You don’t need iam8bit to tell you that sleep is a vital requirement for humans. The importance of dreams — and how they impact your day-to-day life — is a fascinating topic indeed, but it takes a creative team to spin that topic into, of all things, a chill lo-fi rhythm game. The talented folks at the aptly named Half Asleep Games are just the right insomniacs for the job. Their debut title Melatonin explores the relationship between the dreams we have when we’re asleep and the experiences we go through when we’re awake. Unlike traditional rhythm games, Melatonin eschews obtrusive UI elements and instead keeps the player on beat by coupling whimsical animations with welcoming and surprising sound cues. The result is a chill-but-ponderous exploration through the unconscious mind, powered by an unforgettable soundtrack bursting with bits, bops, and beeps that fuel your curiosity and focus. “Cozy electronica” is the best way to describe this compelling selection of songs, as if an anthropomorphized Omnichord were to tuck you under the covers and read you a sweet bedtime story. It’s the kind of video game soundtrack that, quite frankly, demands a vinyl release and we were happy to oblige. This is the Melatonin 2xLP. Cade Phillips’ inventive original soundtrack (featuring additional songs by Yotam Perel, Mothense, and Filippo Vicarelli) comes to life on two gorgeous Lavender Vinyl discs, perfect for spinning as you doze off, drifting sweetly into dreamland. For the album art, snowlattes put together a sweetly cozy piece that brings to mind homey bedrooms and staying up “much-too-late on a work night.” Sleep tight
