yume nikki

where do i even start with my love for yume nikki? it has single handedly changed my entire life. i honestly owe kikiyama everything, lol. yume nikki has inspired my art, my views, my interests, my lifestyle, my everything. i always come back to yume nikki as there is ALWAYS something more to talk about. the yume nikki fandom is one of the loveliest places i've ever been on the internet. it's just a small, niche community that collectively appreciates and embraces art.

the game itself captivated me, portraying a range of feelings from serenity to alienation and loneliness. the atmospheres yume nikki creates i feel are unmatched, even to this day. just something about madotsuki wandering through her surreal dreams strikes a chord in me.

while i have my fairshare of nitpicks, eg. my distaste for large and empty maps/mazes, my love for yume nikki still stands. i can undoubtedly say that it is my favourite game ever. i love you, yume nikki!

.flow

.flow was my first ynfg fangame. it holds a special, special place in my heart. i'm absolutely in love with its darker and grotesque themes. the atmosphere it creates with its pixel art, events and music almost rivals the original. the music is especially empty and droning. i also really enjoy the story-telling aspects scattered throughout. while i don't think i will be able to perfectly piece together a comprehensive story, i've attempted twice at making sense of it through writing my own theories.

i found navigating .flow to be fairly easy. i don't think the mazes are too particularly annoying, and the maps aren't too huge either. accessing hole in girl is fairly annoying and grindy, but you're not obligated to visit it anyway. i honestly can't find much to complain about. .flow is a must play if you are getting into ynfgs.

yume 2kki

ahh, yume 2kki. i will literally never get all the endings and content there is to see in this game. and thats fine. yume 2kki was my gateway into really entering the yume nikki fandom, starting from when i first played it on ynoproject. i've met many wonderful people and it's mostly thanks to yume 2kki. it's filled with aspiring artists and developers that i look up to.

the worlds in 2kki are incredibly memorable, and that can be both positive and negative. i will never forget exploring deep routes, marvelled by the incredible pixel art and atmosphere. qxy, wataru and moriwo are my favourite authors, as they have amazing and wonderful routes to explore.

if there is something i don't like, i think the game is far too bloated now. with all the different authors, it's hard to organise and create something well thought out. while consistency was never the point of yume 2kki and collaborative yume nikki fangames in general, the range of quality can be pretty disorientating. sometimes the game really makes me go " game design moment", with things like omurice labyrinth. but other than that, yume 2kki will always have a special place in my heart - there really is nothing like it.

collective unconscious

collective unconscious is an exclusively online multiplayer yume nikki fangame, where you control minnatsuki and wander around a dream world full of spirits and otherworldly creations. the game is hosted on https://ynoproject.net/unconscious!

i guess this is a little bit of self promo haha, but hey, i work in collective unconscious! i'm one of the managers for the game, working on things ranging from spriting to bugfixing. i love the community we've developed; it's absolutely wonderful to see everyones' creations. i've met some great people while working on this game. the positive reception has been really amazing!

lcddem

lcddem is a fairly tranquil ynfg. it rarely ever ventures into darker and morbid themes. the worlds can be calming and beautiful. what stands out the most is how the music is honestly FANTASTIC. it is probably one of the best soundtracks of any yume nikki fangame or game in general, as expected from koronba/n3.

however, you can't make a great ynfg with only great music. some maps are extremely lackluster and boring, consisting of boring labyrinths or mazes. the 2nd tile maze honestly annoyed the hell out of me with how excrutiating it was to explore. furthermore, with how rarely it ever delves into more surreal and dark themes, whenever it does it feels forced. the ending, while depressing, feels incredibly out of place and is never hinted at. i feel like lcddem could have tried at pulling off the "everything is fine not really" trope, but it simply doesn't do it for me.

answered prayers

answered prayers is really nice so far! i especially love all the gb worlds. despite how small it is, it still manages to be a fun game. it strikes a good balance between embracing yume nikki tropes while also diverting away from it. the sandwich effect is super cute too..

some worlds just feel a little bit flat to me, i'm guessing its because of the mundane pixel art. oh and the hell maze. i've never explored a "hell" type map in yume nikki fangames with more dead ends. but anyways, if you're looking for something small and simple, i recommend answered prayers.

ultra violet

ultra violet is super fun! the pretty pixel art and fun events scattered throughout made it a super fun game. i come back to ultra violet a lot, as many worlds are super comfy to just chill in. the effects were generally easy to get, with the rabbit and cake being one of my favourites :D

aside from that, the maps were pretty big tho, which made wandering around them a little boring. i also really dislike how you obtain the rabbit effect; i hate when ynfgs make obtaining speed effects convoluted! it was also disappointing that the macabre world (one of the nexus worlds) didn't actually house anything except for an effect. i have my nitpicks, but ultra violet is still a really nice fangame that i would recommend :)

muma rope

muma rope is simply awesome. it deviates heavily from the typical tropes of yume nikki fangames, whilst still capturing what makes them fun. this game just feels DIFFERENT and could honestly be a standalone. it feels very sleak and well designed; the complaints i typically have with ynfgs aren't present here. there are a huge variety of worlds, with unpredictable artstyles and atmosphere. the worlds feel small and interconnected, with something new to find at every corner. my absolute favourite map was the puzzle chamber,as it's super fun to run around and pretend like you know what you're doing there.

