A Dream About Parking Lots Review (Xbox)
A Dream About Parking Lots (Xbox)
Publisher: Interactive Dreams
Developer: Interactive Dreams
Genre:
PEGI: 7
Comments:
I never expected a game about parking lots to stir so many feelings. This indie walking simulator invited me into a dreamy, slightly eerie world where the mundane becomes surprisingly meaningful. In around 30–35 minutes, I found myself reflecting on memory, loss, and the strange beauty hiding in plain sight.
You wake up in an empty parking structure, clutching a car key fob that’s your only guide. Each level feels familiar yet off-kilter—rows of cars under flickering lights, concrete pillars stretching in odd directions. It’s like walking through someone’s half-remembered dream, where every corner holds a whisper of something personal.
Moving at a deliberate pace, you tap the fob and listen for its beeping echo. The closer you get, the more urgent that beep becomes, until headlights flash and you’ve found your car. It’s a simple loop—listen, wander, discover—but there’s a gentle rhythm to it. I found myself drawn into the patience it demands, almost meditative in how it slows you down.
Between each parking lot, you chat with a therapist character through text prompts. Those conversations peel back the layers—your worries, creative blockages, even hidden regrets. Picking dialogue doesn’t change the outcome, but it shapes how I connected to the character’s inner world. I walked away thinking about my own daydreams and midnight worries.
Visually, the game feels like a faded photograph come to life. Concrete edges blur, lights glow with soft halos, and distant noises echo just out of focus. The sound design is quiet but haunting: footsteps in empty halls, that key fob’s ping, and a low hum that ties everything together. It’s all so unobtrusive, yet it seeps into your bones.
On Xbox Series X, everything ran smoothly—no hiccups, no long load screens. Controls are straightforward: move with the stick, press a button to ping your fob. The unhurried pace might frustrate if you want instant action, but it perfectly suits the dreamlike mood.
A Dream About Parking Lots isn’t for everyone. It’s short, slow, and a little odd. But if you’re open to something introspective and offbeat, it’s a tiny gem. For five dollars and half an hour of your time, it offers a quiet space to wander, wonder, and maybe uncover something new about yourself. I’ll be thinking about these empty lots long after I turned off my console.
Trailer
Article By Kevin Austin
