the-top impression of the mid-to-late-90s internet, but it never really grabbed me in terms of gameplay.

Dripping with style, but lacking compelling or interesting game-play.

I'm planning on coming back to this review later to update it with my thoughts. So far, I've barely figured out how to play properly, but I'm enamoured by the style and music! Gorgeous and immersive. I am already deeply in love with the song "Satellite Orchestra" by Barnaby's Chair.

you're a detective for the alternative 1990's internet that exists through dreaming. absolute vaporware vibes.

If doom-scrolling was charming. A cosy game

uhhh freaking great game if u were born after 2005 and are not a normie scum

Incredible atmosphere enabled by one of the best soundtracks I've seen in a while

hey. this is one of the best games ever made. please give it a shot. the sequel just got cancelled so not only would you be buying one of the best games ever but the devs would probably really appreciate it right now

Almost 100% this on Gamepass but still bought it on Steam, this game is an actual experience. Please play this masterpiece. (edit, jesus christ i really wish dreamsettler wouldve been able to be completed i was looking forward to that)

This game is incredible and shows us a side of the internet we have long since lost. This is a beautiful game and a hard game, don't be ashamed of using a guide to progress through it. But do explore this wondrous world and see the past unfiltered, as it was and not how people paint it to be.

I am so, so glad to have found out about Hypnospace Outlaw. This game is a deeply captivating, magical experience. So well done in every aspect. Aside from the obviously amazing music and art direction, a big part of what makes this game so enjoyable is the amount of freedom it gives you. You're free to explore and investigate entirely at your own pace, and there are so many different ways of customizing your experience. If you're into the old web or games where you explore/investigate in order to unearth an overarching story, you will like Hypnospace Outlaw.

Its very ARG-Mystery meets Old Internet web page browsing.

GO000000000000000000000000000000OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

i can't believe this is what happens every night when jerma goes to sleep

lots of love went into this game for sure :)

this game is amazing so poggers i love it

Love the theme of "The distant future of 1999". i wish surfing the web was this awesome IRL :'(

justice for gumshoe gooper </3