Games don't get much simpler than A Dream About Parking Lots. You play as an unnamed person who must navigate seemingly endless parking lots in search of your car, all while talking to your psychologist. That's basically it, and the game itself doesn't try to be anything more than that. On the game's menu, you even have to click "Short Story" to begin.
No, A Dream About Parking Lots is not a big game, but it leaves an impression. Many of its design choices seem forced by circumstances. The primitive and blurred textures were probably a cheap building material, and the soothing Eric Satie music is not copyrighted. However, that does not change the fact that the effect is striking. As in the excellent Flower, Sun and Rain, and Paratopic, the combination of pixelated textures and classical music creates a meditative atmosphere that is therapeutic in itself.
In the game's five levels, there are no collectibles, enemies, or other distractions. The world is cleansed of trivialities, which changes one's perspective. One now sees the game's design much more clearly, for example the cars or fallen rubble that block the road and subtly guide one on the right path. At the same time, the surroundings - now that they are not just containers for content - become even more atmospheric. A football net, an empty toilet, some trees... paradoxically, you feel like exploring every single texture more closely in order to extract meaning from them. The game succeeds in creating a dreamlike atmosphere, and you get a delightful little shock when the car alarm finally goes off and you are torn out of the hypnotic atmosphere.
The game's dialogue reinforces the mood. Is it a real therapeutic conversation, or just an internal monologue with a psychologist and a patient on the cast list? You only slowly find out as you answer questions and try to understand the meaning behind your dreams. If there needs to be a meaning, that is. It's all very well written, and the localisation is good, as you don't think about the fact that English is hardly the Mexican developer's first language.
Although the game is reportedly "inspired by real dreams," A Dream About Parking Lots differs in one respect, in that there's not much unpredictability here. Although the game gives that impression, the dialogue does not lead to new paths, nor does it branch out at any point. So there is not much reason to play through the 30-40 minute game again for anything other than the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the simple setup fails on one point. Although I usually like clicking through dialogue (I read quickly and am impatient), in this case it should have scrolled automatically. It's distracting to have to press B (I played on Switch) to advance the plot while moving around in a three-dimensional space. Finally, I had some trouble navigating the menus, as for some inexplicable reason, the least distinctive colours indicate the selected item.
Apart from minor annoyances, A Dream About Parking Lots is a nice little walking sim. In many ways, it's more of a therapeutic experience than a game, and considering what these kinds of games usually cost, the £3.39 you have to pay for it is nothing.