while i wouldn't say the art style is my favourite, it has a child-like charm to it. there aren't really any gorgeously crafted areas i would write home about like with other ynfgs. but what makes it truly stand out to me is just how unique every world is, with fun puzzles and mechanics scattered all over. muma rope may just be my favourite fangame, simply because of how unique it is.

someday

someday is a pretty simple game. my favourite thing about it is all of the cool puzzles and mechanics, especially the testing area! i've never seen a ynfg do something like that, and i truly think it works. the feats thing is also a really cool way to keep track of all the events in the game.

the worlds with their simple visuals and themes end up being rather mundane. theres nothing too interesting visually in my opinion, aside from a few areas like the spacecraft and the secret room in the school. if this game had a more intriguing art style, i'd definitely revisit it more.

uneven dream

uneven dream is a great game! this game pretty much solves everything i hated about yume 2kki. even though there is a general level of quality held across all the worlds, they still have vastly different styles, making exploring to be unpredictable and fun. AND I LOVE THE MUSIC! THE MUSIC IS UP THERE AS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRACKS OF ALL TIME. there's also some really nice qol features like quick effect keys.

this game is pretty unfinished so i really hope more worlds are added. and i'm not sure why they chose to have 2 seperate dreamers as it makes their dream worlds feel more sparse? my complaints for uneven dream are few and far between however, so i'd highly recommend it if something like yume 2kki overwhelms you.

amillusion

amillusion's general tone and atmosphere is more lighthearted. while i wouldn't say the pixel art is outstanding, it accentuates the fun, child-like vibes the game wants to portray. each world is surreal in its own way, and there are a lot of absurd and unique events scattered throughout. particularly, the path to obtain the cougar key blew my mind; it's seriously beautiful. i also really enjoyed exploring the zoo, definitely one of my favourite ynfg areas.

as for complaints, the maps can be really big and sprawling, as with a lot of fangames. the music can be absolutely EAR GRATING whenever it feels lik. horrible, unpleasant loops repeat over and over again, driving you to the brink of insanity. if i feel like muting the game just to be able to stand it, something has gone wrong. if you can look past all of this, i'd definitely give it a shot, especially if you want something new and less ynfg trope-y.

mikan muzou

mikan muzou has got some VIBES. its overally dark and grimey tone is remniscent of .flow in a unique way. the vague plot of the game is interesting, and i liked quite a lot of the effects. the speed effect is kinda ugly though lol.

i have quite a few complaints. a lot of the void worlds, while not terribly big, are really visually uninteresting. aside from a few interesting areas and events, mikan muzou felt very mundane overall. the music is amateur and annoying to listen to on loop sometimes. i'm very rarely ever reluctant to recommend a fangame, but unless you really enjoy the darker side of ynfgs, i feel that mikan muzou won't interest you.

deep dreams

deep dreams is a gorgeous fangame. there are many pretty and tranquil places, and i especially had a lot of fun taking screencaps. the pixel art is carefully crafted to create varying atmospheres.

as for complaints, the game can be somewhat buggy. there's this funny one where i can use some effects in the overworld. the music used in the game is stock music, and therefore it occassionally it sounds a little silly and out of place. the maps feel way too huge a lot of the time. still, deep dreams is up there as one of my faves!

ephemreal

deep dreams is a gorgeous fangame. there are many pretty and tranquil places, and i especially had a lot of fun taking screencaps. the pixel art is carefully crafted to create varying atmospheres.

the foxglove catcher

it's illegal to make a ynfg this breathtaking. the worlds and pixel art are gorgeous, carefully crafted to create a serene atmosphere overall. the custom ui is a really neat feature. this game would honestly work as a standalone, as it deviates a lot from typical ynfg tropes, having dialogue, character sprites and puzzle progression elements.

i really hope to see the foxglove catcher updated. it is honestly amazing how much the creator got done in such a short span of time (dream diary jam).

yume nikki 1.00

if i had one word to describe this mod, it would be "goofy". i liked a lot of the worlds that expanded upon the yn vibe, but god it could SERIOUSLY use some work. i honestly feel disappointed as I remember being really excited for its release. the game trailer looked promising. i wasn't expecting what the hell this was.

