Samael
Born from the mind of Daniel Stamm, A Guide to Dream Travel (the gamebook protagonist of this review) is exactly what its title suggests: a guided journey through the realm of dreams. But don’t worry, you won’t need backpacks, luggage, or pointless check-ins; instead, arm yourself with your favorite d20. First, though, I want to thank the publisher, Atlas Games, for providing us with the physical product, allowing me to write this article.
You can purchase A Guide to Dream Travel, exclusively in English, on the official store by following this link. The digital copy costs $4.95 (a little over 4 euros), while the physical product is available for $19.95 (around 17 euros).
An Ever-New Fairytale
A Guide to Dream Travel, the focus of this review, is a unique gamebook that acts as a bedtime story generator. Armed with a 20-sided die, each roll will mark a step through the 5 chapters that make up a short and charming tale. Thanks to the randomness, new scenarios and events will be created every time, enriched by your own imagination.
In A Guide to Dream Travel, each chapter asks questions you answer with a dice roll: Where are we going tonight? What happens when we arrive?
So, with this gamebook, don’t be surprised if you end up in a city built on clouds or a Middle Eastern market where aliens are hiding among the people, or even a place where everything is made of candy. If you’d seen me while I was testing it for this review, you would’ve noticed me smiling more than once at the delightful plots that came to life.
The Story Engine
As mentioned at the beginning of this review, A Guide to Dream Travel is made up of 5 chapters, the main pillars of the stories we’ll uncover and tell, including places, characters, and situations.
Each chapter asks 3 questions, two of which have 20 options each. Thanks to your trusty 20-sided die and a bit of pure chance, the bedtime story machine kicks into gear. The third question lets you invent something or (by pointing your finger at another page of random words) find encouragement to continue.
Roll the dice 10 times, point your finger randomly at the page, and there you have it: your bizarre fairytale. Already done? Yes, that’s A Guide to Dream Travel!
Review of A Guide to Dream Travel‘s Aesthetics
As soon as I started flipping through A Guide to Dream Travel for this review, I immediately noticed that, despite being only 22 pages long, the quality of the materials was remarkable.
The thick, glossy pages are fully illustrated, leaving no blank spaces. Each chapter has its own main color, while images of gnomes and cute trolls, truly reminiscent of a bedtime storybook, accompany the entire narrative. Just slightly smaller than an A4 (measuring 21×28 cm), it features a hardcover and illustrated cover that perfectly aligns with the entire purpose of this little gem.
Conclusion of the A Guide to Dream Travel Review
If you have little ones you tell bedtime stories to, you absolutely can’t miss this small but charming product. And if you don’t, well, there’s always time to awaken your inner child and let yourself smile at the story this incredibly unique gamebook conjures up for you.
But, sentimentality aside, I can confirm that with its over 200 possibilities dictated by chance, there’s no risk of repetition. It constantly offers new alternatives, strange twists, and fresh stories to invent.
