Sleep is Death is like a choose your own adventure book. However, instead of flicking through pages (keeping a thumb in place to prevent an unfair death) you are giving your answer to the writer of the story as they look over your shoulder. This game requires two players. One to set the scenes and the other to play the role of the lead character. The single screen view of each 'scene' depends solely on each of the two players - and it plays out 30 seconds at a time; switching from the controller to the player after the other has their turn.
This game is a toolset; one which allows you to create a unique (or cliché if you're useless) game world - limited only by your ability to be interesting - and within the world the game is your own. Game mechanics don't exist in any real sense: You set the scene (you, being the role of "controller") while the player gives his direction by moving his sprite, giving his lines and using objects in single word verb actions.
It's actually hard to explain. The simplest explanation makes it sound like two people are simply making up a story - taking turns to deliver lines. To some extent that's true, but the benefit of having a game world to manipulate creates a sense of involvement to the proceedings which can not exist on pen and paper. Sprites, backgrounds and music are all shared among the community which seems to be expanding daily.
The main attraction and flaw in 'Sleep is Death' is that it is absolutely and solely dependant on the quality of participation from those who participate. I suggest finding a friend to play with first. That way you can better understand the process, rather than playing with those you meet online (www.sidtube.com) who may be an anonymous sh*tbag from the internet who's only motivation appears to be the destruction of the shared narrative.
I hope I've helped you understand the game a little - enough maybe to encourage you to investigate. My review though is dependant on how it 'plays' as a game. It's best asset in my mind is that it isn't competitive in the traditional sense. The structure and time restrictions both lean a player towards cooperative play (of sorts). When it works, it is an absolute joy to play - whether as controller or player - but if you are stuck in a terrible scene by a boring controller, or struggling to find people to try your game so you can act as controller yourself, there is nothing to save you.
£10 (or $14) to buy with no DRM makes this an ideal experiment for PC owners. It's exactly the kind of experience that is dependant on keyboard, mouse and a desire to be creative that is simply not possible to recreate on a console. PC gaming may be considered by some to have passed its prime, but that approximation ignores the potential that PCs can generate - one guy decided this was a good idea and so he made it. The results have been wonderful. For an idea of how finished games look check out the link here: http://sidtube.com/gallery/order_by/ratings/
