Massively multiplayer online games are great, right? They give us excuses to roam around with elf ears, and to have sex with strangers sporting tails. Okay, they give us a lot more than that (freedom of exploration, new social environments, etc.) but let’s be honest: there hasn’t been much creative innovation on the design side of the MMO genre, despite its recent boom in popularity. Most games are still fantasy romps, casual puzzle collections, or places to hang out and sip virtual cocktails. All of which is well and good, but where’s the art in this art form?

With this Wednesday’s gripe in mind, I’d like to officially join the ranks of games journalists who are psyched about a new game called Lila Dreams. It’s a small scale MMO–like, we’re talking so small it’s being made by three people–that takes place inside the imagination of an eleven-year-old girl. In an interview with Wired’s Game/Life, designer Jason McIntosh explained the “big threat” of the game will be “a darkness which literally surrounds the world, constantly encroaching inward and eating away the landscape. But there is also going to be an array of strange creatures from Lila’s thoughts and nightmares with which to contend and befriend.” So far the game’s concept art definitely delivers on “strange creatures.” When Lila Dreams is ready, hopefully later this year, it’ll be available to play free online from publisher Kongregate games.

It’s hard to tell yet whether such a small game can make an impact on the MMO medium (with a great idea and a creative team, I’d like to think it can). To be honest though, I have ulterior analytical motives for being excited about Lila Dreams. Regular Heroine Sheik readers know I’m a sucker for the figure of the little girl in art. A large chunk of my undergraduate thesis was dedicated to the femme-enfant in French surrealism, and I’ve written about the subversive power of the girl-child in games. From an academic perspective, I’m not only looking forward to playing the game–which follows in the tradition of excellent titles like Odin Sphere, itself set inside the mind of a little girl–I’m also looking forward to picking it apart. Lila Dreams promises to be even riper for interpretation since, as an MMO, it’s bound to involve a lot of “feminine” and “child-like” exploration. In the meantime, let’s keep our eyes on this promising project, and continue drooling over its creepy concept art!