An indie game based on Winsor McCay's groundbreaking comic strip.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Steam Playtest Update
20 days 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 1 month 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 1 month 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.
Cheers,
Chris and Team Nemo
October/early November update - Creepy doorways, House puzzles, Ice Palaces - oh my!
4 months ago
– Tue, Nov 04, 2025 at 07:42:27 AM
Hello dearest of Dreamers!
I know we say that every month is a busy month full of progress...but this was once again a busy month full of progress! As you may recall, last month was about getting the first several hours of the game in proper working order, up through the end of the Mushroom Forest environment. This month, we turned our attention back to Jack Frost's Ice Palace to give it the same level of treatment that the early areas received. This included a lot of work on lock puzzle mechanisms that will be applied to the game as a whole, as well as gameplay elements that will let Nemo reach the Ice Palace itself.
The Nightmares are taking over!
Those of you who have played the demo know that the Nightmare Fiends start taking over Slumberland slowly - having a mysterious green wisp of negative energy conjure monsters and bring out the darkness within even friendly characters.
In addition to our ever-expanding collection of enemy characters, we also wanted to give a sense of how the Fiends' influence was affecting Slumberland. In doing so, we also wanted a way to enhance the exploratory nature of the game and usher players towards side-quests and other adventure content.
Cue up this nightmare miasma, which is going to act as a blocking mechanism within the levels. We have alluded to a mechanic that we call "Figments" before. The idea is that when Nemo and friends do a good turn for characters in Slumberland, they receive Figments in return. Those Figments were always planned as a part of a Mario 64-esque lock system (collect so many Figments to be able to take down barriers), and here are the barriers. By making the barriers this creepy sludge, we can make the nightmares feel more pervasive throughout the game world, while achieving some gameplay goals.
This Nightmare goop that has taken over parts of the game can be dispelled by collecting set amounts of Figments, which will power through the negative energy and restore areas of Slumberland.
The goop, or miasma, or sludge (we don't really have an official name for it...) is just a 2D terrain object with some sprites and a particle effect added on for flavor. We've even made it so that creepy eyeballs look at you when you get close!
Here's a non-final prototype of what that door will look like:
Speaking of creepy eyeballs, here's another doorway...
This one is a little different: it's a "skill gate" (i.e. a doorway that players have to use a particular skill or move to pass) that requires players to use Nemo's new Reflect ability to pass. Reflect is a power that lets Nemo (specifically Nemo) deflect enemy projectiles back at them if he can hit them with his sword. It is going to be the basis of a few enemy encounters in the game, so we wanted to make a doorway that trains players to use it. The door's eye fires shots slowly at the player, which they can reflect back to the eyeball.
Here's another look at a prototype of the door (still a work in progress):
When they do hit it...
Animating this stuff is fun...
Getting to ice
Before we show off some of what's going on in the Ice level, we have to first get players there. Part of this involves a puzzle in the house that requires lighting a creepy furnace in the basement.
To reach the Ice Palace, Nemo will have to enter the ice box, but it's frozen solid! He will need to light the furnace to heat up the house. When he goes downstairs, he finds the furnace itself frozen over.
From there, he has to collect a candle and some paper to light the furnace, and some wood to keep it going. He also has to cut the wood into pieces small enough to fit into the furnace itself. All of this can be done by exploring Nemo's house and finding the proper items.
For those that love a good Winsor McCay deep cut, the furnace itself is based on the one from this Dream of the Rarebit Fiend comic, which is also the source of one of our Nightmare Fiend characters, Thanatos. We'll let you wonder if there will be any links between him and the furnace...
As toasty as the house gets though, it doesn't seem that all of the ice will melt...the ice over the kitchen's dumb waiter seems as strong as the ice in Jack Frost's palace itself! It might take something as strong as the sun to melt that...
"By the way..."
Speaking of the Ice Palace, we've started implementing our "Flip Chase" sequence - nightmares and ice cutters have taken over Jack Frost's home, and he and his subjects all say it has something to do with a green guy in a top hat! Could it be? Could Flip taken up with nightmares? Nemo and Peony are on the case, but have to catch him first.
Folks who love the NES game will get a little shoutout here, as Flip will say one of the very small number of lines he got in that game (once again work in progress - please ignore the dummy Flip in the scene)...
While our game can't be a remake of the Capcom game (and honestly, with all of these awesome things from the comic - there are lots of ways it can be very much its own thing), we are excited to put in more moments like this for eagle-eyed Nemo fans!
A different kind of Fiend...
One more game thing - we've added cheese to the game! Here's a quick video of collecting it in our testing room.
What's it for? We've got to leave some surprises, but I'm sure it'll be a gateway to some rare items...
Nemo in the museum and other showcases
Finally, we're happy to announce that Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends has been invited to be a part of the Free Play: Innovative Ohio Game Design exhibition at the Cleveland Institute of Art's Reinberger Gallery. This is a huge honor, as we will be shown alongside aweome indie games like the Peabody Award-winning We Are OFK, Studio Zevere's She Dreams Elsewhere, and some other amazing projects! The exhibition runs from November 7th through February 8th. More info can be found at: https://www.cia.edu/exhibitions/free-play-innovative-ohio-game-design/
We've mentioned this in previous posts, but the game will also be a part of the 2026 MAGFest Indie Videogame Showcase (MIVS) during Super MAGFest, happening January 8-11 in National Harbor, MD. Come see the game in action there - our goal is going to be to have something for those waiting for their Early Access copies around that time. More info on MAGFest at: https://super.magfest.org/
Speaking of MAGFest - we've also got updates on our musical guests, MAGFest veterans Mega Ran and KMurdock! They'll be MC'ing a parade in Slumberland when Little Nemo and crew arrive. Here's an initial look at their sprites:
Whew! That was a lot. As always - we're speeding onward as fast as we can, like an out of control running bed, to get this game into your hands while working to make it as awesome as it possibly can be. Look forward to some additional news soon on physical items, as we've gotten some designs nailed down and will be moving items into production.
