Finally Awake (somnogame)

Finally Awake is a 2048 multiplayer somnogame developed by Moodoo and published by Zhupao on November 27th 2048. Written and directed by Samuel Domian, Finally Awake was the launch title of the Reverie console and has been credited with the popularisation of somnogames.

Combining a roleplaying game (RPG) with elements of social deduction, Finally Awake tasks players with completing various puzzle rooms to reach the Demiurge, the being responsible for creating the game world. One team of players is secretly given the task to sabotage the others and turn the shared dream into a nightmare.

Finally Awake was a critical and commercial success upon release, with particular praise for its pioneering use of subjective dream logic. The departure of Domian and his subsequent replacement with a custom artificial intelligence (AI) has resulted in a significant backlash from fans.

SettingPermalink

Finally Awake is set in a fantastical land that is being dreamed into existence by the Demiurge, a powerful being that is sleeping in the Throne Room. The objective of the game is to reach the Throne Room and keep the Demiurge asleep in order to safeguard the land, or wake it up if the dream has turned into a nightmare.

The role of the Demiurge serves as the gamemaster and can be assumed by Moodoo staff or a custom artificial intelligence (AI). Before he was removed as Moodoo’s creative director, Samuel Domian was known for organising sessions of Finally Awake where he acted as the Demiurge, which became highly popular due to Domian’s talent for adapting the game to the specific actions and experiences of players. ^[1]

GameplayPermalink

When the game starts, players are randomly and secretly assigned to two different teams: Fantasies and Fears, with Fantasies typically outnumbering Fears by two to three players. Fantasies can only see their own team affiliation while Fears are aware of each other’s identities. The main objective of each team is to complete a series of puzzle rooms known as Tracks while losing as few members as possible.

TracksPermalink

Tracks are puzzle rooms that players have to collaboratively solve before progressing. They obey dream logic and often contain one or more deadly elements, which can eliminate players who can then choose to spectate or wake up. ^[2] Once a Track has been started, progression to the next Track is blocked until all remaining players have reached the end of the current Track.

Players can choose a total of three to six Tracks per game, with each Track selected from a fixed rotation. Tracks can contain environmental obstacles, interactive objects, and non-player characters (NPCs). Most elements in a Track are visible to all players, but some only appear to specific players based on their role or the Track’s puzzle. Players must complete each Track before the timer runs out at risk of elimination.

Throne RoomPermalink

After each Track has been completed, players reach the Throne Room, which contains no challenge or puzzle. Players instead proceed to a voting round to decide whether they want to wake up the Demiurge or keep it asleep. If the Fears outnumber the Fantasies, the Demiurge is secretly switched to its Nightmare state. Otherwise, it remains in the default Dream state.

The Fantasies win if the Demiurge is kept in its Dream or awakened from its Nightmare, while the Fears win if the Demiurge is kept in its Nightmare or awakened from its Dream. In the case of a tie, players are free to eliminate each other until a majority is reached. ^[3]

See alsoPermalink

• Samuel Domian
• Moodoo

ReferencesPermalink