there are so many cheesy and in-your-face game references sprinkled throughout the game and i genuinely don't know why. why couldn't they make an proper yume nikki mod lol? and the usage of other video game assets, even with credit, is just iffy at best. hell, a portion of 'pom gets wifi' is just ripped and placed in the game so nonchalanty. oh well, i hope this mod gets remade or whatever.

dream genie

ohhhh boy. dream genie had some very pretty and notable areas for sure! the screenshots i have are really pretty and it was especially memorable to play with friends. but dear god i hope to never touch this game again. it is riddled with poor game design choices and is bound to frustrate anyone without a guide.

the music isn't the best a lot of the time, and the art style can feel overwhelming. there is some really strange and unnecessary dialogue in this game as well. if it were not for the few visually interesting and surreal areas in this game, i don't think it would have much going for it, in all honesty.

she awaits

with how little there is in she awaits, it still manages to paint a good first impression! the pixel art and worlds are very intriguing and beautiful. she awaits generally has a light and tranquil tone to its worlds, with a few dark and mysterious places scattered throughout. there are some events and reoccuring themes throughout the game that interest me. i wonder what story it is trying to tell?

i really hope this game gets updated as i would love to see more!

yuque

yuque is up there as one of my favourite ynfgs! it captures the original style of yume nikki in its own unique way. i really love how yuque isn't afraid to push its limits and create unique and fun areas to explore, with great music and pixel art combined. the worlds are very memorable and atmospheric and TONS of unique events are scattered throughout.

i feel that some effects are a bit obtuse to obtain, like the train staff one. if you can look past that, as well as some of the frustrating mazes and large maps, i highly recommend it.

withers

holy crap, withers has made a lasting impression on me... many worlds are absolutely breathtaking with stunning pixel art and relaxing ambient music to accompany the worlds. while there aren't too many interactive events, what made withers stand out to me was how fun it was to explore. aside from the few annoyingly large maps and mazes, the game still felt small and interconnected. every corner i turned i would find something unique and beautiful; some areas genuinely struck me with awe!

the effects aren't particulary difficult to get aside from like, the hoodie and another one that i forgot. i really don't have many complaints aside from that... go play it, it's fantastic.

moonless*l

moonless*l initially didn't interest me too much at first. some maps felt a little mundane. however, after completing it, i can definitely say it's worth the play. many worlds in the game are super adorable and memorable. particularly, the journey to the colourful effect is what solidified moonless*l as one of my favourites. oh, and all of the cute lil' headpat and hug events in the game made me smile :)

while the music isn't anything to write home about, the amateur-ish style of it kind of amplifies the themes of childhood throughout the game. i still don't really understand what's the deal with having 2 different protagonists, but hey, that's just my preference.

re:in

i feel bad that i should have enjoyed re:in, but i had a bit of a sour experience with it. the pixel art is fantastic and some of the more horror and surreal events in the game make it stand out. but aside from great art and an interesting story that is hinted at, the game is very incomplete. it's incredibly easy to run into a traffic cone at every turn. there was also a bug in the game that essentially locked me out of unlocking tamashitsuki, and since i didn't have a backup save i had to redo getting all the effects. pretty annoying, especially since i was already at my limit with all the traffic cones.

i also feel like the game has some obtuse secrets and game mechanics, with things that felt very unintuitive. i had to use a guide to figure out how to unlock tamashitsuki and how to save as her character. i think i would have enjoyed re:in with a guide, as trying to figure everything out on my own really tainted my overall view of it

nostAlgic

nostAlgic is a really solid fangame! the pastel artstyle is pretty cute, and there are a lot of scenes in the game that are super pretty to take screencaps at. the music wasn' too notable but definitely enhanced the child-like atmosphere.

something super unique was that the effects were extremely easy to get - i only needed a guide for one of them. the worlds were small and easy to traverse, which i really liked. the game felt complete and satisfying as it had an interesting ending. my only complaint is there weren't really any unique and interactive events - moreso just interesting sites you see along your journey. if you're looking for something simple and quick to play, nostAlgic is a good one for you!

ISO

ISO, while pretty short and simple, is super nice. the artstyle is very unique and the sci-fi take on ynfgs is certainly interesting. the effects were really easy to obtain and i didn't need a guide, albeit due to the map count being rather small at its stage in development. i especially liked the idea of having different speed effects for on land and in water travel. the map tree isn't super balanced right now, but with what ISO has so far, it's building up to be a pretty solid fangame. go check it out!

lull away

woo boy. lull away is filled with bugs. speed glitches that made me restart my save, collision issues galore and just other really annoying minor ones. while not completely game breaking and unplayable, it definitely left a bitter taste in my mouth.

the map and level design questionable. worlds aren't horribly large, making navigation to be easy. this unfortunately also made running into dead ends to be an extremely common and disappointing occurrence. some world entrances are unintuitive and weirdly placed. oh yea, there are so many one-ways for really no good reason.

