Yume Nikki is a weird, weird game. It’s the very definition of “cult” — not everyone will like it, especially when compared to indie games of today. This weird exploration game is all about delving into your dreams and discovering the strange sights and sounds. As you explore, you’ll find unique worlds, find NPCs to interact with, and unlock unique effects you can use to reach new scenes.
Some of the dream worlds are simply surreal, while others are creepy, or lonely, or just perplexing. There’s a lot to unpack in this influential indie game, and just trying to enjoy it can be difficult. Here, we’re going to give you some advice to help make your early time smoother, and explain how to actually “complete” the game and earn your ending state.
Download Yume Nikki for free on Steam here.
More Yume Nikki guides on Gameranx:
Beginner’s Guide | Tips, Tricks & Secrets
Yume Nikki isn’t a game about plot. What you see is always up to your own interpretation. It’s all about exploration, and you’re free to explore the world in any order you see fit. There are 13 doors in the “Nexus” — but let’s stop here. There are two worlds you’ll find yourself in. The real world, and the dream world.
The Real World consists of two rooms — your apartment, and a small high-rise balcony. There’s nothing here for you, so get in your bed and start the real meat of the game.
- The Real World serves one function. You can save your game! Return here often to save.
When you dream, you’ll appear in your dream. Leave your room through the front door to reach the Nexus. This is the hub for all of your dream worlds. Each door leads to a dream world, and all the dream world feature interconnected deeper worlds you can discover with a little bit of exploration.
Don’t worry. You can’t die! Nothing really happens when you open all the doors, and it’s best that you interact with everything you possibly can. If something sticks out as strange, interact with it. If you’ve unlocked special effects, use them on everything you see — except, maybe, the knife.
Tips & Tricks – Controls & More
- Press the [9] key when you want to wake up. This causes you to pinch yourself, instantly waking up and returning to the real world. You can use this to escape maze-like worlds. It’s possible to get stuck in a dead-end. If you do, then it’s time to start pinching.
- While in-game, try pressing the [1], [2], or [3] keys when interacting. Sometimes things will happen! When you equip effects, try this too.
- Talk to everyone and everything you see! If something is strange, or sticks out, then you can probably interact with it. Do it! And don’t be afraid. Even the creepy things can’t kill you.
- Repeat interactions often. Sometimes strange events will happen when you return to old areas or talk to NPCs over and over again. Try using effects multiple times.
How to Beat Yume Nikki
There is an ending to Yume Nikki, and it involves a secret button — when you collect effects, you can drop them by pressing [5]. To complete Yume Nikki, you must drop all 24 effects into the Nexus.
We won’t spoil the ending here, but we will drop a few hints to help you complete the adventure.
- It doesn’t matter where you drop the effect eggs in the Nexus. They’ll automatically appear in their proper position when you leave and come back.
- Nothing happens after placing all 24 effects. Return to the real world to see what’s new.
And that’s everything you (basically) need to know about Yume Nikki to enjoy the game. Got your own advice? Drop us a comment!
