Back to Bed is a dreamy puzzle adventure

Back to Bed 1

A few months back, Ustwo launched a unique, surreal puzzle game that was impressive to look at and challenging to play. Monument Valley quickly gained notoriety and gave us all something to swoon. It might have started a new trend in puzzle gaming.

Back to Bed has a similar look and feel, but offers a different type of adventure. In this Salvador Dali-inspired journey, players must guide Bob safely back to his sleeping quarters through control of his apple-toting subconscious.

Back to Bed 3

When the game starts, Bob is found wandering along a series of dangerous platforms and walkways. His doglike subconscious, Subob, picks up objects and places them in front of Bob’s pathway to force him to turn clockwise and walk a different direction. If Subob doesn’t put the apple in the way in time, Bob might walk right off the edge of a platform and into the abyss.

As Bob sleepwalks along, the next six steps he will take appear on the tiles below. This gives players the ability to see where they need to drop the apple to block his path. While controlling Subob, grab the apple and place it in front of Bob so that, when he walks into it, he turns clockwise and walks a different direction. Bob only walks forward and only turns clockwise. So, keep that in mind when redirecting his path.

You can then pick up the apple and quickly place it in the next spot you wish to force Bob to turn clockwise again. Repeat the process until Bob walks directly through his bedroom door and safely into bed.

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This dreamlike atmosphere is full of stairways and strange visual aesthetics. Players can walk up stairs, which then allow them to walk along walls as if there was no gravity, which there is or Bob wouldn’t fall off the edge. At times, you will need to walk Subob along a sideways path in order to find an obstacle.

As the game progresses, new elements are added, which complicates the process of manipulating Bob’s path. For example, walking clocks will get in Bob’s way, which will cause him to wake up and you have to start again. In some levels, you must guide Bob through a portal in order for him to appear on another platform, but then must run to where he is at and stop him from falling off the edge.

There are four worlds with 15 “dreams” in each. After you’ve successfully put Bob to bed in the first two worlds, you will unlock “Nightmare mode,” which doubles the challenge.

Back to Bed is available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch for $3.99. Download it in the App Store today.

What do you think of Back to Bed? Let us know in the comments below.