the simple art style doesn't really do it for me a lot of the time, although there were quite a few neat areas. a really neat touch was how effects were introduced - some, like the monitor and metal bat had "tutorials" to got you to learn their mechanics. i can see that lull away is really trying to do something, and i appreciate that. but as of now it feels kind of unpolished and dissatisfying to play. just really annoying how this game nails some aspects and completely flops at others.

cirrus

cirrus is a very nice fangame! there are honestly more worlds than i was expecting, with consistently high quality pixel art. aside from 1, all the effects were relatively easy to obtain. i found that exploring cirrus was very fun. the worlds weren't too large and they were always very pleasant to venture through. i found it easy to navigate, with my typical gripes with ynfgs like hell mazes or empty worlds being absent. like many, it's an unfinished fangame, but playing through and completing what's there so far is very accomplishing. it's definitely one of my favourite fangames and i highly recommend it.

re;fleXion

re;fleXion is probably the shortest fangame i've played. there's really not much content so far and therefore i have a hard time critcising its flaws. regardless, i find that the worlds presented so far are pretty intriguing! i really liked the room where you obtained the mushroom head effect, as i found the pixel art there to be super neat and memorable. the doll house nexus world is an absolute pain and i hate it. i'm not really dying for more but it would be nice to see what else this fangame has in store.

oversomnia

oversomnia is absolutely amazing. from stunning pixel art to memorable worlds, characters and atmospheres, it's sure to keep you looking for more. the dream world feels well crafted and tightly knit together, with lots of interconnection. the maps feel incredibly large but are packed full of interesting sites and interactive events, making exploring to be fun. it's one of the only few fangames that feel incredibly complete with just how much content there is.

there are so many fun mechanics that make oversomnia stand out from other fangames, like fun puzzles, minigames and even a dream beastiary. it makes completing this game all the more worth it and satisfying. i never once felt anything was unintuitive or needlessly secretive - everything is very well telegraphed and hinted at. effects in oversomnia are more commonly used, allowing you to progress to certain areas or to uncover secrets. it's seriously a must play for anyone that enjoys traditional yume nikki fangames with a slight twist!

.B.P.

.B.P. is a pretty short but sweet fangame. the grimey, dark pixel art along with varying perspectives creates a really great atmosphere to wander around in. i felt that a few worlds borrowed a bit too much from yume nikki, but that will probably be less apparent if this game gets updated. the dream world feels small, but still well fleshed out, with each world containing good points of interest, be it effects, npcs or events. i'd say go check .B.P. out if you enjoy ynfgs with darker atmospheres.

-1 -minus ichi-

-1 -minus ichi- was an interesting experience for sure. i was initially drawn to the game by it's vibrant artstyle, and i can for sure say that there are some really beautiful sites. navigating the dream world felt okay, aside from some boring mazes and the dark world. the effects are very cute and i found them generally easy to obtain! the music wasn't the best and got annoying to listen to eventually. there are some interesting events scattered around which i really liked. i'd recommend this game to those that really love beautiful sceneries and pixel art in ynfgs, but i'd say that there's not much more to get out of it other than that.

yume nichiroku

yume nichiroku was alright. although some worlds stood out as very dark and grimey, the pixel art was mediocre overall. it felt a bit too derivative from the original yume nikki, with not much else to offer. the few events yume nichiroku had were pretty nice i must say. i enjoyed collecting the menu themes and effects, which i thought were pretty cute. the maps were nice to explore (apart from that radium world). overall i don't really recommend it unless you really enjoy darker atmospheres like with mikan muzou or .B.P., as it doesn't have much else to add. it's not bad but it's not great either.

yume tsushin

i had a lot of fun playing yume tsushin. the custom menu and conveyor sushi nexus were fun and really set it apart from other fangames. while i didn't like how the map tree was organised (many nexus worlds leading to 1/2 routes instead of a few that branch off and interconnect more), each map is unpredictable, making exploring fun. the effects especially were super cute and fun to obtain, with many many adorable cosmetic ones. while i didn't enjoy a lot of the large sprawling void worlds, beautiful areas like the docks, mansion and hotel really make up for it. if yume tsushin had more consistently high quality worlds like those ones, i would have enjoyed my time playing more. oh, and the events... the flight event is certainly interesting.

yume tagai

yume tagai was very nice!while the initial void worlds didn't strike me as very impactful, the areas following definitely ramped up in interesting-ness. there were many memorable locations, especially the apartments! i didn't really like how sparse some of them were, but i'm hoping there's more to be added. the underlying story is neat, although the method of unlocking the 2nd character is a bit obtuse. yet again do i not understand the point of having 2 protagonists, but hey, that's just a personal gripe. currently it feels incomplete but in an unsatisfying way, begging for more to be added.