Yume Nikki (2004) is an indie game produced by Kikiyama. It is designed for the PC, and a 3D version has just been reimagined for the PC. Of all the narrated gameplays (Lets Plays) I have watched thus far, Yume Nikki’s has to be the most meaningful I have watched. The game itself is so extensively developed that it would take over two months to just explore the superficial details of the game. Yume Nikki is a surreal horror adventure game that allows the player to play as a young girl named Madotsuki. Many details about the girl and the overall plot are not revealed to the player. This has fueled a lot of discussion over the underlying meaning of the game. There are a large number of forums online that debate the significance of different symbols within the game. Because of its obvious ambiguity, Yume Nikki has made its way onto my list—and I’m sure many others’ lists—of top artistic games.

The game begins with Madotsuki in her bedroom. She can exit onto a porch of her apartment, but she cannot exit the room. When she is awake, Madotsuki can either sleep in her bed or play a pixelated video game called NASU. One of the first things the player will notice is the game’s 32-bit design. Despite the game’s overall complexity, its graphics are not all that detailed. Part of the appeal to this game is powered by this design. Its pixelated scheme makes this indie all the more unique and makes the scary environment twice as creepy. Most of the gameplay takes place after Madotsuki goes to sleep. When she sleeps, she can exit the room into the heart of her dream world. At this crux is a circle of twelve doors that each transport Madotsuki to a different world.

The game’s superficial goal is to have Madotsuki find all the effects that are hidden in the dreamscape of her mind. The effects aid Madotsuki in her exploration by stopping the movements of certain characters, opening new paths, and changing the layout of the land. However, the actual goal is much less straightforward than just discovering all the effects. The fact that there is no set plot makes the online discussion over the game’s meaning all the more livelier. Some people have argued that the game deals with Madotsuki’s inner struggle with sexual abuse. This is supported by the phallic imagery present in many of the worlds that Madotsuki explores. For instance, in the Numbers world, a character that resembles a pole named Kyuu Kyuu-kun is seen. He is one of the few NPCs (non-playable characters) that Madotsuki cannot influence using the effects.

There is also the theory that Madotsuki is stranded in her room because the world outside is overrun with biological monstrosities. Images of otherworldly creatures are scattered about the game, providing ample support for this idea. In the Snow world, the toriningen (a bird and human hybrid monster) chases Madotsuki until it can catch her and send her back to the real world. If the toriningen are not enough, you can also visit Uboa, who is a disembodied head character, in the Snow world, Monoko, who is a girl with five arms protruding from her body, in the White Desert, or one of the three Mouth monsters, who are short creatures that are covered in fur and show only their mouths, in Mural world.

The monster designs are not the only aspects of the game that deserve praise. The maps and soundtrack also play a large role in creating the unnerving ambiance of the game. The Infinite Wilderness map is comprised of an almost barren desert-like terrain. With the trance background music and the infinite loop of sand and bizarre cacti, this map perturbs the player as much as any monster does. The homogeneity of the map often leads to getting lost, contributing to the overall disturbia of the game. Another world that gives a good scare is the Puddle world. The eerie atmosphere is heightened by the flat, black background that is interuppted only by occasional puddles that reflect cloudy skies, and lone streetlights. When Madotsuki finds the umbrella effect in this world, it begins to rain. These small, but significant scenery shifts collaborate with the ringing crescendos in the soundtrack to makes the setting as daunting and unsettling as possible. Of course, if getting lost in the dream world becomes too intense for the player to handle, Madotsuki can always pinch herself awake.

Yume Nikki’s nonconformist pixellated artwork, character designs, map layouts, and soundtrack make a truly captivating game. Kikiyama does an award-winning job of crafting the spine-chilling quality that many horror fans crave. Players who enjoy horror or have played .flow or Space Funeral would also enjoy this game.