Thus those wishing to enter the ruins decide to stage an impromptu competition: the one who defeats all others will be allowed to enter the ruins and have their wishes granted. Unable to locate any sort of entrance into the ruins, the group instead discovers a notice posted nearby which warns that the ruins can only support one visitor. Spotting Mima and Marisa Kirisame among the crowd gathered, Reimu inquires about the ruins' sudden appearance and is given a flier indicating that the Grand Opening is to occur shortly and that those who enter will have their wishes granted. While enjoying a quiet morning walk, the local shrine maiden Reimu Hakurei stumbles across some curious ruins a short distance from the Hakurei Shrine's gateway. Story Main article: Story (includes the translated script and the manual)

Dream also features a Match Play Mode in which the player may face off against individual AI opponents or compete against other human players, as well as observe AI vs. In Story Mode, the player will face 9 increasingly intelligent AI opponents, each more capable than the last. Upon meeting certain conditions, players are able to unleash a variety of character-specific Spell Attacks upon their opponents in an attempt to whittle down their remaining health points, in a manner not unlike a VS. Dream is considered to be a competitive vertical danmaku shooting game, in which two characters engage in moderate danmaku gameplay within individual and separate play areas (aka. Gameplay Main article: Gameplay and Strategy (includes a more detailed description of the game and information on scoring)

Phantasmagoria game characters