Design Statement
When listening to the theme track, we were struck by the stark shift between its soft, comforting music-box opening and the heavier, eerie mood that creeps in later. It immediately brought to mind a kid trying to fall asleep, where a cozy bedroom slowly turns intimidating as late-night anxieties set in.

We built the core loop around that musical transition. Each round has a calm Preparation phase where you plan out defenses using childhood bedroom staples: blanket forts to route enemies, bedside lamp towers firing star sparks, and teddy bears healing you with heart pulses. When the song turns dark, the room dims into the Survival phase and you have to fight off creeping shadows with your bubblegun alongside your towers.

To emphasize strategy over luck, we went with deterministic upgrades after each wave so players can purposefully patch weaknesses in their build. And win or lose, we kept it gentle: you either wake up peacefully to morning light or startle awake safe under your covers.

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
DESIGN STATEMENT:

When listening to the theme track, we were struck by the stark shift between its soft, comforting music-box opening and the heavier, eerie mood that creeps in later. It immediately brought to mind a kid trying to fall asleep, where a cozy bedroom slowly turns intimidating as late-night anxieties set in.

We built the core loop around that musical transition. Each round has a calm Preparation phase where you plan out defenses using childhood bedroom staples: blanket forts to route enemies, bedside lamp towers firing star sparks, and teddy bears healing you with heart pulses. When the song turns dark, the room dims into the Survival phase and you have to fight off creeping shadows with your bubblegun alongside your towers.

To emphasize strategy over luck, we went with deterministic upgrades after each wave so players can purposefully patch weaknesses in their build. And win or lose, we kept it gentle: you either wake up peacefully to morning light or startle awake safe under your covers.



==================================================



GAME INSTRUCTIONS:

LAUNCH STEPS
- Web (Browser): Play directly on this page. Click the Fullscreen button in the bottom-right corner for the best experience.
- Windows (Standalone): Download and extract SweetDreams_Windows.zip, then open SweetDreams.exe.


CONTROLS
- WASD or Arrow Keys: Move
- Mouse: Aim
- Left-Click: Shoot bubblegun / Place structure
- Right-Click: Cancel placement
- [1]: Blanket Barricade (press 1 again to flip horizontal/vertical)
- [2]: Lamp Tower
- [3]: Teddy Dispenser
- [X]: Demolish Mode (hover and click a structure for a 50% refund)
- Spacebar: Dodge Dash
- Esc: Pause / Sound settings


GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
- Preparation Phase: You have 30 seconds between rounds to place blanket barricades, towers, and teddy dispensers. Keep an eye on your Thoughts (currency) and Memory (structure cap). Hit "Start Wave >>" in the top-right if you want to jump straight in.
- Survival Phase: The room gets dark and nightmare mobs attack from the walls. Use barricades to funnel enemies, towers to help pick them off, and dispensers to stay healed while shooting and dodging with your bubblegun. Defeated mobs drop dream thoughts.
- Upgrades: Clear a wave to pick upgrades that increase your damage, attack speed, and structure stats.
- Bosses: Watch out for the Tank Boss stomp on Wave 5, and survive the encroaching darkness of The Devourer on Wave 10 to beat the game!

Gameplay walkthrough video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KdY3brsDq9g&feature=youtu.be

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
No.