Memoirium Brings PS1-Style Soulslike Action to Steam

Soulslikes keep spreading across Steam, and the genre’s recent mainstream momentum has indie teams rushing to deliver fresh twists. Memoirium is one of the more intriguing entries: it pairs Dark Souls-style combat with a retro PS1 look—and, crucially, sets the whole experience inside the protagonist’s dreams.

A PS1 aesthetic with a dream-world twist

Memoirium is built around a retro presentation inspired by the original PlayStation era—an approach that’s often used in horror to make characters and environments feel more unsettling. In this case, that same visual language is positioned to amplify the soulslike mood, especially because Memoirium’s gameplay and look are meant to feel like something new to players who associate the genre’s roots with FromSoftware’s older work.

What distinguishes it from many indie soulslikes isn’t just the look, though. Rather than treating the world as traditional sci-fi or fantasy, Memoirium places players entirely in dreamscapes. The result is a liminal, rule-bending setting where the game can shift tone and geography without needing to justify it through a conventional fantasy map.

Combat that feels familiar—then expands the variety

Memoirium’s Steam page describes a structure designed for exploration and careful progression. Players will traverse locations that range from unsettling classrooms and graveyards to forests and castles, while managing resources thoughtfully: items replenish only at certain points, limiting healing and other tools.

The combat presentation is also clearly aiming for Dark Souls fans. The game uses mechanics and combat language that echo the series—such as item functionality reminiscent of an Estus Flask, animations that resemble Dark Souls-style motion, dodge rolls, finishing maneuvers, lock-ons, and health bars.

Beyond that core feel, Memoirium leans into unpredictability through its interconnected world design and its dungeon lineup. The game is planned to include eight dungeons, each with its own standard enemies, mini-bosses, and major bosses. Because everything happens in dreams, those dungeons can vary dramatically—one moment players may be moving through an abandoned classroom, and the next they could be in an underwater liminal space with a distinctly retro reinterpretation of modern visual vibes.

Gear, spells, and more—plus a first-person room hub

Memoirium’s content breadth is a major part of its pitch. Developer GoldenGratus says players will collect and use a wide spread of equipment and combat options, including 14 armor sets, masks, and off-hand items; 25 consumable keepsakes that grant passive buffs; 31 distinct weapons; and 67 lullabies, described as spells.

The armor system is positioned as more than cosmetics. The gear is described as game-changing, with effects that can alter enemy reactions to the Dreamer or counter negative statuses. The sets are also intended to look distinct, including designs that evoke a ninja-like transformation and others that resemble a comic-style villain silhouette.

Then there’s the room customization. After waking from the dream segments, players return to a first-person bedroom hub where they can write in a journal or relax. They’ll also decorate with items found throughout the dream world—beds, tables, computers, and more—adding a layer of immersion between combat encounters.

Key points

• Memoirium is a PS1-styled soulslike set entirely in the protagonist’s dreams.
• Combat is designed to feel Dark Souls-adjacent, including familiar systems like lock-on and dodge rolls.
• The game plans eight dungeons with unique enemy rosters and boss fights across a connected world.
• A first-person bedroom hub lets players decorate using items collected during dream exploration.

Confirmed release information and content scope

Expert View

Memoirium’s pitch signals a clear market pattern: when indie teams can’t out-scale major studios, they can still compete by targeting a specific feeling—here, Dark Souls-like combat—while differentiating with an unusual presentation and setting. The PS1 look plus dream-based world rules suggest the studio understands how to manufacture variety without needing a traditional fantasy justification, and the room decoration hub hints at an effort to keep players engaged between the most punishing moments. For the community, it’s another example of how the soulslike ecosystem is diversifying beyond “Elden Ring-sized” ambitions into smaller, concept-driven experiences that still chase that signature rhythm of risk, timing, and mastery.