Yumi Nikki game review
By Molly Gibson
Yumi Nikki was released in 2004 and created by pseudonymous Japanese developer Kikiyama
You’d be hard pressed to find someone who has never been exposed to Yumi Nikki. Released almost 20 years ago and with a strong cult following, it’s cemented itself as one of the classics of RPG Maker games and a cornerstone of early online culture.
I had heard of it in passing, as most people who were online during the early 2010’s had. People had seen a few screenshots from the game, heard its soundtrack used as background music and heard about the infamous Uboa event. I recently started seeing it around again and when I realised that it was free, I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed.
The games premise is simple, you play as a girl called Madotsuki exploring her dreams. You explore a surreal dream world collecting 24 ‘Effects’ scattered across it. The dream world at first glance seems simple, with a central hub connecting to 12 other worlds. However, diving into any of them reveals the branching paths of an interconnected labyrinth of surreal visuals and hidden secrets.
The game lacks most forms of traditional gameplay. There is no combat, no puzzles and no way to lose. The game instead becomes one of exploration, of entering the dream world and wandering through secret passageways and routes you didn’t notice last time, going deeper and deeper until you stumble upon a dead end. After which you’ll wake up, save your progress and go back to do it all over again.
This is not to say that the game is perfect. If you’re looking to collect all the effects, you’ll very quickly find yourself having to glance at the games’ Wiki. A lot of them are hidden a few layers deep, some worlds you would expect to have one don’t while one area secretly holds two.
There are also a few mazes that can quickly become frustrating to navigate, especially with Madotsuki’s slow walking speed and the absence of a sprint button.
Using any of the effects changes the appearance of Madotsuki, however only a few of them have any practical use. Those that do, overshadow the need to use any of the others outside of very specific scenarios. Out of 24 you’ll find yourself using only one or two for the majority of the game.
Despite its flaws, the game is great. It has a strong visual style; every area feels unique from the last and every turn reveals something new. The layout of the dream world means that you can pick any direction and find a new path with new areas every time. If that isn’t enough the game is free.
If you’re someone who enjoys exploration games, anything relating to Dream/Weirdcore or just want something low stress to spend a few hours on, then I can’t recommend the game enough. With a price tag of zero pounds and a world that you can go back to over and over, I’d say it's a must play.