A Dream About Parking Lots is a short walking sim where you wander through a series of maze-like parking lots looking for your car... while talking to your therapist. Yep, that's the game. And weirdly? It works.
It's made by Take IT Studio! and it’s inspired by real dreams, specifically, those ones where you’re lost, stuck, and searching for something that's supposed to be familiar.
Gameplay
You play as a nameless character, referred to only as “the Dreamer”, armed with nothing but a set of car keys. Your task is simple: find your car. But each of the game's five dream levels presents this task as a maze-like experience. The twist? The car you're looking for changes in every level, and you’re not told what it looks like.
Instead, you rely on your keys. Pressing X (or the appropriate button on your platform) causes your car to briefly flash its lights and sound the alarm, but only when you’re nearby, adding a subtle puzzle element to your wandering.
As you roam the endless rows of cars, your therapist speaks to you, probing about the recurring dream you keep having about being lost in a parking lot. The dialogue is introspective, and while you do get to choose your responses, there are no concrete answers. Your therapist acts as a guide, urging you to reach your own conclusions.
Visuals and Sound
The visuals are simple and retro, with a hazy filter over everything to give it that dreamy, not-quite-real feeling. There’s nothing flashy here, it’s all about the experience.
A quiet piano score plays in the background, with no voice acting, enhancing the solitude and reflection at the heart of the experience.
Achievements
The game is brief, with a full playthrough clocking in at roughly 30 to 40 minutes. If you’re hunting for achievements or a Platinum trophy, this is an easy one. Most achievements unlock simply by playing through the story, though there are a couple of quirky ones:
- Finding your car before your therapist finishes speaking
- Standing still in a dream for 7.5 minutes
- Waiting at least a minute after a conversation ends before entering your car
Final Thoughts
While A Dream About Parking Lots is short on runtime and light on visual flair, it carves out a unique space in the gaming landscape. Wandering through parking lots might sound dull on paper, but the ongoing conversations with your therapist adds a layer of introspection that elevates the experience. It might even have you Googling, why do I keep dreaming about parking lots?
Personally, I found A Dream About Parking Lots to be an intriguing and oddly relatable. I've definitely had the parking lot dream before"”wandering around, clicking my keys, hoping to hear that familiar beep in the distance. Maybe you have too. Let us know in the comments below.
A Dream About Parking Lots was reviewed on an Xbox Series X. Gamer Social Club would like to thank the developer and publisher for the code.
The game was previously released on PC. The game releases on Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch on July 31, 2025.
