If you’re familiar with Dreamlight Valley, you might also be familiar with a large subculture that surrounds the game. No, I’m not talking about people that hate Vanellope’s house, or who banish villagers they don’t like to floating islands or the far reaches of Eternity Isle. Though those definitely are big things too.
I’m talking about DreamSnaps.
There’s an entire collective that’s obsessed with DreamSnaps, and so many of them are intensely talented at meeting each week’s challenge.
But if I’m honest, DreamSnaps really aren’t my thing. To me, they’re a means to an end, so my goal is pretty much always to do things as lazily as possible. Get it done, get it out the door, and call it a day.
I’ve been hearing lots from my fellow DreamSnap un-enthusiasts about just how intimidating these challenges can be, so today, I figured I’d share how I keep these challenges as low-pressure as possible!
What you'll learn
What are DreamSnaps?
DreamSnaps are a weekly challenge in Dreamlight Valley where you make a scene that fits a theme, take a photo, and submit it for other players to vote on.
It’s actually a pretty common mechanic in cozy games—maybe you’ve seen something similar in Palia’s home tours, The Sims 4’s community gallery, or even in the approvals you have to get from NPCs through Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s Happy Home Paradise expansion.
You can unlock them by bringing Vanellope to your valley and completing her first tutorial quest. Don’t worry—it’s straightforward once you get a prompt for the haunting of Dreamlight Valley!
HEADS UP
DreamSnaps will require an internet connection, so if you’re playing on a console account, you’ll need to make sure you set that up first.
Why I like doing DreamSnap challenges
It can be a fun challenge to figure out how to fit within a theme with specific types of furniture and clothing, especially when you’ve been feeling uninspired.
But I’d be lying if I didn’t say my major motivator for doing DreamSnaps at all was the prizes.
Just submitting a photo, even if it doesn’t get any votes, will net you a safe 300 moonstones—which can help get you fun things from the premium shop. And if you manage to get some votes, then you’re that much closer to that house glamour you’ve been eyeing.
But with that boon comes the pressure of competition.
Why I don’t like doing DreamSnap challenges
For some people, DreamSnaps aren’t just a photo challenge. They are a veritable piece of art. They are a lifestyle. All I have to do is review the previous week’s top submissions and I’ll shrink into my chair like the obviously unimaginative imposter I must be to those people.
But here’s the thing. Amazing DreamSnaps are a ton of work, and it’s perfectly okay to just not have that talent or that patience or whatever. I know I sure don’t.
We don’t have to get anxious over every little decision, and we don’t have to stress over whether people will like it. It’s just a game, after all, and it’s meant to be fun!
So instead, I like to focus on doing my DreamSnaps the lazy way, so I don’t have time to overthink and get frustrated.
3 rules for lazy DreamSnaps
There are a few ways you can be lazy about your DreamSnaps, but the most important thing to remember is that no matter what you’re doing, the point is to keep any pressure off of yourself.
You aren’t aiming for a top-10 DreamSnap, and if I’m honest, this method probably won’t help you get there anyway! The goal here is to make something that you’re happy with, something you don’t mind sending in even if it’s just good enough.
This is actually a principle I learned at work early on in my career. I call it the 80% rule: There will always be situations where, either thanks to a deadline or outside forces, something I’m writing has to get sent in as what I’d consider 80% done.
I don’t love doing it, but it can take a lot of pressure off, and as my boss used to say, 80% is better than 0%!
So here are the rules for making 80% DreamSnaps.
1. Do as little as you can to create something new.
The first secret to lazy DreamSnaps is to reduce, reuse, recycle.
DreamSnap challenges typically have themes with required tags and items, but they aren’t super strict. As long as something somewhere in the depths of your photo frame fulfills a requirement, even if it’s hiding behind something else, you’re good to go.
So what I like to do, especially because I’ve decorated so much around the valley, is look for a spot that mostly fits the theme for a given week. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and I’ll add an item or two if needed, but this way you aren’t starting from scratch every time!
Even if you haven’t really decorated, this can still work. Look for an outfit you love that could work, or find some natural scenery that would fit with a few adjustments.
2. Don’t be afraid to bend the rules.
While some DreamSnap themes will give you an immediate sense of inspiration, some of them will be weird. They’ll be vague. They’ll leave you stuck for ideas for days. They’ll pretty much always be open to interpretation.
And as a lazy DreamSnapper, interpret you shall.
If you’re feeling stuck on a theme, don’t forget: There’s a good chance other people are just as stuck as you are. So it’s okay if what you create doesn’t perfectly match the theme, because none of us really had an idea of what it was supposed to be anyway. People will appreciate the effort and creativity!
One of my favourite tricks with situations like this is to go into the recommended furniture list for that week’s DreamSnap theme. There will be a ton of stuff in there that fits the tags, even if it doesn’t fit the overall concept—so it’s a great starting point even for those off-topic snaps.
3. Let your photography do the heavy lifting.
As much as I hate to admit it, there’s a limit to how lazy you can be with a lazy DreamSnap. It is called the 80% rule, after all, so that effort has to be in there somewhere! And the art to doing it right is to make sure you put that 80% into the right places.
For this method, that means photography.
Even if you haven’t done a lot of work to create your DreamSnap itself, there are some things you can do with the photography to make it look more high-effort.
- Switching from selfie mode to portrait mode lets you do things like pose with your tools or critters, which can let you get creative in ways that didn’t involve building for hours.
- Adjusting settings like brightness, contrast, weather, and character lighting can tell as much of a story as the content in your photo.
- Minding your angles and changing how you position your camera can help you hide anything you just added for tag fulfilment purposes, or give you a creative perspective on an otherwise ordinary photo.
So there you have it—the secrets to how I do DreamSnaps the lazy way. I hope it helps on your next challenge!
YOUR TURN
Have any DreamSnap tips? Share them in the comments!
