LSD: Dream Emulator | |
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Developer(s) | Asmik Ace Entertainment |
Publisher(s) | Asmik Ace Entertainment |
Producer(s) | Osamu Sato |
Designer(s) |
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Programmer(s) | Yoshinori Maeda |
Artist(s) |
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Composer(s) | Osamu Sato |
Platform(s) | PlayStation |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Exploration game |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
LSD: Dream Emulator is a 1998 exploration game by Asmik Ace Entertainment, released for the PlayStation. In LSD, the player explores surreal environments without any objective. If they touch anything in the environment, such as walls, creatures or objects, they will be warped to another setting. The game was conceived by Japanese artist Osamu Sato, who rejected the idea of games, and wanted to use the PlayStation as a medium for creating contemporary art. The game's concept is based on a dream diary kept by an Asmik Ace employee for over a decade.
The game received a limited release in Japan, alongside a soundtrack and a book composed of excerpts from the dream diary. LSD quickly fell into obscurity, but in years since has experienced a resurgence in popularity due to its eccentricity being a point of discussion on numerous gaming forums, as well as several Let's Play commentators. The game was also released on the Japanese PlayStation Store in 2010. Critics have praised its psychedelic and whimsical qualities, and LSD has been cited as one of the most experimental video games of all time.