It isn't the easiest thing to pull off, but charm can be a powerful draw for a game. It can leave players with a sense of bliss that transcends the gameplay itself, and inspire them to frequently return. It's exactly why I play Kirby's Adventure for the NES on a regular basis. It's fun, sure, but it's also endearing. Mr. Dreamer has a similar hook to it, and I'm already convinced I'll be firing it up for months to come.
I'd like to clear the air before we get started: Mr. Dreamer is in no way related to Mr. Dream of Punch-Out!! fame. He's less a fighter and more a runner, as you'll quickly pick up on in the game's trailer and enclosed screenshots. But don't go assuming his journeys are of the left-to-right variety. No, he's a little more interested in fighting his way upward.
It's only when you come across a title like DEO that it suddenly becomes clear how the rules of the game have changed since the advent of iPhone. Time was, a game such as Strapped to a Meteor's would have to have had a cutesy, cuddly character strapped on for good measure - a 'hedgehog with attitude', or in Dizzy's case, an egg randomly sporting a pair of legs. DEO, like many of its App Store chums, sidesteps all such unnecessary indulgences. Its star - best defined as a rather sorrowful red blob - has no great backstory, nor is his home bursting with charm.