An indie game based on Winsor McCay's groundbreaking comic strip.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
March Update - New Playtest Build on Steam!
2 days ago
– Fri, Mar 13, 2026 at 08:55:15 AM
Hi Dreamers! Adrian here.
This will be shorter than our usual monthly update as the rest of the team is out at the Game Developers Conference at the moment, however I wanted to let you all know that the playtest build we have on Steam has seen a major update!
First, a big thanks to everyone who has played so far! We've heard so many great things from you and have been able to knock out some bugs we didn't know about and make the overall game experience smoother thanks to your feedback! With this next update, we're hoping to onboard more people into the game and get as much data as possible. It's been a huge help, so if you haven't yet, bet sure to request access on our Steam page so you can check out the newest update to the game (and maybe give us a wishlist if you haven't yet! It really helps!), and if you have already, you can jump into the game again and see what's new.
As for this update, alongside bug fixes and some minor balance tweaks, we've made some pretty major adjustments to how jumping works in the game. Apart from making it feel a bit smoother and responsive, Nemo is now able to get a new ability early in his adventure: the Dream Jump.
The Dream Jump lets Nemo and friends jump even higher after a normal jump!
With the Dream Jump, Nemo and his friends can get a big boost on subsequent jumps directly after the standard jump. It costs magic to use, however, so keep an eye on your magic gauge in the top left corner, or you'll only be able to do the standard jump! We've been really happy with how this new ability makes the game feel more dynamic, as the decision of how you will approach new challenges and utilize our characters other abilities such as Nemo's glide more deliberate and interesting. Check it out, and be sure to let us know what you think on our Discord server, which you can access via our website.
That's it for this update! Again, we hope you enjoy the latest build to the game. If you run into any issues with the game on Steam, please be sure to fill out our bug submission form. It is still a work in progress, and we appreciate your help and feedback as we continue to push forward.
Until next time, Dreamers!
Adrian
Steam Playtest Update
about 1 month ago
– Mon, Feb 02, 2026 at 05:50:51 AM
Hi all!
I just updated the Steam Playtest to continue where the last playtest ended. The game now is able to be continued into the Ice Palace, the home of Jack Frost.
This is our largest level so far, but is still under construction - so some cinema scenes may not work exactly as intended and a few areas may be available that aren't supposed to be yet.
There are lots of unique enemies and challenges in this level, and you'll finally able to recruit Flip!
Steam Playtest
about 2 months ago
– Wed, Jan 21, 2026 at 08:10:28 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
January update - birbs, MAGFest, and Steam Playtesting Access!
about 2 months ago
– Thu, Jan 15, 2026 at 10:11:29 AM
Happy New Year Dreamers!
We hope you and your families had a good and relaxing holiday break. We did, but also were able to get a lot done on the game and with other stuff, so this update will have a lot of exciting news!
First, birbs
We have mentioned this system before, but in the game, Nemo and his friends will be able to collect "Figments", which are created whenever Nemo does something nice for the citizens of Slumberland. These Figments will be used by the player to tear down barriers made of nightmare energy that block certain parts of the game. In gameplay terms, these will work like the Star Doors in Super Mario 64, where Mario has to collect enough Stars to unlock the doors.
A nightmare barrier in the level editor. These will show you the number of figments required to destroy them when you approach.
We had long wondered what the Figments are - are they energy? are they stars? How would they show up on-screen and in the interface.
Once again, we went to the comics!
In this latter-day Dream of the Rarebit Fiend comic (technically one of the ones he did at the Hearst Papers under a different title, but now considered part of the Rarebit series), McCay shows us cartoonists at their desks, with one having trouble finding an idea. A cute bird-like creature appears, carrying the label "IDEA". The struggling cartoonist picks it up and holds it, until the other cartoonist (caricatures of McCay and one of his co-workers), asks him about the weather, at which point the Idea runs off.
We loved the idea of Figments as little bird-like creatures, and started sketching what McCay's Idea bird could look like with more modern sensibilities.
The first version of the Figment, based on the Dream of the Rarebit Fiend comic Idea Bird - too "Peanuts"
We came up with the little character above, which while cute, did not fit the look we were going for in the game - it felt a little too "Peanuts" for what we were trying to achieve. Then we thought about potential birds to model the character on and remembered the Hokkaido Snow Fairy (Shima-enaga), and thought that it would be the perfect model.
