The main character of the Ukrainian indie horror platformer Through the Nightmares has become a guest character in the new part of the cult series, Super Meat Boy 3D. The Kyiv studio Sandman Team said that although their game failed in terms of sales, they are pleased to see their character in the series that served as inspiration.
The main character of the Ukrainian indie horror platformer Through the Nightmares has become a guest character in the new part of the cult series, Super Meat Boy 3D. The Kyiv studio Sandman Team said that although their game failed in terms of sales, they are pleased to see their character in the series that served as inspiration.
According to the developers, it was the experience of playing the original Super Meat Boy ten years ago that motivated the team to create their own project.
«We ignored those who told us that hardcore platformers don’t sell, and kept making them. We spent nine years of our lives on it. While it doesn’t solve the sales problems, it makes us feel like it was all worth it», the Sandman Team noted.
Indie studio Sandman Team and publisher Pingle Studio released the hardcore atmospheric platformer Through the Nightmares in June 2025 on Steam, as well as PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. It sees players journey through a world of childhood nightmares as the Sandman.
Despite the high community rating (96% positive reviews on Steam based on 62 reviews), the project failed to attract much attention from players. The Sandman Team noted that they managed to sell only a few hundred copies. Analytical gaming services estimate sales of Through the Nightmares at 950–1200 copies.
Super Meat Boy 3D is a hardcore platformer where you play as an animated meat cube trying to save his girlfriend, made of bandages, from an evil embryo hiding inside a test tube.
The guest character system is traditional for the franchise: it allows you to complete levels as heroes from other popular indie games. In addition to the Ukrainian hero from Through the Nightmares, this part has already featured a headcrab from Half-Life, a character from PEAK, and others.
