SIMULACRA: Pipe Dreams
In SIMULACRA: Pipe Dreams, Teddy’s life further falls apart as he starts to forget some pretty important things… He finds messages that he has no recollection of sending, and often finds himself blacking out with huge gaps of time missing. And it all started after he downloaded this mysterious free game called “FlapeeBird”. It is up to you to help Teddy break free from the game’s unnatural hold over him.
A story that unfolds entirely on the screen of a mobile phone, play the game as if you are using one. With it comes a few returning simulated apps such as Jabbr and Surfr, while introducing a brand new one called “FlapeeBird”
FlapeeBird plays just like a real mobile tapping game, with its own scores and powers ups. it even shows you “Ads” which might come in handy if you need help in winning the game.
The story will be affected by the decisions you make in the game. What you say to Teddy will affect what actions he will take. Your choices you make while playing “FlapeeBird” will also determine your character’s fate.
Explore the greater mystery behind the SIMULACRA universe. What are these “SIMULACRA”? How is “Gateway 31” connected to them? Discover an intricate web of hidden messages, secret websites and mysterious phone numbers as you dive deeper into the lore and origins of this strange phenomenon.
Game Discussion
Steam User 2
was so sick of seeing teddys face through my countless playthroughs but then it came full circle and now i miss him. i love teddy.
Steam User 1
It may not be content-rich as the other two Simulacra games but it is still sure as hell good!
Steam User 1
Been a very huge fan of the Simulacra series for just over a couple years now. I had already played the first Simulacra before this one so my standards were quite high.
It should be mentioned if you're looking for a long story like the first Simulacra, you'll be disappointed. I think this is more so a spin off if anything.
I love how it dives into addiction, especially with video games as it's a relevant issue in our modern day. The feeling of validation, euphoria and excitement when beating a high score which causes addiction in some people especially when they're at their most vulnerable. As an example, when we learn everything is going wrong in Teddy's life such as his job, relationships and mental health. He mentioned he always turned to video games as it helped him with a sense of belonging.
I really do like the psychological horror aspect, it hasn't lost its touch from the first Simulacra, creepy jumpscares when you least expect it and those damn ads. It really does make you think and ask yourself questions such as:
"What am I really agreeing to when I hit "Accept" on Terms and Conditions pages? No one reads them." Hence the IRIS OS and "FlapeeBird" asking very peculiar questions and showing non stop ads.
It quite literally is the slogan, what if a game plays you? Certainly did, that damn bird game is irritating.
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience with SIMULACRA: Pipe Dreams and would definitely revisit this to 100% my achievements. If you're a thriller enthusiast, give it a go!
Steam User 1
SIMULACRA: Pipe Dreams is a *free* spin-off where your job is to help a guy named Teddy escape the psychological grip of a mobile game called **FlapeeBird**.
So yeah, this is a horror game about:
* A phone
* A bootleg Flappy Bird clone
* And the very real possibility that gacha ads are actually demonic sigils
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### Pros:
* Entire game plays out on a fake smartphone, complete with messages, emails, browser, and a bird game that absolutely ruins Teddy’s life.
* FlapeeBird is a **real** minigame with power-ups, scores, and in-game “ads” that are suspiciously helpful… which is definitely not ominous at all.
* Your choices in chats **and** in the cursed game affect the story, so you get to decide whether you’re a concerned friend or the devil on Teddy’s shoulder shouting “one more round.”
* Lots of hidden websites, phone numbers, and lore crumbs for the SIMULACRA universe if you enjoy becoming a conspiracy theorist over fictional malware.
* Very Positive on Steam and also **free**, meaning the only thing it costs is your trust in mobile games forever.
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### Cons:
* You’ll start out mocking Teddy for being addicted to FlapeeBird, then catch yourself grinding score like a sleep-deprived esports pro.
* Ads inside the phone game are “useful,” which is the scariest supernatural element of all.
* Every time Teddy spirals, you realize you may not be helping… but the achievement pop-ups say otherwise.
* By the end, you’re not sure if the horror is the Simulacra entity or the fact you recognize half the predatory game design tricks from real life.
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### Peak Pipe Dreams Experience:
* Downloading it for the meme, staying because an imaginary owl-OS and a cursed bird game have you emotionally invested.
* Telling Teddy to uninstall… while immediately queueing “just one more” FlapeeBird run yourself.
* Discovering secret sites and cold case recordings and thinking, “Ah yes, the normal content hidden behind my off-brand Flappy Bird.”
* Closing the game and side-eyeing **every** mobile notification on your real phone for the rest of the night.
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9/10
It’s clever, short, and way too real if you’ve ever lost a weekend to a dumb tap game.
Would ruin a man’s life with a bird app and call it “helping my friend through his addiction arc” again.
Steam User 0
It's really fun. Horribly boring depending on your choices for sure, but I do recommend this game to others if you enjoy horror.
Steam User 0
despite this one honestly feeling a bit like a joke, i actually had as much fun as i did for the 1st game? its very goofy for what it is, but i feel it matches very similar energy to the 1st game, and i loved what that game did.
overall, i kind of prefer this one over the 2nd game? a funny game for sure, but i had fun with it
Steam User 0
This game was pretty fun to play through, seeing all that it holds. It has fair amount of dialogue or interesting or humorous texts. There are plenty of easter eggs and secrets that are unrelated to any story or achievement which made the few that I did come across fairly rewarding. Though to be fair, I think this game would really hard to fully complete without the aid of an external guide, as this game can get fairly foggy on what you need to do or where you need to find information to get these shockingly convoluted achievements. I've poked around on my own before looking at a guide and I figured out some stuff, but the majority of it, I don't understand how you were so supposed to solve half of these lengthy goose chases.
But for the game and how it presents itself, it's fairly solid. A good story, never felt like it was really a waste of anytime. Would have loved for the fake ads in the game to be able to skip through them much quicker, especially after replaying the game multiple times to get the rest of the achievements. You would have replay parts quite a handful of times if you want to see everything this game has to offer. A game doesn't need to hold my hand for me to want to play it but the grindy achievements of having to use a boost 50 times or score 300 points in a fake flappy bird, felt unnecessary.
But overall, I enjoyed it. You don't lose very much playing this game, unless you would want to solve it unaided for the secrets, then you might lose your sanity. Recommended it if you're looking for something interesting and FREE!