The Figment sketch, based on the Hokkaido Snow Fairy
From there, we worked out coloring and details of how it would be used in the game, then arrived at what is now the in-game sprite.
Working out potential tail designs, we decided to go for a simplified tail (top) to maintain a fun ball shape
Little Nemo at MAGFest
Our next bit of news was that we were at MAGFest 2026 with our usual booth. It was great to show the game and connect with some of you during the event, also getting lots of bugs fixed and design questions worked out. We even debuted a rough cut of our new game intro animation!
The booth during setup
We had pretty steady crowds throughout the week!
At one point, the arcade cabinet broke, but Flip was on the case!
It was back up just in time for Mega Man to visit!
Ben played his sax at the booth, including music from the game, and other game soundtrack classics.
Updated website and Steam Playtest access incoming!
Last, but most certainly not least, is that we're going to make our latest build of the game available via Steam's playtesting feature!
We're still working out some of the bugs we found at MAGfest, preparing the game on Steam's backend client and going over the details, but we'll check back with another update in the next few days with information on when and how YOU may experience Little Nemo & the Nightmare Fiends on Steam in due time!
The front page of our current website, with new links to Steam, Discord, our mailing list, and Backerkit up top.
The website now provides easy access to our Backerkit that allows folks to pre-order the game (and participate in the playtest if they haven't backed already!), join our discord or sign up for our mailing list for future updates, and of course find Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends on Steam. Speaking of, if you haven't wishlisted our game yet, this is your monthly reminder to please consider adding us to said wishlist! It will really help us out when the game releases! You can wishlist on our store page here!
That's all for this month's update! Again, we'll have more information on the Steam playtest rollout very soon. We look forward to you all checking out the game and giving us your feedback so we can make the best possible game we can!
Until next time, Dreamers!
~ Team Nemo
November/Early December update!
3 months ago
– Fri, Dec 05, 2025 at 02:01:55 PM
Happy December Dreamers,
We've got a lot of things going on at Team Nemo HQ, so let's just get right into it!
An art exhibition!
We were honored to have been asked to be a part of the Cleveland Institute of Art Reinberger Gallery's new exhibition, Free Play: Innovative Ohio Game Design. This exhibition features games developed by Ohio-based game designers, and includes games like The Bridge by Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, Davionne Gooden's She Dreams Elsewhere, several "applied" games for advocacy and physical therapy, and the Peabody Award-winning We Are OFK by Team OFK. Nemo is presented next to large wall-mounted prints of some of Winsor McCay's original comics. The exhibition is open until February 8th, if anyone is in the area and interested in checking it out. Here are some images from the exhibition opening:
Gamedev updates!
Of course, we've been working on the game as well. We've significantly improved the game's physics and are continuing to put together a lot of the back-end systems and polish up the interface. We've also been sprucing up things like the Flower Puzzle in the house (the one that opens the door to the Mushroom Forest) to make it more of a puzzle and less of a fetch quest. We're also adding things like the kitchen cookbook function, so that players will be able to change their journey through Slumberland by having Nemo snack before going to bed (more on the actual design of this system in an upcoming update.) We also added animations for every character's version of locked doors that will open only when they attack them (Peony's are already in the demo that you all have, but we added Flip and Princess's.)
We're adding some Art Nouveau touches to text boxes and bits of the interface, along with a lot of work on functionality so it feels more final
This is very work-in-progress, so art/graphics/functionality will change, but players will be using a cookbook interface to make snacks in the kitchen
Editing the flower puzzle - players will need to figure out which colored flowers to place next to one another (flowers can also be distinguished by their shape)
Characters will also have doors and switches unique to each of them, to add additional ways to block off pathways through the world and entice exploration. Here's a Flip door.
Other fulfillment items
We're starting production on our other fulfillment items. As of right now, the most visual thing to share is the t-shirt, which features a piece of art featuring the player characters and the Nightmare Fiends. We're excited to get these things assembled and will keep everyone update as all the rewards are assembled for distribution to you.
That's all for now! Look for more updates soon, as we continue our latest push to the next demo and Early Access.
