#PGCHelsinki: Mimpi Dreams is a polished and slick sequel with an awful lot of promise

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It's always nice to be surprised. Well, not so much when someone jumps out at you when you're eating an ice cream, but other than that, surprises are good.

And Mimpi Dreams is one such surprise. It's the sequel to the Bronze Award-winning Mimpi, and it feels like a game that's learned its lessons from its predecessor.

You're still controlling a little dog who's desperate for a nap, and you're still bouncing through gorgeous looking cartoon levels that manage to be both endearing and full of adventure.

The controls this time round are a little bit slicker, with the platforming sections almost bringing to mind classic 16-bit Disney games like The Lion King and Aladdin.

While that old-fashioned leaping around meat is decidedly solid and fun, it's in the interactive puzzles that Mimpi Dreams finds its feet.

Objects can be poked and prodded around - there are clouds that can be squished together to make it rain or slid around to be used as platforms, cogs that can be swiped into place to create machines, and helmets and birds you can tap to make them switch places to solve puzzles.

It gives the whole thing a sense of exploration and experimentation. You'll find yourself pausing often, figuring out which part of the world you need to manipulate.

There are hint bubbles floating around the trickier challenges, and you can spend the light bulbs you collect to figure them out.

The two levels I played are both uniquely gorgeous. One involves chasing a bird through a forest, trying to shush it so you can extend your nap.

The other is all about rescuing a trapped princes, traversing a set of dungeons, lighting torches and avoiding giant dragons that are stomping knights.

And I play the whole thing with a smile on my face. It's a joyous experience, even when I keep accidentally drowning poor little Mimpi.

The eureka moments here are wonderful, almost gasp-worthy, but there's an accessibility to everything that opens up that experimental nature.

Mimpi Dreams is a clear step up from the original in almost every area. It looks lovely, it feels smooth, and there's a cheery beat to everything that makes it almost impossible to dislike.

It'll be interesting to see whether Silicon Jelly can keep that sense of heart and warmth running through all of the game, but if it can, then it'll be well worth checking out when it launches on iOS and Android.